fish fry AU 2010

fry me away, sg*

AU it's the wooden boards day this sunday

The Alley Fish Fry and Wooden Boards Day events organiser Grant 'Big Fish' Newby in the wake of this Sunday's Second Annual Wooden Boards Day has found some time for a 10 question Q and A, Grant is a great guy who loves surfing and has been a huge help to Roger with many surf related projects, So here goes !, Micro*
1: What was the first board you ever shaped ? and was it for you and someone else to ride ? My first board I shaped was actually a hollow wooden board along the lines of a Paul Jensen method, Plywood frame and top and bottom skins with laminated cork rails and hand foiled ply fins, Yes a 7ft 6" fish.

2: What method of construction did you use ? materiels ? As above.
3: Do you have a shape/model of surfboard that is a favourite ? I love fishes, But at Christmas I shaped a 10ft x 24" x 3-1/2" Old school log based on the Pig shape with the wide point behind centre, The 'Alley Slider' It has a more modern bottom than a Traditional Pig as it has a long concave rather than a rolled bottom, The thing is so much fun to ride with a 10-1/2" Hatchet fin. 4: What type of surfing equipment do you enjoy riding ? I love swapping boards with guys and trying all sorts of shapes, I love getting to feel out a board and find the sweet spot what makes it work and where it will go.
5: Where do you go surfing mostly ? I'm lucky living here on the Gold Coast that we have a great selection of waves and sandy points, Anywhere between the Gold Coast to Byron Bay/Broken Head.
6: What is your current surfboard building project ? and any future plans ? I have just finished building a hollow wooden version of the Alley Slider all in Paulownia, Also a 5ft 10" x 22" hollow wooden fish for the Wooden Board Day.

7:What made you decide to organise 'the Alley Fish Fry' ? Well the idea is not mine, I went to the States and went to a Fish Fry at Oceanside Beach California and saw what they were doing and decided it was different and a good idea, So I asked the guys behind it what if I was to organise one down here in Oz, They were fine with it and So I set up a blog to spread the word and it all came together and has grown from strength to strength, It is a simple format and people seem to like that as they can make of it what the want, Which is rear in the surf industry, There is a growing undercurrent of people who don't want to follow and want to enjoy their time surfing the way they want on whatever takes their fancy on any given day.

8: Why did you start 'the wooden boards day' ? I have always enjoyed wood and surfing and after deciding to build a number of wooden boards myself, I soon came to the realisation that there already were a lot of guys out there having a go, But the process of building wooden boards has many challenges and throws up many questions, There aren't too many places to get answers, Yes there are a few forums , but that's not as good as gathering in the park and having a chat and going for a surf on different boards and seeing first hand what other guys are doing, So why not get together, just like the Fish Fry, The first one last year was quite an eye opener to most guys as I don't think that people realised that there were so many others out there having a go, 700 odd people through the park and some 150 odd wooden boards on display.
9: How is the build up for this years event going ? Well all I can say is that judging by my blog there is a growing interest in wooden boards world wide, In 12 months I have had some 78,000 visits and 180,000 pages viewed, Up to 5,500 visits a month from all over the globe, I'm sure that there will be a good roll up and some pretty special boards.

10: Why everyone should try to ride or build a wooden surfboard ? I have said this many times now and believe it to be quite true, Building a wooden board is a great way to learn more about yourself than anything, As it is very challenging and some times taxing, It is a journey that makes you ask and find answers to way more questions that you ever thought possible, All good though, That first wave you paddle into and that first time you get to your feet you will never forget, It's a great feeling after the long hours and how much of you that has gone into it, A very full filling experience for sure, Do it !

stalking a postie

waiting by the letterbox, stalking the postie, when will my PLB arrive ?, PLB is out in AU with my images and article on the fish fry 2010, uber stoked, sg*

gnar gnar grant

the guru simms shaper, grant newby at >>>>

http://thealleyfishfry.blogspot.com/

gold coast fish man

the neubernator big fish grant newby, the alley fish fry and wooden boards day events organiser, grant is the most enthusiastic surfing enthusiast i have ever had the pleasure of meeting, sg*

the words for PLB

just for you jamie
>>>>>

Through a small window overlooking the sea, swell lines rolling in at The Alley, Currumbin and an empty park come into focus - the perfect venue for the fourth Annual Alley Fish Fry.
Travelling to the Gold Coast to look at surfboards and go surfing with friend and shaper Roger Hall from Ruakaka, New Zealand, has always been a fun-filled experience and this trip would be no exception.
Once again our host, swallowtail enthusiast and event organiser Grant 'Big Fish' Newby has managed to bring together a wide range of fish surfers, shapers and vast variations of the board together in one place at the same time, by phone, email and word of mouth - no mean feat.
It was a cosy affair this year with shapers, backyard builders and surfers alike huddled together sheltering from the odd heavy shower, but this did not dampen the spirit of the event.
If anything it made introductions happen a lot faster, so everyone could get down to the nitty gritty of discussing the fish.
The first shaper to lay out his creations at the park was Bush Rat's Jed Dones from Merimbula with an assortment of fish, flex and finless.
Jed who shapes for Derek Hynd became a focal point of the event attracting much attention, also followed closely was Roger Hall of Surfline Surfboards with his quiver of chambered wooden quad fishes, a chambered twin keel made from his collection of balsa and coconut, the coconut was found washed up at his local break and with Roger's flextail twin keel fish on display meant Roger and Jed had much to discuss about the fish and flex combination, Mick Mackie's arrival from Ulladulla with his flexible fishes added to the debate as you can well imagine.
Sage Joske of Valla Surfboards from Nambucca Heads with friend and team rider Brett Caller called in on their way north to the Noosa Festival of Surfing with a mobile showroom, which was a sea of lush coloured and tinted twin keeled shapes.
Sage also showcased his personal creation, the Vector, a hybrid of the Fish and the Alaia which is a reflection of Sage's open minded approach to surfing and board design.
Floating through the park, absorbing the atmosphere was Rich Pavel from California, sharing ideas, thoughts, history and the relevance of the fish with fellow shapers.
As the boards filled the park the backyard shapers started to appear and one who stood out from the crowd was Currumbin local Eden Saul. Saul brought along his Tombstone model, a mini Simmons esk twin keel, semi-glossed, resin tinted with handcrafted plywood fins - not fitting into the true definition of the fish but had all the elements of a well executed shape, finish and reflected his vibrant personality.
Fellow New Zealander Bobby Crisp of DeLuxe Industries came along fully equipped with his highly detailed wooden framed models and said he would be definitely return to the event.
A late entry on the day was Australian surfing and shaping legend Bob McTavish with his fish influenced, finless, foam and glass, twin hot curl - another board that was not a true fish but had heads turning and got shapers thinking.
Another last minute contender was Dan MacDonald aka DMS from Currumbin with his version of a mini Simmons he shaped for Ventura California free surfer Dane Renoylds. Dan has been crafting fishes in many forms for sometime now and is well known on the Gold Coast for his mastery when it comes to his resin tints.
A mixture of local and international media followed the days progress for blogs, paper and online magazines which was a strong indication of the events life expectancy.
Italian Marco Mazzini flew out especially for the event to help with his planning of a European Fish Fry, set down for September this year.
The Fish Fry format is as strong as ever and is spreading worldwide - I wonder how the fish will evolve this year and what will be in store at next year's Alley Fish Fry?
by MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM

fish fry gallery

i have started uploading to a flickr >>>> http://www.flickr.com/photos/48647909@N07/ fish fry pics 2010, sg*

more fry

boards, mats and the beach, orh mate that is grouse !, sg*

AU fish fry trip 2010

the AU fish fry 2010 trip was RAD, sg*

distorting age

roger at oceanshores, like a little kid after getting shacked on his flextail fish, sg* shot on 360T tungsten slide

rolls of slide

just got my rolls of slide film back from the lab, the AU trip to the fish fry 2010 in currumbin, sg*

AU trip over

ocean shores, goldie, AU, last surf over the ditch, was fun as, sg*

fish fry 2010 currumbin

>>>> had a great time at the 4th annual fish fry 2010 in currumbin, big thanks to jackie and grant 'big fish' newby for their hospitality and all the work that goes into organising the event, was awesome to catch up with the newbius, jamie, tatum, sage, brett, dms, mike and all the fishheads, will post more images in the upcoming days and create a flickr gallery soon with everything i saw, sg*

grovel AU

landed, a bit zombie, rest and then fizz at the fish fry 2010, sg*

fly by nighters

hitting the road for the fry 2010, will miss my boys and my wonderful wife, 4 days away, will update from AU, will be a stoke filled trip, sg*

12 sleeps

to the fish fry 2010, fizzing at the bung, heaps to sort out but stoking on it, sg*