It all started with the fish when the innovative shapers and board builders out there decided to revisit the past for some inspiration. In doing so they brought back some lost skills such as resin tints and hand foiled fins.The Fish Fry has been a place for these fine craftsmen to showcase their skills. We have seen some amazing boards as shapers have pushed the boundaries over the last few years. As this new look at the fish has evolved to its many forms, it has influenced other shapes and designs along the way.This has spawned a renewed interest in other board forms by this same group and a wider following.Notably the Mini Simmons, Hulls, old school Logs and Pigs. It is pleasing to note that there are an increasing number of people building their own boards as well.All of this is to be applauded and celebrated as a positive for surfing.So it is only natural that these shapers and board builders continue to share their skills with us and include these other shapes at the Fish Fry.It has truly become a melting pot of ideas for like minded people.

Shapers night at The Gold Coast Surf Museum

“Shaper’s Night at the Museum” went off with great success on Wednesday the 9th of September. Surfing icon Bob McTavish was the keynote speaker for the not-for-profit event which was held at the recently opened Gold Coast Surf World Museum in Currumbin.

Shaper’s that were there included DHD, Al Byrne, Passion8, Bourton, Full Force, DMS, Dorrington, D’Arcy, Chris Garrett, Grown , Hellfish, FIREWIRE, Diverse, Astro Surfboards, Joe Larkin, Tony Dempsey, Dale Chapman and of course Bob McTavish.


Local muso Dan Hannaford entertained the crowd as they had a few beers to warm up
Al Byrne, a great shaper , innovator and a funny bugger to boot. Kiwi as well.
Bob explaining his new quad fin setup, where the width of the back fins are set at the same length of your foot , so as to give you the most control and power.

Bob McTavish captivated the audience as he showed off his new fin placement system and explained the logic behind using your foot size to customise fin placement on surfboards. It wasn’t all technical, as Bob took us all back in time to uncrowded perfection of Noosa, sleeping in surf clubs and surviving on a shilling a day.



Al Byrne and John Milne were also guest speakers and gave the crowd some different bottom design ideas which included channel bottoms and 1 and a 1/2 inch thick concaves.



Nice turnout of interested folk.

John Milne from Hellfish then pulled out a show stopper. His “fish” surfboard with a vibrant lifelike fishy artwork has to be seen to be really believed. The “fish” is trippy and looks like a giant lure.

Shaper’s were all invited to bring along a board to showcase, a crowd favourite was Full Force’s hand shaped gun featuring a spray of rock goddess P!NK and her husband Carey Hart. Dan MacDonald (DMS) also provided a good looking twinnie, which also proved to be very popular with the crew.


The night really was something special.

“The Gold Coast Surf World museum is totally reliant upon community support. Volunteers make up the entire staff roster, we are always on the lookout for people willing to help out”, said Bob Pankhurst, one of the museum committee members.

‘Shaper’s Night at the Museum’ was an initiative of three volunteers, Nikki Jackson, Werner Kotze and Gus Goozee. They are hoping that following this project they can source unpaid work experience in various areas of the surfing industry.


The event was proudly supported by Southern Cross University and Australia’s Surfing Life Magazine.


For further information contact:

Surf World Museum Gold Coast: (07) 5525 6380

Nikki Jackson: 0432 743 599

Gus Goozee: 0406 080 309

Werner Kotze: 0431 469 856


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