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.

Roger Hall surf off " The Freeway Project "

Roger Hall has quietly made innovative and beautiful surfboards for well over 40 years. He's a master craftsman swimming against a tide of mass production. In 2015 he bought together a group of kiwi surfers for a weeks free surfing on reimagined HotCurls, mutant Mini Simmons and Log variants. The Freeway Project explores Rogers' boards using a tongue in cheek contest format. Check out the video to see who takes out the 2015 The Freeway Trophy.


Ryan Lovelace discusses his shaping experience

It was great to have Ryan as a guest speaker at The Fish Fry a number of years ago when he was just starting out and now seeing where he has gone. Great guy, very talented hand shaper and we have caught up a couple of times when he has been back in Australia.


"Anything but 3 " surf culture Italian style 2015 - Forte Dei Marmi Tuscany

Marco Mazzini a local at Forte Dei Marmi in Tuscany, getting ready for his turn at the local break next to the pier where they just held their first friendly competition. Marco has been out to the Gold Coast a couple of times now and has attended our local Alley Fish Fry. It is a great part of the world where he lives on the beach in Tuscany. And as you will see they do get some fun little waves every now and then. But I must say they got lucky. The event was sponsored by Michele Puliti the local shaper of Ola Surfboards and organised by Nicola Bresciani, for Surfculture.it

 

Inspired by George

George with his knee board, the spoon with the edge...

In 20011 and inspired by the Greenough spoon I saw at the Gold Coast Surf Museum , led to blending what I saw with the fish outline.



Concave deck





One long concave nose to tail with a hull entry







Takayama Halo fins

I find it frustrating to have ideas and do nothing with them. This had led me to build many boards that are too small for me to surf , but have been great experiments and a joy to share with friends. And is this not what surfing is all about.
This year Rasta rode a couple of Georges latest edge boards in Fiji after George revisited the idea himself.
I also applied this to a simmons design in early 2011.


Dave with Georges board abd 2 Dave made from Geroges moulds and a Gary McNeill version of the theme 2015

Fish Fry Bali 2015

The Deus Fish Fry in Bali: a day for the young, the old and every age in between. The event is all about appreciating and riding a vast array of different surfboards. With an eclectic array of wave riding craft planted on the grassy knoll down at Tugu Beach, board enthusiasts admired and rode through the morning. The girls and guys alike cross-stepped, trimmed and cut back on short, long, thick and thin surfboards. Once again, we were gifted with perfect surf and weather. The clean and open-faced Tugu walls were wonderful blank canvases for the various styles of riding. Along with the boards we condone sharing waves, stories and laughs. Over the years we’ve experienced a range of conditions for our event. Whether it’s lake-like, bombing or anywhere in between, the one thing that stays the same is the vibe. And if this video is anything to go by, the vibe was damn good.

The 7th Annual Wooden Surf Board Day is this weekend - Sunday 2nd August

Get that board finished for the weekend

DON'T FORGET - The 7th ANNUAL WOODEN SURFBOARD DAY IS ON THIS SUNDAY AUGUST 2nd… AT CURRUMBIN ALLEY, IN THE PARK.


If you build wooden surfboards, or would like to… or maybe you just have an interest in how it all happens, then come down to Currumbin Alley on Sunday from 9 to 3.

A host of board shapers from all walks of life will be on hand to showcase their designs, including the well known Tom Wegener from the Sunshine Coast and Nobby Ohkawa from Japan.

The day is all about like minded people - who enjoy the challenge of spending countless hours in a shed building wooden boards - getting together to share their passion and progress.


Even if you don't build boards but want to find out more, this is the ideal place to ask all the relevant questions, because there are many ways to build a wooden board and they’ll all be on show this Sunday at Currumbin Alley.



So bring your wooden boards, bring a picnic lunch and go for a surf. The Alley in winter is often at it's best for a slide across the banks on a wooden board. And there is nothing better than being on one you built yourself.



Looking forward to catching up with old faces and welcoming some new ones. 


 - Grant Newby



For any more info contact: grantnewby@bigpond.com

Asher Pacey loves the fish



Asher Pacey is one humble dude both in and out the water. Growing up without electricity and learning to survive off the land probably helped in that respect. It's clear Asher values the small things in life that most people take for granted. Filmmaker Matt Kleiner brings us a unique insight into the mind of one of the stylish and respectful surfers out there today.

Joseph Ryan and the Fish Surfboard Documentry premiere

Friday night was the premiere and Joseph just sent me these comments...

"The Premiere went really well, the place holds 200 and they squeezed 250 in (well there were about 20 in the car park which we left the doors open so they could watch).

Steve Lis, Skip Frye and a heap of others from the film made it along. Steve although quite shy came up at the end of the movie to thank me and said a few words to the people there.

Bird Huffman (the guy who started the Fish Fry) said he was stoked with what you said and the way you went about the Australia Fish Fry.

Now the hard bit, working out how to get it out to the rest of the world (probably going to be harder than making the film haha).

Will let you know when I am showing it on the Gold Coast or Byron Bay."

Here are some shots from the night. not sure who some of them are








 PT and Skip Fry
Joesph looking pretty pleased with the outcome

The Fish Surfboard Documentary premiere tonight

Joseph Ryans new movie will premiere at Birds Surf Shed in San Diego on the 24th of July 2015

It is a look at the origin and impact of the fish surfboard design and then how it would influence the main stream surf culture 30 years later. It stars Steve Lis, Skip Frye, Mark Richards, Rob machado, Dave Rastovich, Donavon Frankenreiter, Dan Malloy, David Nuuhiwa, Derek Hynd, Jack McCoy, Peter Townend Dick Van Straalen and more...
Can't wait to see it down here in Australia



There is a Facebook page that will have updates on where the film will be shown (after the premiere)  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fish-Surfboard-Documentary/346767185423868

The History of the FISH by Joseph Ryan

A look at the origin and impact of the fish surfboard design and then how it would influence the main stream surf culture 30 years later.
Featuring Steve Lis, Skip Frye, Mark Richards, Rob machado, Dave Rastovich, Donavon Frankenreiter, Dan Malloy, David Nuuhiwa, Derek Hynd, Jack McCoy, Peter Townend and more...

The World Premiere will be in San Diego where it all began in the 1960’s. The premiere will be at Birds Surf Shed on the 24th of July 2015.

Joseph is yet to work out the details of showing it in Australia. Can't wait.

There is a Facebook page that will have update on where the film will be show (after the premiere) if anybody is interested.: facebook.com/pages/Fish-Surfboard-Documentary/346767185423868

There will also be other content posted there related to the film.


FISH SURFBOARD DOCUMENTARY TRAILER from Freeway on Vimeo.

There are plenty of afishionados out there...  this is for you.

Very sad but "No Byron Bay Surf Festival this year"


"Organisers of the Byron Bay Surf Festival (BBSF) say this year’s fifth annual event will not go ahead, blaming lack of major sponsorship as well as council and government red tape for the decision.
Festival director Mike Jahn and co-founders Vanessa Thompson and James McMillan said in a media statement that after four years of successful events and winning the recent Surf Culture Award from Surfing Australia, ‘the decision was neither taken lightly nor easy to come by’.
The festival had become a regular part of Byron Shire’s community event calendar, and was widely known for its fun, creativity and innovative flair.
‘It both reflected and inspired the unique Byron Bay surfing community and its vast global reaches. BBSF always intended to be a free community festival to encourage, support and inspire handcraft, the arts, sustainability, beauty and goodness amongst fellow ocean-minded people. To this end, it has proved itself year in year out,’ organisers said.
But they added that ‘regulatory hurdles’ imposed by Byron Shire Council and the NSW Government, alongside the lack of major sponsor support for the 2015 event were impossible to overcome, ‘rendering the festival logistically and financially unviable this year.’
Despite being ‘stifled’, BBSF organisers have not given up just yet but are focusing on keeping their unique surf culture festival alive.
Festival director Mike Jahn said, ‘Arts and culture needs to be supported and encouraged rather than suppressed, as [this is what] leads to a stimulated and colourful society, which in turn creates participant citizens.
‘We encourage the community to come forward with any major funding contacts and investors who may see the benefit of sustaining this event for many years to come,’ Mr. Jahn added.
The BBSF has thanked everyone who supported it over the last few years.
‘Previous festivals were a great achievement and even though BBSF will not be celebrated this year, the trust to regain momentum and continue in 2016 is unbroken,’ organiser said."

Investors or anyone wishing to support BBSF can contact the festival at byronbaysurffestival@gmail.com

Keep an eye out for 2016 festival dates on www.byronbaysurffestival.com

 It is a shame that this has had to happen as the team behind this event have put so much effort into making it what it is. I have been to them all and it has just about doubled in size each year, which just goes to show that it is greatly supported buy the local community and surfing community at large. It is a shame that the local Council don't reflect the feelings of the local community and why they all live where they do. Surely it is the surf, the beaches and the natural beauty that drew them all to Byron. This is a festival that reflected all those things and there was a feeling that the local community now owned the event , but sadly not the council.

Tony Abbott, PM of Australia enjoying life in our waves

Another great shot by Murray from Sprout Daily based in Manly Australia. How many other countries leaders get out in the waves like this ? Nice one Tony. Nice one Murray.

The Waipu Cove Fish Fry in New Zealand - this weekend Sunday 8th March


A great event in it's second year and at ideal location on a great piece of Northland's East coast . I had an epic day there last year and looking forward to jumping on the plane this morning to join Mike and the crew this weekend.

Saltfest this Sunday 1st of March


"Saltfest is a unique Surf Festival held at Coolangatta on the Gold Coast. The event is a fusion of surf products, surf lifestyle and surf culture all in the one amazing location.

Our first year sees the event held on 1 March 2015 to coincide with the Quiksilver Pro, Gold Coast, held at the Kirra Community Hall perched on top of a grassy hill overlooking the spectacular Pacific Ocean. The event catches the best of what the Gold Coast has to offer in terms of surf culture and history.

The day will cater for ocean lovers and families who are looking for a unique experience and a taste of what the Gold Coasters enjoy from one of the fastest growing sports in the world.

Come and meet local shapers, surf photographers, surf clothing businesses, surf rider groups and local tasty food vendors. Most businesses will have their products for sale so make sure you pack some cash in your sock."

Surfers celebrate form and function

When you hear the words "fish fry" a battered fillet of lemon fish probably comes to mind, not a non-commercial, non-competitive surfing event.

But the Cove Fish Fry is garnering a name nationally and internationally as a Northland-based gathering of surfers and shapers celebrating the various forms of the surfboard, most notably the twin keel "fish".

"It is a day of show and tell, so surfers and shapers bring surfboards that are loosely based or influenced by the fish," said organiser, surf enthusiast and Northern Advocate photographer Michael Cunningham.

The second annual Waipu Cove event on March 8 will include other alternative boards such as hand planes, traditional Hawaiian belly boards, mini Simmons, longboards -- traditional and new styles-- and wooden boards.

"It should be a real mixture of new and vintage New Zealand surfboards, plus some international surfboards as well," Mr Cunningham said.
The Cove Fish Fry, Douglas Pearson, Whangarei, who will be there on the day with some of his vast collection of surfborads.

And it's not only the boards that will be international. Overseas visitors to this year's event include well-known Californian shaper Rich Pavel and the founder of the Gold Coast's Alley Fish Fry, Grant Newby.

They will joined by shapers from across New Zealand, including Northland's own Roger Hall of Surfline and Jamie Scott from Tribal Surfboards, as well as Bobby Crisp from Deluxe Industries, Jay Jackman from Christchurch-based Sadhana Surfboards and Steve Morris from Morris Surfboards, displaying their handiwork for people to view and possibly have a surf on.

"It's kind of grown and evolved into almost like a car show, but for surfboards," Mr Cunningham said.
"It's not really a swap-meet, more a networking day that's good for people that are interested in surfing and learning how to surf to get an idea of what different things are out there.

"It's also a good day for surfers who have been surfing for a while and who are looking for something different to ride or try. It's good for shapers to be able to see what people are interested in, and what direction surfing is going in. And it's also interesting for people that don't know a lot about surfing to come along and see how varied and different surfing actually is."

It's an annual event Mr Cunningham would like to see continue for a number of years.
"At the moment the Fish Fry spirit is pretty strong, but, as with all events, it will fizzle out at some point. It'll have its longevity, it might last five years, it might last 10 years. I'd like to think it would go a little bit longer than that.

"It's an excuse to get all of the people in the surfing industry locally and nationally and whoever we can get from overseas in one place at the same time to talk about surfing and surfboards, and exchange ideas, and hopefully come away with a new direction."

The Cove Fish Fry will be held at Waipu Cove beach on March 8 from 8am.

Content from The Northern Advocate Newspaper New Zealand

The "Cove Fish Fry " New Zealand


Sunday 8th March Waipu Cove   http://thecovefishfry.blogspot.co.nz


If you are heading over to New Zealand for the 2nd Annual Waipu Cove Fish Fry on Sunday 8th of March , then maybe you should check out having a surf at the LOGGER HEADS II event being held at Mangawhai Heads on 7th March 2015.

"There is a chance we might shift the contest to Te Arai or similar as there have been excellent banks along the coast, and chances are if conditions allow we could score some fun Logging waves....

Entries close on Monday 2nd March 2015 so please spread the word. "

Thanks to SLIDE Magazine, Brixton, ThreadBox and Skunkworks Mangawhai for their support of this event.
Contact: Contest Director – Tony Baker 021907066 / baker.buddha@gmail.com

Ray Gleave, a master of the craft

If you have ever had the pleasure of being out on a nice day and shared a wave with Ray Gleave it is a humbling experience and one not to be forgotten. He surfs with such grace aand style. Flows on a wave like a dancer.Here is a little clip from his long time sponsor Mc Tavish , a little insight for you.

Ladies and gentlemen, here's the fourth episode of our short film series 'Dedicated To The Craft'. This episode features longboard champion, legend and McTavish team rider of over 20 years - Ray Gleave!
This series of films were created by local Byron Bay film maker Stefan Jose with the idea of introducing and expanding on the lives of the people who ride and build our boards, and share the lifestyle pioneered by Bob and his friends in the '60s. These are the characters that inspire us to stay true to the culture, and aspire to constantly build boards dedicated to function, beauty and quality that last for generations.

When finless gets funky

This great looking creation is the brain child of dynamic New Zealand shaper Roger Hall of Surfline Surf Boards. He has shaped and surfed many Hot Curl designs in all sorts of sizes and decided it was time to double up the experience. Hence the double Hot Curl. Like a twin fin fish is to a single fin with out fins.You know what I mean.
 Roger said id holds in well and lots of fun to ride.

 You can see it at this years Cove Fish Fry at Waipu Cove , Nortland New Zealand on Sunday 8th of March.