My Story

I grew up in New Zealand, never far from the sea and with a family history of mariners and fishermen. Love and respect for the ocean was instilled in me from an early age. Having spent most of my working life as an art director and then a production manager in advertising agencies, I have always enjoyed the creative process and the evolving technologies of that industry. Surfing became a large part of my life, work balance and another creative outlet for me. Designing and building boards became a natural progression of my creative intrigue. I enjoy experimenting and if I have an idea, rather than dwell on it too long I would rather build it and see for myself. Cut it up, see what’s happening inside. It is all part of the learning process. I started with wooden framed boards with plywood skins. Hand shaped blanks and all sorts of combinations of materials. My naive approach to some processes and materials has led to some interesting outcomes. I love the challenge and challenging myself to keep it simple.

Like most surfers, we spend countless hours sitting and paddling our boards and taking for granted what is under our feet. The board. It is not until you embark on the process of shaping or building one that you are confronted with all the equations and components that make up a board. The combinations are endless and so are the outcomes obviously. This, to me, is what strikes a chord with my creative background and enquiring mind. Like all history, looking back at old boards is a window to where we are going tomorrow. Some things work and some don’t so well. But great watermen before us have ridden some amazing waves on a huge variety of shapes and styles. So nothing should be discounted. Different shapes, sizes, outlines and contours give different feelings on a wave. All of which can only happen with an open mind and a willingness to try different things.