WOODEN SURFBOARDS MAKE A COMEBACK
The Gold
Coast’s internationally acclaimed environmental estate, The Ecovillage at
Currumbin, will host a five day wooden surfboard making workshop in August
conducted by renowned US shaper, Paul Jensen.
Mr Jensen, from Washington State, is widely regarded as the pioneer of the
revival of interest in hollow wooden surfboards.
The wooden board building class is part of a long list of community
initiatives being undertaken by developer Landmatters at the Ecovillage’s
new newly constructed Reduce Reuse Recycle (RRR) Centre.
Keeping in line with the sustainable nature of the development, the workshop
is part of a worldwide crusade by Mr Jensen to revive the art form and
inspire people to make their own hollow wood boards.
Grant Newby, who is organising the classes, said Mr Jensen’s wooden boards
are not only aesthetically striking but they can be more cost effective and
environmentally friendly than normal boards.
“By using less chemicals and utilising locally sourced materials from timber
farms that offset their usage by replanting trees the wooden boards have
less impact on the environment than a traditional fibreglass surfboard,” he
said.
“Boards built with Mr Jansen’s methods are not only state of the art in
ride, composite construction and appearance, but they are built with
structural complexity that defines form and space.”
Mr Newby said The Ecovillage was the perfect place to hold the workshop as
there are obvious synergies between the two.
Landmatters’ managing director and creator of The Ecovillage, Chris Walton,
said he supports Mr Jensen’s efforts to revive the lost art form of the
wooden surfboard.
“I appreciate Mr Jensen’s environmentally friendly approach to developing
his art; I certainly hope this can become an annual event at The Ecovillage,”
he said.
“The wooden surfboard workshop is just one of the many community initiatives
that will take place at the Ecovillage’s newly constructed RRR Centre.
“The building itself is a reconstructed exTelstra building for residents and
others to effectively deal with their waste and for manual arts like this
activity.
“As I will be participating in the workshop myself, I am looking forward to
seeing the finished product and taking it for a surf.”
A self-confessed restless soul, driven to ever-greater challenges, Mr Jensen
began designing his first hollow board in 2001 to become an internationally
acclaimed shaper and teacher.
For Mr Jensen, creating surf-craft is a gratifying means of self expression,
a passion that has compelled him to break the mould of the conventional
surfboard and create something truly amazing, not just a decorative wall
hanging but a functional piece of art.
The five day workshop is completely sold out however people who are
interested in seeing Mr Jensen’s designs and others are invited to get
together in the park at Currumbin Alley Sunday August 9, 2009.
The event will be a non competitive, non commercial gathering of wooden
board builders with boards coming from New Zealand, Japan, The USA and all
over Australia.
For more information on the gathering, please contact (07) 55 39 5969 or
check out
www.woodensurfboards.blogspot.com
For more information on Mr Jensen’s designs visit
www.hollowsurfboards.com