Had a pretty crazy few weeks leading up to Chrissy but managed to get this one out and on it's way to a new home in Victoria. This one is made from old pallets, aussie cedar and paulowina and finished with epoxy resin. Once again ..the classic rocket fish shape and this time it's a quad. Note the keeper in which the screw fits into when not in use, that way it has somewhere to live and your less inclined to loose it when your not surfing. cheers for now.

Some weeks back I dropped off a few boards to Jamie Mitchell before he jetted out to Hawaii. These boards were being shipped to the Solomon Islands for a surf story trip that they were doing for a surf mag. They are , from the left,...6'2 x 18 1/2 x 2 3/8...Deluxe, a 5 '5 x 19 1/2 x 2 1/2 Wonglepong ( quad), and a 5'11 x 18 3/4 2 3/8 Funfish (quad). I've been making boards for him over the last few years, anything from SUP's, tow boards and all kinds of standard stuff, what ever that is these days!....except his paddling equipment. I don't know if you guys know of Jamie ...he's is the world champion paddle boarder that everyone wants to beat!. This guy is a machine, ferocious at the Molokai channel and fearless in any surf. Right now he's towing Jaws....you can check out more on his website...http://www.jamie-mitchell.com/ Aloha big fella.

A while back a good friend of mine Tommy commissioned Jason and I to make him a hollow timber board from used pallets...this is the story of Tom and his first experience with his new found lover....as told by Tom...

Bought a beautiful timber board from my friends chris and jason and tonight the board told me it would like to tell you all about its first day so here goes-I am a surfing pallet nowHi my name is pallet. I came from a brick and tile yard in Northern new south wales. I would spend my days sitting around, not doing much, to be honest I had a hell of a lot on my mind. Tiles, stones, cement bricks, I was a cobb and co coach for most things used in construction and day to day building. Now though, I am something. A guy called Chris Garret wandered into the yard the other day and snuck me into the back of his car. I waved goodbye to my friends as he motored me out to his farm. Once there he broke me down, tore me into long planks before sending me north to a place called Brisbane to put me back together. For a few days I lay dormant at a blokes joint called Jason. A true craftsmen, not like the dickheads down the yard I am used to dealing with. They hit you with their forklifts, rest their steel caps on ya’ while their havin’ smoko, true mugs really. Now, I was in another world. Jase was putting me back together, shining me, placing awesome pieces of wood on me like dolphins fins before he packed me up again and sent me back to Chris’s house. Once there Chris took to me with a few tools that he said need to stay secret, whatever they were have turned me into a beautiful masterpiece, like art Clare says, a piece of genius and love says Tommy.I woke up this morning in Bayview, way north of Sydney. I was now hanging with Tommy and Clare. Tom was talking of a south swell and west winds. When he grabbed me round the waist and took me in his boat I blushed, embarrassing because my timber is already really pink and glowing. We sped up the Pitwater past resting seahawks and cormerants. We sped past The Basin were campers were waking from their night under the stars. Over the Hawkesbury was bumpy but I laughed as the spray from the sea tickled my timber body. On arrival I could hear Tommy laugh and see his friend Ben pointing at the waves, they were perfect. They parked their boat on the beach were Clare and Roxeanne could run and play in the national park. They were not be alone though, they had birds and crabs and leaping fish within a stones throw, it was a far cry from the brick yard I thought as I lay in the sun. As we raced around the point to jump into the sea I listened to Tommy talk about my weight and shape, I was rather proud of myself. He said I felt like I was alive as I had an energy to me. Suddenly Benny stopped and looked into the scrub, it was an echidna, never seen one of them I thought. The first time I felt the water I gushed, the first time I duckdived a wave I smiled, and that first wave we caught I screamed, Here I was riding large southern ocean swells fanned by westerlies from snow ridden mountains and I was alive. Tom said I drew my own lines and turned like a ferris wheel at a county fair.Three weeks ago I was carrying bricks, now I am dancing in the Pacific Ocean. This afternoon we surfed again. Tom rode a wave so large when we faded right I sang from the bottom of my fins. Tonight as I lay asleep in the rack next to my new fibreglass friends I heard Benny call, he spoke about the day before pausing and saying, ‘shit man, I can’t believe you rode Box Head on a palette. I went to bed with a new meaning, a new life, I am now living energy so thanks Chris, thanks Jason, I love my new life and I have your creative minds and bold energy to thank.....Tommy

I have just had the the pleasure of Uncle Rosco dropping in and picking up a board for his brother Ged, that's it on the ground behind him but what I want to show you is Rosco's board. Uncle Rosco is a funny chap, he's a kneeboarder that stands up most of the time but every now and then, depending on on the situation, will get tubed no matter what. So what I've made him is this hybrid kneelo cross that works both standing up and as a kneelo. It's 5'6" x 22" x 2 3/4". He loves it nearly as much as he loves Amber!!

A good friend of mines daughter Gypsy, is a talented up and coming young artist. She has just sent me a couple of portraits that I find inspiring so I thought that I'd like to share them with you out there in blogdom. Enjoy...

This is a nice little rocket fish that I did for Doddzie. I kinda like the mental design that He chose. The board is 5"10"x 19 1/4"x 2 3/8"... suited great for the smaller stuff but with the down rails in the tail to enable it to still function quite well in the bigger stuff. I basically ride this design....for those of you that could care to know!!

Well Louise has just picked up her lastest shooter and isn't she a happy little camper! This little beauty is 5'10" x 17 7/8" x 2 1/4" deluxe model. Lou is a seasoned surf junky and spends most of her time travelling overseas to some pretty remote locations She is one of my long term customers and has been getting boards from me for well over 15 years. Go you little surf grommet!

Logan picked up his new hollow timber board today. This one is a rocket twin fish with a stabalizer in the tail to help the twinny behave itself and it's similar to the one that Taco is riding except that Taco's is a timber veneer over styrofoam. Logan's board is made from Australian cedar that came from Jason's dad's farm at Newrybar...about 60 kms from here and as you can see it's a beautiful timber that's locally grown and home milled. He is leaving for the Solomon islands tomorrow for a month on a boat trip....I think that he'll be the one with the big smile on his dial.....bon voyage and happy travels!