The last of the Canecutters,,,, I started cutting sugar cane by hand in 1972, to make the grade you had to cut 40 ton a day( cane grows to about 50 to 60 ton an acre) and it was hard tough work, but the money was real good. After 6 years it all came to an end , all cane was cut by machine ,and we became dinosaurs. I was young then and I did love the work and I had so much respect for the older cutters in the gang, who could still keep up with us young hotshots...
SINGLE FIN mostly for 50 years
For over 20 years I headed north to the Byron Bay malibu Classic for my one and only contest for the year . It has always been a Single fin only contest and this was due to a tradition that was the only way . From the time I first started surfing up til now I've always ridden single fin , except for 2 boards ,one short the other long , which had multiple fins. I think my main reason for continuing with Single fin was due to my style of surfing and a long and wondrous development of the boards I rode over the years, that have now culminated into what I and generally everyone rides now. The best thing in favour of a single fin was its size , it usually is larger than any multiple fin and the foil can be individually tuned for each board so the water flow over the foil was used as thrust out of turns and generally give you a feel of total RUDDER control when turning or down the line racing.
Now we have a resurgence by a lot of young surfers riding single fin ,old school 60/40 rail boards and to me it was annoying to see the fins that were being put on these boards, big ,wide area and, nearly lacking any hydrodynamic foil whatsoever on them ,which will keep the board in first gear only. For noseriding this is OK but, for everything else the board's a slug and a change of style with the fin can turn it into all round riding machine that will give you endless fun in all types of surf.
If your serious about riding single fin and want the real feel of one give me a call , I said it before " fins ain;t fins " and a well , fully foiled one is the answer for Single fin lovers
Now we have a resurgence by a lot of young surfers riding single fin ,old school 60/40 rail boards and to me it was annoying to see the fins that were being put on these boards, big ,wide area and, nearly lacking any hydrodynamic foil whatsoever on them ,which will keep the board in first gear only. For noseriding this is OK but, for everything else the board's a slug and a change of style with the fin can turn it into all round riding machine that will give you endless fun in all types of surf.
If your serious about riding single fin and want the real feel of one give me a call , I said it before " fins ain;t fins " and a well , fully foiled one is the answer for Single fin lovers
Nearly every day, for 2 weeks I called in to see Bill, and apart from his lunchbreak, that, was the only time he would actually stop working on the boards .I would grab a seat and move around as Bill worked and chat. In the middle of a glass job, with resin going off, Bill would stop while having a conversation , to point out something to you , having no fear of his resin going off before he finishes he would casually finish the conversation before finishing off . He has always glassed like this to the amazement of many who don't know him well and it scares the hell out of them. I've said it before " He's the best glasser of tints, pigments or clears......," faultless work and even when things are going down he'll still have a smile on his face ......
Crescent and thereabouts
This trip North really had its moments, on arriving , their was not much swell but an offshore Low developed and by Friday , a 150 ml of constant rain and wind ..... I'll let the pictures tell the story. The Crescent Classic had their finals on Sunday in classic Crescent waves 3 to 5 foot and consistent, by Monday everyone had gone home and on a another sunny day it was what you drive north for. The boards went really well, the yellow one continued on where it left off at the PASS in Byron. Great trip great people ,and when she walked out to the point ,hahaha! yeh! its surfin!
North Again
Ah , bugga, I'm off north again, this time to Scotts and a few trips down to Crescent, I've had my share of wonderful and bad days BUT! they were all still good, long live Northcountry air ALOHA
Last week Steven Butterworth succumbed to cancer. A Newcastle boy born and bred, and one of their better surfers. I first met him in 1971 and his passion for surfing, shaping and design was as strong then as the last time I saw him at the Glass and Wood show at Pacific Dreams Surf shop on Darby Street. He has left a long legacy of surfshapes, and the last boards, which were his Channel bottom finless, were absolute gems. We only pass this way but once so let us do what good we can, Steve did.
I caught up with Bob Mctavish and told me the board I thought was a Kevin Platt was definitely a Mick Hall who shaped many a board , after he left. I put a new fin in her and a little bit of restoration. The other Keyo is a Mctavish plastic machine with a rolled bottom, that Paul Joske dragged out of his archives board store,and wasn't sure who shaped it, Bob said it was an earlier one as the fin is placed closer to the back
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