The Dust Up

In this episode I sit down with Luke Howarth from Howie Shapes and Nick Blair from Joistik Surfboards to talk about what we observed in each board's performance submitted to 'STAB in the dark' - Season 11. Shapers are often asked for their opinion of regarding different boards on 'STAB in the dark'.  Ethan Ewing is such a supremely talented surfer that demands a lot from h...

In this episode Luke Howarth and I chat with Matt Hurworth from MH Surfboards about the litres written on the bottom of your surfboard are not the answer.  'Volume' and 'litres' ambushed the surfboard industry approximately 20 years ago with the growth of surfboard design programs and shaping machines.  Many of the big surfboard brands use litreage and stock dimensions to creat...

We kick off the 'Surfboard Myths' series with Sam Tehan from Force 9 surfboards.  We live in a world saturated with marketing bullshit and as the surf industry went corporate, surfboards followed. Topics will be suggested by the Dust Up community, and we will get them on to discuss the myth.  We are not trying to discredit any brand or people in the industry and will do our best to addre...

In this episode I chat with Nick Masarin from Microjet Surfboards.   Nick started shaping in the late 60's and experienced the shortboard revolution in the Sydney surf industry.  Surfboard design was changing so rapidly at the time that often no two boards were the same.  Numerous surfboard design ideas were potentially left on the shaping room floor.  I doubt he knew it but this would become...

In this episode I chat with Dan Treloar from Grow Blanks.  Grow blanks are made in Kenya, Africa from agave storks or poles, as Dan refers to them.  The internal fibrous material is strong, lightweight and a natural alternative to traditional surfboard cores. Dan talks about the agave farm, situated between two national parks filled with beautiful native animals such as elephants, zebras and lions...

In this episode, Luke Howarth from Howie shapes and I discuss fin placements and fins.  Fins can seem like a simple aspect of a board to some and extremely complex to others.  We both love fins and learning about them, but we are not fin experts.  I would suggest many shapers have concentrated more on their designs over the last couple of decades since the introduction of fin systems.  The good ol...

In this episode I chat with John from Sanded Australia, a surfboard materials supplier on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. The beginning of John's relationship with the surfboard industry goes all the way back to when he was a young man making boards with his friends.  One of his friends was involved in building boats so that is where they sourced their materials - Expanded Po...

In this episode I chat with Beau Armstrong from Armstrong Surfboards. I was travelling home from Queensland when I stopped into the Bennett Surfboard showroom and was greeted by a young man behind the counter, Beau.  We chatted briefly and I discovered he made surfboards.  I told him I would check out his social media and headed off down the road. As I drove the many hours back to Victoria, I thou...

In this episode, Luke Howarth from Howie shapes and I discuss the subtleties of a surfboard foil or profile.  The distribution of foam in a surfboard is often overlooked but it can have a big impact on how your board performs. We chat about the evolution of foil in a surfboard and how it relates to the different styles of boards.  I ask Luke about what he thinks of 'swing weight' which i...

In this episode I chat with Scott James from SJS Custom. Scott first appeared on my radar through social media.  The boards he was creating and the way he was presenting them really stood out amongst the many. It piqued my interest.  I was keen to chat with Scott to hear more about his back story and it did not disappoint.  Scott grew up in the town of Dunedin on the very south coast of New Zealan...

In this episode I catch up with Gary McNeill from Gary McNeill Concepts. I first met Gary when I was working on the Gold Coast nearly 20 years ago.  From the very first meeting I found him to be friendly, dedicated, talented and a real individual pursuing his own path. Gary grew up surfing competitively, but a few changes in life would motivate him to move from Wollongong to the Gold Coast.  He st...

In this episode we catch up with Damien Cole, former CEO of Varuna surfboards. The surfboard industry is a fickle beast; it owes nobody anything and we are regularly reminded of this.  Earlier this year Varuna surfboards closed its doors for the last time.  Varuna surfboards was a new type of wooden construction with a focus on reducing the environmental impact as well as improving the lives of In...

In this episode I chat with Sergio Gomez from Gomez surfboards. Sergio grew up on the coast of Argentina.  The town was rather large, but surfing was considered counterculture and there were only two surf shops.  Sergio fell in love with surfing and on one occasion when his board was being repaired, he borrowed his friend's brother's board. The board went amazing!  It was like no other b...

In this episode I chat with Dylan Perese from DP surfboards and inventor of the soon to be released 'Leashbar'. Dylan caught the bug for shaping in his early teens and instantly knew this was what he wanted to do.  A couple of years later he left school to focus on surfboards and never looked back. A member of a thriving surf community south of Sydney as well as an opportunity to work wi...

In this episode, I chat with Daniel Hawes from Shapers Collective, New Zealand. Howie and I recently discussed the feedback we received about the difficulties currently facing shapers around the world.  Shortly after hearing our chat, Daniel reached out to share a business model he is implementing.  An Australian expat living in a town named Mangawhai, tucked right up in the north of New Zealand. ...

In this episode, I chat with Wayne Roach from Roach Approach surfboards. Wayne's story is a classic tale about a boy that fell in love with surfing at a young age and developed a passion for surfboards.  Wayne or 'Roachy' as he is more commonly known, was a product of the bustling surf industry in Cronulla during the 70's and 80's. Roachy worked under multiple brands inclu...

In this episode, Luke 'Howie' Howarth and I discuss the alluring and sexiest design aspect of a surfboard... Rails.  Rails come in all shapes and sizes to best satisfy the shaper's accompanying design ideas.  The perfect rail is different for different styles of surfboards.  We discuss some of the shaper's rails that we like as well as what makes a bad rail in our opinion. I th...

In this episode we speak with Dan Thomson from Tomo Surfboards. Dan is arguably the most creative surfboard designer of the last 20 years.  The art of surfboard shaping and designing was handed down from his father, Mark Thomson.  Dan and his father would discuss all aspects of hydrodynamic theory to improve their understanding of real surfboard design. In the mid 2000's Dan moved to America...

In this episode Christian and I talk to Sam Griffiths. Sam is a passionate surfer who pursued a career in the surf industry.  He started his time in the industry at Rip Curl on the back of his love for surfboards and spent time developing their board program. When the opportunity to be a team manager a Quiksilver presented itself, he jumped on it.  It was a great career choice for a person who is...

After a long wait, The Dust Up is back for 2024!  We kick things off chatting with a truly fantastic shaper and designer - Nev Hyman. Nev describes himself as a 'Ranga from Perth' in a jovial way, but the truth is he has been heavily involved in the development of surfboard design as well as pursuing future surfboard production methods. Nev has always attracted the most talented surfers...

In this episode we explore Technique vs. Equipment with Brad Gerlach from Wave Ki. Brad competed at the highest level and reached number one in the world.  His smooth Californian style did not all come naturally and with some advice from his Olympic diving father, they explored body dynamics in surfing. Fast forward a couple of decades, Brad has created Wave Ki to assist others improve their surfi...

In this quick episode Christian 'Priddo' Pritchett and I let John 'Robbo' Robertson out of the basement to hear what he has discovered about the WSL's final five for 2023. Never mind the fact that they wont replace Ethan Ewing if he is injured, we explain how the system needs a slight tweak to ensure the world's best surfers can compete to the world title on finals da...

In this episode I welcome Luke 'Howie' Howarth to  discuss the all important surfboard design element - Bottom Contours. The bottom contour of a surfboard can be described as either flat, convex or concave.  Its the detail within these three categories that determine a surfboards performance.  What is the best bottom contour for a shortboard, fish, midlength, or longboard? Bottom contour...

In this episode we discuss the Rip Curl Bells Beach Pro, Margaret River Pro and the Surf Ranch Pro. After a classic intro from Bodhi, we chat about some behind the scenes adventures during the Bells competition.  Unfortunately, the waves didn't turn up but that doesn't mean there wasn't a lot to talk about. (Time 0:1:30) The next stop on tour was the West Australia Margaret River Pr...

It's been a little while since we put out a shaper interview and with good reason.  There has been some restructuring happening with The Dust Up  and before we welcome Luke Howarth to the team, we wanted to take an opportunity for him to introduce himself to the listeners. Luke was introduced to the ocean at Avalon on the northern beaches of Sydney when he was only 2 years old.  He built a lo...