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.

Happy New Year from The Gold Coast

Lets hope 2010 holds a few more positives and we can all move on.Thanks for your support and I hope to see you on Sunday 14th March at The Alley. The Fish will be schooling once again.

Happy New Year from Grant and Jackie.

Great looking movie in production "Boardroom " - Ledgends of early surfboard shaping .

" BoardRoom featuring the legends of early surfboard shaping starts filming in Hawaii.

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 25 December, 2009 : - - BoardRoom - Legends of Surfboard Shaping is currently filming in the Hawaiian Islands and is expected for a summer 2010 release. BoardRoom is a feature length documentary by German director Markus Davids, SOC, featuring the legends of early surfboard shaping.

A special group of innovative and progressive surfboard manufacturers were looking for a better way to build lighter surfboards, when the common surfboard weighed in at more than 50 pounds. With the invention of polyurethane during the 2nd World War, it became a popular and accessible material for this generation of surfboard shapers who had been using redwood and balsa wood.

The evolution of the surfboard and materials was at hand and surfing was never the same. This pivotal era was hallmarked by surf movies like “Gidget” and “The Endless Summer” which took surfing to mainstream America. In combination of changing attitudes towards surfing and the evolution of the surfboard, a group of a few thousand surfers erupted in to millions over night.

Director Davids takes us back in time to the early pioneers of modern day surfboard shaping; craftsman and visionary Hobie Alter teamed up with Gordon Clark, and revolutionized the foam materials used for the next half century. His movie features legends in their own right such as Greg Noll (Riding Giants), Hap Jacobs, Donald Takayama, Larry Gordon (Gordon & Smith), Robert August (The Endless Summer), Dick Brewer, Terry Martin (Hobie), and the list goes on and on.

Filming commenced on O'ahu with Harold Iggy, who has had a tremendous influence on surfboard designs, windsurfing boards and Stand Up Paddle boards. "During our interviews we not only dig deep into surfboard history but we also touch on Harold's influence on modern board design," Davids said.

Shapers are being interviewed including Dick Brewer, Donald Takayama, Bing Copeland, Hap Jacobs, Mike Hynson and Rich Harbour.

In times when most credit and fame goes to the surfers who ride the boards, BoardRoom pays homage to the men who created the boards and also shaped this industry.

Assisted by cinematographer, Robert Jax, producer Robert Bell, and helmed by his production company CineBags in collaboration with Five6 Productions, Davids has been traveling up and down the west coast of California, and the Hawaiian Islands, capturing the true legends of their craft.

More info can be found on www.boardroomthemovie.com our the movies Facebook page."

Looks like one to look out for- Thanks to Surfers Village for the info.

Merry Chrismas to all you Fish Heads out there.




Merry Christmas to you all. I have been lucky enough to test my Christmas present to myself early. 10 foot x 24" x 3 1/4" styrene with 8mm Paulownia stringer and carbon fibre by Mo.Lots of fun shaping it last month and it is lots of fun to ride. The Halo fins seem to work OK for the size of the board , but look forward to some juice to test them out.
I hope you are all thinking of new fishes also and look forward to catching up at the 4th Alley Fish Fry on Sunday 14th March 2010 .

Von Sol "Moonfish " designed by Sean Mattison





A new design by Sean Mattison - 6ft x 21" x 2 5/8" 2lb EPS foam with Resin Research epoxy.5oz / 4oz on the deck and 4oz on the bottom. Lok Box fins. Looks like a sweet board.Check it out.
www.vonsol.com