Akila Inspired Twinnie


I have been wanting to make one of these for a long time now. I cant decide whether to put the wing behind the fins (left side) or in the middle of the fins (right side). Leave a comment - let me know what you think.........

It is the time for giving and thinking of others.

Paul Jensen with his Father in law from Puget Sound on Christmas Day. " Years ago he had planted a Sequoia tree that grew fast and was lifting, then breaking the concrete slab, so Farrell had the tree taken out…Fortunately the tree sections were between 8 and 12’…Someone who cared, cut and dried the 4x4’s slowly and unforced…I was given a few sticks and knew what I needed to do…Build a board for Farrell who has been so supportive over the years of my surfy thing…"

7ft 2" Sequioa Swallowtail


Ready for glassing and making that colour jump..

The raw sequoia has this fleshy salmon color…

The frame and top skin ready to go together.

re Surf Spot

Firstly happy new year to everyone out there, hope its a good one ; and thanks to everyone who has helped with the blog during 2010, its more fun when you're showing me your stuff too. Back to the Surf Spot post from the other day, Alex Williams has some good memories of owning one in the early 70s , which sounds great after surfing an awkward bilbo . Above is Alex's mini in '75 with his Spot on the roof rack, just before he replaced it with a Creamed Honey.-
'On seeing you latest blog board, it brought back good memories. My first new board that I bought in October of '73' Was a board from the spot in Bude for £29.50. I remember well the drive up to Bude, in my mini, it took an age! as it was rainy and misty. On getting there I was taken round to the factory store to look at the boards that were for sale. I remember Nigel my mate and I going to the shop first and the owner whose name escapes me jumping into his min van, he was 6ft 4'' as I am, so anybody seeing the pair of us getting into these two small cars must have been creased up with laughter. Then we hammered off from the shop to the store. It was a 6'7'' clear board with a green glassed in fin that I chose from many boards there. If you have my book? I think you told me you had? there is a shot of it on my mini at the back of the book.My first board was a 8'6'' Bilbo which I got in 69/70, that seemed to nose dive however you took off (it was like an ironing board). The 6'7'' Spot board was a revelation! My first surf was at North Sands in a howling offshore surf, that made takeoffs late and instead of nose diving I got to bottom turn on my first wave and promptly fell off with the surprise! that I had not submarined the bottom turn.'

New Year, New Thump for Jake

Jake Zylstra's new 9'6 Surf Thump.

With new plywood JZ fin by Gulliver.


Happy New Year to you all

Happy New Year to everyone and thank you for your continued support. I hope we all have a better year ahead of us than we have just had.Here in Queensland we have thousands of people with their houses underwater and the biggest floods ever.Some rivers are yet to peak so the worst of it is yet to hit.When we have tough times this year , lets just be tankful that we are not one of these poor buggers waiting for the water to drop and see whats left to start again.

Happy New Year to you all from Grant, Jackie and Natalie here on the Gold Coast.

Happy New Year to you all

Happy New Year to everyone and thank you for your continued support. I hope we all have a better year ahead of us than we have just had.Here in Queensland we have thousands of people with their houses underwater and the biggest floods ever.Some rivers are yet to peak so the worst of it is yet to hit.When we have tough times this year , lets just be tankful that we are not one of these poor buggers waiting for the water to drop and see whats left to start again.

Happy New Year to you all from Grant, Jackie and Natalie here on the Gold Coast.

Olo of the Sun million dollar surfboard: the first resin coat

Olo of the Sun is pervasive in its power, blazing with its message of vitality, life force and the unlimited energy that is within us waiting to be used and expressed. Olo of the Sun gives strength and positive radiant energy which brings happiness and joy.



J class legacy 



Inspired by J Class yachts and the wooden olo surfboards of the ancient Hawaiian Kings, Olo of the Sun captures the essence of adventure of the 1930s. Its unique long low profile combined with flowing lines and elegant proportions, gives a sense of spirit and momentum even at rest.



The first resin coat on the Olo of the Sun million dollar surfboard:





The Pompadour by Canvas !




The first asymmetrical prototype to come from
Canvas Surfboards.

Inspired by Carl Ekstrom and Ryan Burch.



Green Tea

Here's a few shots of my new Canvas log. I am so stoked and can't wait to ride it!



WEAVE exibit @ GY

Here is a peak at the WEAVE exibit we did at Generic Youth this month.

Photos: Oden

Fish Fry

Had hoped to take the Freak Fish along to this one but sadly(!) I will be on my way to the Mentawais just after this event so looks like it will be another year before i get over there. I’m sure it will be a great event. Contact grantnewby@bigpond.com for more details…

Alley-Fish-Fry-web-header

Turtle Bay Masters presented by Kahuku Grill




Finalists: (left to right) Shem Hannemann, Andy Pierce, Conrad Carr, Brian Poppleton, and Contest Director Blake Baxter.
The boys got it done a few weeks ago at the turtle bay masters making heats in really challenging conditions.  Out of the top 8 placing surfers, 5 were riding Raynor boards.

     Finalists:

1. Conrad Carr

2. Shem Hannemann

3. Andy Pierce

4. Brian "Poppy" Poppleton

     Semifinalists:

5. Cameron Rondo

5. Matty Raynor

6. Seth Hannemann

6. Jeff Facer




Team Riders, Andy Pierce and Conrad Carr

Roy Stuart Makaha 12'9" voted 2010 surfboard of the year !

The toxic Surf Industry Manufacturers Association Cartel nominated an inflatable SUP as '2010 surfboard of the year', but we are pleased to announce that the prestigious Olosurfer Surfboard of the Year award  has been won by Roy Stuart's Makaha 12-9, which is not only one of the most hydrodynamically advanced surfboards in the world but also one of the most expensive at US $528k.



http://www.olosurfer.com/makaha.html





"An intricate linkage of over 400 small component parts, Makaha's graceful structure has a delicacy which belies its mass and power, revealing the velocity and weightlessness of its flight.



State of the art



Nothing should distract from the pleasure of riding Makaha. Nothing does. It is a simple pleasure, offering a seemingly endless surge of power."

Balsa Kookumber

Here's a completely balsa wood Kookumber we did recently, as a part of the ongoing Kookumber Project.

Photo/Layout: C. Omarion Oden

Surf Spot Bude

Back again now although still up north; we hade two weeks in Lanzarote and the only day it was really firing was the morning we had to leave - bloody typical. Hope you all had a good very white christmas anyway.Here's a board which surfaced in Manchester, a long way from its original home. An early 70s diamond tail singlefin made by Surf Spot in the north cornwall hot spot of Bude. Surf Spot was one of Bude's first surf shops and they made a few boards but not many, and the finish wasn't as high as say Bilbo , Tiki or Creamed Honey, but they were a small production I guess. An interesting board though, yet another small board company which makes our surf history so varied in the UK.This one has no leash fitting, a nice bright yellow tint, and no stringer, just a band of glue. It has a transfer logo and a hand drawn pencil teardrop on the deck. No shapers name but it would have been made by one of the hot surfers in the local area, many of which shaped. For an old board it has really thin glassing on the underside so its done well to survive - I think it has been in an urban loft for 15-20 years as is often the story. The previous owner has done a couple of beauty repairs in the bodger's fave grey car filler, and don't they look nice. Apart from that its in pretty good condition and if I can get it watertight I'm surfing it on thursday. 7'3 x 21 1/2 x 2 3/4 - I think it'll float me.
I did get to surf it yesterday, and the annual christmas time surf in north wales with Matt came up with the goods again this year with shoulder high glassy waves, no wind, fish jumping and a stunning sunset at Hells Mouth near Abersoch. The surf spot cruised admirably on possibly its first surf in 20 years and is ready for more .

Taiyo Surfboards by Yohei Shiraishi

Yohei has been building wooden boards in Northern California for many years.They are framed and he uses the bead and cove method to build his beautiful boards.


This is a 9ft 11" longboard he has just finished.
He also makes his own wooden fins.

" Most of the wood used for this board is sustainably harvested from our local forests. Types of wood include redwood, Port Orford cedar, western red cedar, and fir. Botanically speaking, heartwood is a ‘dead’ tissue of plants, but this surfboard is pretty much alive, and it stands so natural in the woods. I can’t even imagine how harmonious one would feel on a wave."

Check him out at : www.taiyosurfboards.com