The Formula

July 26th, 2010

Being the type of dude i am and stocking the type of boards i do, i have always had an interest in what is happening under Rasta’s feet whilst he is in aquatic mode. This has lead me in a number of directions with the most recent one being my new found relationship with Formula Energy Surfboards shaped by Gary Mcneil out of the Gold Coast. Having drooled and now felt these boards under arm, i get the hype. I’m still yet to ride one, i seem to have been ambushed with new boards to ride at the moment and the demo from formula energy is waiting for the right day.  The flex formula i get, you load up off the bottom and realese off the top springing you in and out of sections. My first order was for four boards and the interest without posting pics has been insane, so here are the pics and i can provide more details as required, these boards aren’t on the floor at Surf Culture but i can bring them up if your coming through for a look.

ben

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The Purch Lurch

July 20th, 2010

Me and Neal Purchase jnr are pretty similar i think. Lets entertain this though for a bit and see if you can tell where we deviate. We are both goofy footers, we are both hairy, we both have kids. From here on in there becomes a divide, i’ll let you decide how big that divide is. One of us has an almost unhuman backhand approach to the right hand waves of the south east Queensland, one of us is a gifted natural musician, and one of us has a surfboard shaping brilliance that has been past down from a gifted father to a talented son who’s shaping scope is just starting to blossom. And the other fucker is me.

I really like Neal, his boards, his fins and his serious amount of stoke.

Below are 3 Sweet Pea Quads with the galaxy colour splurges, light weight glassing and hand foiled fibreglass fins.

love youse all

ben

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A Fruity Young Man Meets a Fruity Young Man

July 14th, 2010

The night i met Robin Kegal of Gato Heroi fame, i was stoned, drunk and blown away. The dude is out there  in a good way if you surf and or are interested in surfboard design, hence why i was blown away. His design ideals which are definitely not conventional or conformist impressed me and his rants on extreme vee bottoms, rail rocker and high line trim had me wanting to throw away any board i own with a hint of concave weather single or its squirty younger brother the double. To him holding and sucking water rather than displacing is the root of all evil. And if every evil fucker in the world rode one of his vee bottom nine plus creations the world would be a much better place. His planshapes and fins have a fair historical weight with a new wave angle that makes you want to surf outside that box we’ve all come to know and love. And his wetrub finished free lapped abstract tint and pigment jobs fit his bill to a tee. I’ve got 5 in stock with descriptions in the “Boards in stock” page and photo’s of all to follow.

Below is the first of his boards to feature and it’s a 9′4″ Cheap Date the most conventional of his range, which would suit beach breaks or those just getting their head and feet around the more fruity of the longer boards.

I’ve updated my “Boards in Stock” page, it includes all new boards, used boards and boards that are in production or on the way, a bunch of these boards are not on the racks at my current home Surf Culture in Bondi Junction, but i can provide more pics and info and if you let me know your coming in to look at a specific board or boards i’ll make sure their there if you give me a bit of notice.

As per usual I’m stoked to be doing what i do and i hope you get into as much as i do.

Get amongst it.

ben

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Clearing the decks

July 11th, 2010

A buddy of mine Hayden has a very extensive quiver, and has decided to turn a few over, so for your veiwing and riding pleasure, whats on the move is listed below, with a couple of group shots. If your interested in anything i can pass on his details, this dude looks after his boards and  if i had room in the shop they’d be in here.

1 Mackie gentem stick 6.6 minor comp no dings 7.5/10 $450

2 Aloha bean 6.4 x 205/8 x 2/5/8. no dings as new 9.5/10 $550

3 Dick Van Straalen double flyer quad 6.7 no dings as new 9/10 $700

4 Dick Van Straalen Micro mal 2 + 1 and quad .6.6 compressions light glass shatter 7/10 $500

5 Channel island Keel fish 6.2 x 22 x 7/8 usual compressions no dings 7/10 $350

6 Webber mini fish 6.3 x 20.5 x 3 1/4 compressions no dings 6/10 $350

7 Mackie diamond tail egg 6.4 x 21 x 3 no dings  comp ressions in deck 8.5/10 $650

8 T & c Bonzer 6.8 19 3/4 x 2 3/4 mod comp, to 15cm cm of nose snapped off and fixed 6/10 $350

9 Outer Island flex tail 6.9 x 19 3/4 x 2 3/4 mod compressions, deck sink some shatter repaired dings, 5/10 $350

10 Outer Island flex tail 7.2 mod compressions repaired dings diccolour on bottom, $300

11 Avisio Lost Monster 7.1 x 21 x 3 Good cond few scratches ect no dings 2 sets of fins $750

12 Takayama in The Pink 9.6 x 23 x 3 minor comp, no dings , light crease 8/10 $850, crease can be repaired only in glass but if ridden in small waves it wont snap

13 Takayama scorpion 8 x 22 x 3 1/4 no dings minor comp, on minor glass shatter on tail as new signed by Donald 9/10 $950

14 Mc Tavish Carver fish 7.4 x 21 x 3 some comp minor shatter on rail 7.5/10 $650

15 Outer Island Stealth 9.1 comp on deck no dings 8/10 $950

ben

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Life Style Commando

July 7th, 2010

I recently was in a situation where surrounded by a group of not so like minded people, i was asked the age old question…”so Ben what do you do”?

My instant answer was “I’m a father and a surfer”.

A small part of my personality is that of an agitator, i do at times like to get a rise out of people when given half a chance, hence my answer (which was in fact the truth, just not the answer i knew they were expecting).

And so i was asked again “what was it that i did”? So my next answer was that i’m a “lifestyle commando”(i penned this term when reflecting on Mick Mackie), and that my purpose was to give happiness. I was questioned as to weather i was some sort of guru? A yoga teacher? a life coach? A cult leader perhaps? No you mother fuckers i work in a surf shop, everyday i pass on happiness for a small fee.

In essence that’s what i believe i do, it’s my chosen path, i have a 4 year environmental science degree majoring in coastal management that i sort gainful employment of for 1 day, before heading back to fixing dings and shaping the odd surfboard, just to be around the hallowed materials, foam and fibreglass. I love these things it verges on obsession that has ruled every facet of my life since i first rode a wave, first picked up a surfing magazine and first walked into Storm and Jay Carters famous Bronte Surf Shop. My fate was sealed and every part of my life has been virtually ruled by it, the way i speak, how much i sleep, where i live but most importantly how i get by.

It ain’t going away either so as my insatiable appetite for spreading happiness (for a small fee) refuses to subside i will continue to bring you the finest pieces i can find, some times i’m slow at returning emails or don’t pick up the phone for a few days, but by fuck my heart is in it.

ben

By the way i’m still getting the hang of this new site so i stuffed up the pics on the last post, hopefully now i got it sussed.

Below are some photo’s of fine pieces shaped by Mani of Mandala Surfboards in San Diego heading towards Six Ounce as we speak, first batch is only a handful of weeks away , more photo’s to come.

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