Six Ounce Board Store

Surfboards by Mick Mackie

Old mate Mick Mackie was introduced verbally to me by Kidman who was in town for a screening of Litmus,

“You should give Mick Mackie a call and get him to do some boards for you”, were the words Kidman sprouted that started this love affair.

But I first met Mick when I was a few years younger on the pages and in the bylines of now dusty old surfing mags. “Cronulla charger gone feral down south”, “shaper surfer Mick Mackie” were some of the captions, more often than not followed by “south coast secret spot”, and a photo of Old Mate Mick drawing a high line out Ulladulla bombie or bringing a shed shaped anything but 3 piece of fiberglass joy south bound down a dark green south coast chunk.

Our first handshake was within the boundaries of the bombie car park having picked his mode of transport to be the white land rover defender covered in mud and unlocked, I stalked said mode until he returned dripping wet, board snug underarm to introduce myself and shake hands with a master craftsman, unbelievable surfer, and relentless lifestyle commando. Mick shapes an incredible surfboard and refuses to be put in any box, shaping anything that floats with knowledge, personal experience and a heavy sense of respect for those who have mowed foam before him. I love Mick and more than that I love his surfboards.

Dick Van Straalen (Classic Waterman) Surfboards

I remember the phone call from Van Straalen, because I was taken aback. Of course I knew who he was, and of course I would be stoked to order some boards for my freshly christened Six Ounce Boardstore but more then that I was taken aback because I knew the planets had aligned and a special relationship had begun, kind of like when at 13 you spot “that” girl at the Bluelight Disco and you just know that this time tomorrow your still going to be sniffing your t-shirt to pick up the sent of her impulse body spray.  You know you’ve experienced lust and potential love for the first time.

Once I felt that first rail of that first board that was delivered many moons ago, I knew this cat shaped by feel and not by well-beaten parameters. I knew that there was age, experience, understanding and a bond between foam, fiberglass and ocean that others seek but more then often do not find.

Dick’s boards are unworldly always evolving and not rut stuck, I’ve personally had a stack and as I always say there is more then a sprinkle of something special in every board. I love Dick and I love his new found love of HBO TV series on DVD but more then that I love Dick’s boards.

More coming soon

TBC