George Greenough

This blue surfboard was the first standup surfboard George Greenough made for himself, 1957, while he was still at high school and not yet a dedicated kneeboarder. He rode it as a stand up surfboard in small surf and said it went really well in small waves up to about shoulder high. George cut it in half to make it LONGER because he got too heavy to knee paddle it.

1959 saw the creation of his first kneeboard, made of balsa, then also painted baby blue.

Looking at this first blue surfboard with the pulled in tail, it looks really functional, like all of Greenoughs designs. This blue surfboard was almost a decade before the so called shortboard revolution of 1966 1967. By the time of 1966 George was on a lightweight fibreglass spoon and getting deep in tubes.

Great pictures and words thanks to Andrew Crockett from his Hodaddy Newsletter

www.switch-foot.com

Single fin action

Alex Knost: Single Fins from Taylor Bonin on Vimeo.

The Alley as we wish it was

It would be nice to have swell and some south or west in the wind. We are over the hot northerlies.

Some serious slab surfing Irish style

We were in Ireland in June this year for a wedding and it is a cold and harsh place to surf, for the brave and hardy with the right gear and attitude.But great waves as you will see.

Nacho's Gold Coast Simmons

Nacho Agote from Spain has arrived on the Gold Coast with his girlfriend Peti and they needed some boards. Now was the best time to shape some new boards as we have had 2 + weeks of warm Northerlies and no surf to speak of. So I took Nacho to Burfords and he selected his blanks and headed straight to DMS to get shaping.

The Spanish Simmons , Queensland style.

Nacho was pleased with the outcome and can't wait for some waves. He is here for 3 months and is keen to have a look at what the surf industry is like down here. He works by himself and hand shapes and finishes over 100 a boards a year back home.

Italian Surf Culture is well and truely alive

Good friend Marco Miazzini in Pietrasanta Italy was lucky enough to have a great single fin surf festival on his local beach last month. The guys have been given a nice slice of land right on the beach between all the exclusive beach clubs and have built a club house , surf school / surfers drop in that was the hub for the festival.

Local shaper Michele Puliti put on a shaping demo and others shaped alaias.

Marco came out to last years Fish Fry here and then helped organise one at this same location when he got home from 3 months enjoying the Byron Bay Gold Coast waves.The local boys are very passionate about their surfing and boards.We had a great time there in June although the surf is not very consistent.

Jelle's simmons

It's 5'3" x 20.5" and made from XPS and epoxy. No stringer. Pretty light.

Nice looking board that should fly down the line and hang on for grim death with those fins

He is looking forward to the ride.

Tints and colour

A blaze of colour from Thomas surfboards on the Sunshine Coast.

He is also known for great shapes of course

Jason 'Salsa' Salisbury and The " Bat Tail Simmons " from Deus Bali

A mixed bag from Thomas Bexon, glassed by Jake Bowrey

www.thomassurfboards.com

Let's go surfing

Hey Ho Let's Go Surfing is a salty surfing adventure, featuring the slipperyisms of Sage Joske, Brett Caller & Jake Bevan, brought to you by the good folk at The Critical Slide Society.

The "Fish Finger" from More Surfboards

" Here's my latest version of a design I call "The Fish-Finger". Dims are 5'10" x 20" x 2 3/4" . It can be ridden finless, or with multiple options with the long and low keels that we are calling 'training keels' . These keels are reversable depending on how much or how little hold you want. They are a great board for those guys who struggle with going totally finless coz they give you alot of the same feelings and freedom to spin, slide and drift but with just enough hold for some down the line projection ....super FUN and the biggest problem is they make a standard board seem quite dull afterwards.... "

Mark Pridmore of More Surfboards from the Sunshine Coast

" The Art of Surfing" exhibition

The Gold Coast Surf Museum currently has a great collection of art on surfboards on display from all sorts of shapers and artists. So if you would like to check them out the museum is in Tomewin Street opposite the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctaury.

" This surfboard is exhibited by the Surf world museum now. It is the special surfboard work in collaboration with Dick Van Straalen. I would like to inherit his soul and spirit."

Shoji Muto

The Mini Sea Creature

Roger Hall in New Zealand is ever the innovator and his own man when it comes to creating interesting boards. This is his latest the 5ft 7" x 23" x 3 3/8" moni version of his Sea Creature.

It has a lot going on but never the less a great board performance wise. I saw Roger ride one at the Pass down at Byron after this years fish fry and he was all over it.

Roger loves wood and couldn't resist adding some detail to the stringer of this one. The added weight will give it the momentum he is used to in his woooden boards. Thanks to Mike Cunningham for the pics.

Check out what Roger is up to at : www.surfline.co.nz or www.fishnlog.blogspot.com

4ft 2" Shovel Head Simmons

My latest Simmons 4ft 2" x 22 1/2" x 3"

Pretty simple really hull to flat under front foot and 5mm of concave out through the tail

Just love fresh cut foam ready to finish

A lot happens on the rail line over a very short distance. Plus I like to keep the S deck and it is a great way to keep the thickness out of the nose.It is pretty chunky in the tail to keep some float in it. Rasta Keels will finish it off nicely.

3ft 11" Simmons

I caught up with Gold Coast small board lover, Shoji Muto at Byron Bay on the weekend. He was riding his new creation. 3ft 11" Body board inspired outline rails and rocker , with the Dick Van tail flutes. He has it all going on. He was having fun in the small onshore day at Watagos.

Weekend in Byron

Jackie and I headed to Byron for the weekend for the first Byron Bay Surf Festival. Friday night it kicked off at Stone and Wood Brewery with Bob McTavish giving a great intro and some early insight into the history of Byron before officially declaring the festival open. Great beer, wood fired pizza and tunes.

Saturday we checked out some of the art at Retrospect gallery , music in the park , old boards and history from the guys that came down from the Gold Coast Surf Museum. Brian, Mal, and Jack at the Community Centre , followed by Andy from Grown surfboards giving a talk on wooden boards. Caught up with Tim Baker talking about his just released book Surfari and his trip round Australia. Plenty of people everywhere and great weather. Then went back to the Community Centre to here Andrew Kidman and his band play to a movie showing behind then in the main auditorium. Great day and night of things to see and do. The surf was not grea but the water was nice.

Sunday morning I got to the beach early to help Tom Wegener and son Finley set up on the sand at Watagos. Great day and a little swell.

Vanessa and her team all set up for a big day.

Sage Joske as always had a great show of his skills and boards

The local Byron Bay Malibu Club were kept busy all day with supplying the food and drinks

Simon Jones and his Morning of the Earth boards.

Thomas Bexon had a great show of colour and a large range of boards.

Eden Saul with one of his little Mini Simmons which he rode will in very small surf.

More of Thomas's boards

There were even a couple of mermaids there enjoying the day. It was Byron after all.

Eden on his little simmons ...

These kids were having a great day

Tom and a couple of hollow wood , unglassed boards. The future.

The line up for the fishy expression session judged by the public.

Thomas Bexton

Matty Yates

Ryan Haywood found a little zipper

Two Toms

Single Tom

Great day

The Finless crew included Danny Wills ,unknown , Brett Caller and Tom

This guy sure knew how to ride an alaia, he was good.

Brett managed to make something out of a very small and tricky wave on his alaia

All in all a great weekend with lots of similar people who come to the Fish Fry for the same reason. To get together and have fun. The Byron Festival had lots of things for everyone and I am sure it will be a very successful, long lived yearly event. Nice job guys.