Friday, January 29, 2010

Sanding...


Making boards can feel bittersweet. I Spent today sanding which is probably my least favourite process making the boards. It can be monotonous and its always dirty and dusty. And it really was great to dust off this afternoon and leave the factory.

Creating surfboards is a dirty, fumy process. You have to deal with unsavoury chemicals and toxins. I'm sure its not good for my health and I spend most hours of my day with a respirator on. If it was anything other than surfboards I don't think I could do it.

Each step making a board is challenging and has its skill sets necessary to bring that step to completion. And if you make a mistake you can wreck the board. Despite all this, the creative process involved with shaping, glassing (especially tints and pigments) and even bringing back the form during the sanding process is rewarding and satisfying... And then I guess the best thing is riding the finished form.

Sometimes I get a bit upset at the dust, fumes and chemicals but then I realise how much I love making boards and how lucky I really am.

Above pics: Angela Raab

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Quiver Shot


Quiver shot by Nathan Oldfield. The boards are from left: 5'8" Vibe, 6'0" Vibe, 9'0" Paulownia Hot Curl, 5'8" Volta, 5'7" Verve.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Turns...


I guess the general idea of fishes is that they are pulled out and riden when the waves are small and mushy. As you may have seen from either watching the promos,viewing the blogs or maybe even just from being out in the water we ride them all the time, big and pumpng or tiny and guttless. We've been developing them to draw long lines like a fish but also turn tight when needed. I guess you could say that we have been having alot of fun.
Pic by Tom Woods

Slowing Down


I've had our showroom (above pics) open over the Christmas/New Year break which has been cool. Quite a few people have dropped in to buy a Valla T-Shirt and check out the boards. If you've dropped by thanks very much!
It's finally slowed down so I now I'm back out in the factory making a start on the orders which have been slowly building up. It was nice to get back up in my shaping room this morning... happy days.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

A Week Well Spent, Part Two




So here is the next installment from Gabe Roxburgh.
From a day trip to Crescent Head.
Enjoy.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Gabe Roxburgh Stayed At My House






So for the last week Gabe Roxburgh has been staying at my house.
We have been up to all sorts of things.
Surfing very bad surf, skating, a trip to Crescent Head.
Here is one of the first small videos for your viewing pleasure.
It includes 14 yr old shredder Jack Germain.
I think Gabe is pretty talented for a 16 yr old.
More to come, so stay tuned.



A Week Well Spent: Jack Lynch x Jack Germain from Gabe Roxburgh on Vimeo.

Alaia shaving


Sage at work last week
pic// ST Images

Sunday, January 24, 2010

New Vector for Patagonia




Here's some shots of a new Vector I just finished for the Patagonia store in Torquay. The Vector's are quite challenging to make - being stringerless I put the rocker into the board during the glassing stage and also the double-square edge rail is time consuming to sand and fair up. I have been having a ball riding mine so I just hope whoever ends up with this board has a great experience riding and learning about the board. If you happen to find yourself in Torquay drop in and take a look...

Thanks to the guys at TCSS for their help - Jim Mitchell with the inspiration for the colourway and Ben Waters who designed the Vector logo for me. I appreciate it guys.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Peter Connelly at Jeffrey's Bay 70's












The top shot is of Peter Connelly at Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa in the 70's. What a beautiful wave and great style and positioning from Peter. His board in the shot is 7'10" x 18" wide which my dad Paul Joske made for him at the time. Peter was one of Dad's early friends and they travelled together through South Africa. Dad's got the shot up in our shed and it's one of his favourites - I think it takes him back to those times.

Dad looked out the original template for the board a while back, which as you can see he made out of sheets of cardboard. I love the outline... like a slender spear. Very interesting. I would love to ride one.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Brett & Jack


These are are my good friends and teamriders, Brett Caller and Jack Lynch. They both have blogs so check out what they've been up to at http://kookinstuff.blogspot.com/ & http://brett-caller.blogspot.com/.
Pics: Angela Raab

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Log Ride

I love the simplicity and purity of the ride on Kumu. I can remember the first time I went sailing and we were motoring out through the harbour. When we got out past the breakwall the the motor was cut and the sails went up. I can remember that feeling... It was as if the boat came alive. I get a similar feeling when riding Kumu; the board weighs around 12kg so its a bit of a handful carrying it down the beach. The wood comes alive once it hits the water.
All pics Patrick Trefz.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

TCSS Online Store


My good friends over at the Critical Slide Society now have their very cool store up and running. Apparently there were a few teething problems to begin with but all is well now. Check it out at http://www.thecriticalslidesociety.com/shop/

Monday, January 18, 2010

PJ at Bells


Paul Joske at Bells Beach. Photos: Steve Ryan

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Twin Keel Verve


A couple of shots my mate David Scott took a while back. This is a beachie just down the road from where I live and it can good in Winter. I like riding my Twin Keel Verve out there.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Eleven Heaven


This is Paul Joske with his Eleven Footer he rides when the waves get tiny. He simply glides over the flat spots and through each section. When he's having fun Dad's like a big kid, staying out for hours. In the bottom pic note his home made beanie which keeps his head warm through winter.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Underwater Shots of Kumu by Andrew Kidman

It was nice to catch up with Andrew Kidman last year before he went to New York. We went for a surf at very average Dbah where he took some sweet underwater shots of my 8'6" kiko'o style board called Kumu. I really enjoy riding this board and i've noticed how Kumu seems to come alive in bigger more powerful waves, the curved bottom and rails creating suction and hold, allowing me control. I've ridden my 8'9" alaia in similar waves and in comparison I feel like I'm holding on by my toe-nails and largely out of control.

It was really interesting for me to see the interaction between the water, and the hull and rails in Andrew's shots. It's nice to put the underwater visuals to the feelings I get when Kumu locks into the curl and sucks to the wave.

A couple of land shots showing the curves of Kumu.


I included this pre-surf shot because of the writing on the big rock behind me. It says "Tom's Rock" which is ironic as I was inspired to make Kumu after my dad made a Wiliwili kiko'o with Tom 'Pohaku' Stone' in Hawaii one year. Pohaku means 'stone' in hawaiian.


Underwater trim


Rail line sequence.


Some more random underwater images.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Tom and Joe

Tom Woods is a great photographer and really nice guy, so it was a pleasure yesterday when he spent the morning taking some pictures as I shaped a Vector (above) and then glassed some pigments. I "borrowed" the above pic from Tom's ST Images blog. Take a look here.


This is a pic of my friend Joe Hall styling on his Valla Fish handcrafted by my dad Paul Joske. Joe was the first custom order (as far as I am aware) to get a fish. Dad's semi-retired now and doesn't build too many boards but still potters around the factory... I think this is a special board and every time i see Joe riding it he looks likes he's having a ball.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

First Roll Of Film

Brett and Tom driving though Byron

Sage foam mowing


Logs in Umina

Brett at the Pass


Blue bay

So as you can see I got my first rolls of film back today.
Pretty happy with the snaps taken.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Monday, January 11, 2010

Completed Kumu


A couple of pics of my completed Kiko'o I named Kumu.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Hanging out at Logger Heads 2009

Hanging out with Harley, Tom, Brett & Jack at Logger Heads Scotts Head 2009.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Kumu Love

This is one of the first boards I made myself when I decided I wanted to learn more about surfboards & design, and work with my dad. It's shaped from a log of 'Pink Floss" (pic top left) and I created it over about a month period, working at it on and off with dad casting his eye over proceedings. It's an ancient hawaiian finless design called a kiko'o and is inspired by the kiko'o boards Tom Stone is making in hawaii. The pics above show the board at various stages of completion.

I decided to call my board 'Kumu' which means 'teacher', as my motivation for making this board was to possibly experience something similar to what an ancient hawaiian might have experienced hundreds of years ago... and I was eager to learn. Since then I've surfed it at solid Bells Beach and Raglan NZ, as well as riding it in the Maldives. It's been a lot of fun.

To me, there's something inherently beautiful about a finless wood board... in the way they look, the simplicity of the outline and foil, and of course the grain patterns in the timber; but also in the way they move through the water. The wood has a natural resonance and feels alive on the wave. Kumu feels at home when the waves get bigger and more powerful, sucking to the wave and holding trim through sections.

Trent Munro.



Trent Munro on his Verve fish.
Pics were found on the Russian Death Suite Blog.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Rainy Day Logging

Rainy day at Crescent from Tom Woods on Vimeo.

This is a little clip from my mate Tom Woods. Tom's usually shooting stills but as you can see he is multi - talented. Cheers Tom. Surfing by Jack Lynch, Brett Caller and myself.

In the Bay with Heath


Hanging out in my shaping bay with my little brother Heath. Both Heath and Brett have been hassling me to make them an 80's style quad. Here we're checking out a few templates and then Heath takes a look at a fish I'm finishing off.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Summer Fun


Summer's in full swing and I've been getting out most mornings for a surf... such a nice way to start the day. These pics from Tom Woods are pretty old now but really illustrate the summer surf feel... board shorts, crystal waters, blues skies, warmth and sun.

Tom's a fan of swiming and taking water shots and he often gets some interesting angles. I can remember I was riding my "Cherry Fish" ( I called it that because it had a cherry coloured deck tint) which was an early Verve prototype... didn't get off that board for months.