Surfboard models and the relentless pursuit of perfection
Monday 04/07 22
Computer shaping can deliver racks and racks of identical model surfboards, and yet board design has never been more diverse. So where are we at with surfboard models?
Design Outline
The History Of Asymmetry And The Pursuit Of Balance
Wednesday 13/04 51
A surfer falls down the rabbit hole of asymmetry bumping into innovators along the way: Midget, Bob Cooper, Carl Ekstrom, Kelly Slater.
Agave And The Spirit Of Board Making
Thursday 31/03 8
Tequila is made from the Agave plant which is native to Mexico, however it also grows wild in the Adelaide Hills. Cass Selwood finds a different use for Agave, making a wild home-made shortboard from pilfered stalks.
Clyde Aikau’s Pale Blue Steed
Tuesday 01/03 18
A friend in need is a friend indeed, especially when it comes to guns.
Shane Dorian, Varial Foam, and the stringerless gun - interview and video
Monday 29/02 20
The wooden stringer has been the veritable backbone of the surfboard for over half a century. Varial Foam blanks require no stringer or parabolic rails, all the strength comes from the core, and Shane Dorian has been riding a 9'8" stringerless JC in the biggest waves on the planet.
Bending the rules
Friday 04/12 159
"A lot of surfers don't know why their boards work the way they do," says Greg Webber, before adding, somewhat cheekily. "But then a lot of shapers don't why either."
Webber gives Swellnet the straight talk on his latest experiment.
Mitch Surman and the ghost of George Greenough
Friday 06/11 16
Come meet a shaper called Mitch, a legend called George, and a flex tail spoon called Gwen.
Jet powered channel bottoms - literally
Thursday 08/10 20
The fastest boards in the world just got faster. Dale Wilson of Byrning Spears recently revealed a 6'8" channel bottom with an inbuilt jet engine for tow surfing.
Rasta on the torus channel
Thursday 24/09 37
Dave Rastovich explains the new bottom contour - the torus channel - he and Gary McNeill have been working on.
Inside X-Core Reactor blanks
Thursday 17/09 119
It's been ten years since Gordon Clark upped and shut his foam blowing operation and the reverberations are still be being felt. The latest blank technology - developed by a young Sydney surfer - is getting the thumbs up from shapers, including the world's largest board manufacturer.
Corey Graham is the Willy Wonka of Torquay
Monday 13/07 15
"I wanted to create a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory vibe – bring back the fun, create some fascination in surfboards and take the piss a bit." - Corey Graham on his Wonka-inspired surf shop.
Neal Purchase Junior and the Duo - interview and video
Friday 10/07 27
A nose for curiosity and a willingness to follow the scent has led Neal Purchase Junior down an interesting trail. The Duo is his latest design, a concept that, "splits the single fin apart."