Winter time can be a fun time for surfers living in the South West. Winter storms can create novelty waves in the north facing Geographe Bay. Normally placid points and sand banks between the Cape Naturaliste lighthouse and Busselton jetty can come to life in the right conditions. The waves are fickle and don’t hang around, swell size and direction, tides, sand banks and timing are critical.
Some SW locals have the fickle conditions wired. A local female surfer reckons she can feel it in her bones when Geographe Bay point waves are breaking….Ha!
Quindalup resident Loz Smith lives on Geographe Bay and can monitor wave conditions from his house. Loz has enjoyed many happy hours surfing peelers on a sand bar near his place with family and friends.
Photo: 2017 Loz and his son Jimmy surfing the local sand bar. Bruce King and Loz pics.
Recently Loz Smith commissioned Chris ‘Chappy’ Chapman from Chapstar Surfboards in Clark Street Dunsborough to design an 11ft cruiser for use on the Geo Bay peelers. Chappy designed and finished the board. The foam blank was cut out on Al Bean’s shaping machine in the Industrial Area at Dunsborough.
This article covers the making of Loz’s custom ‘11ft Bay Cruiser’ surfboard by craftsmen in the South West surf industry. It is based on Loz’s photos of the various stages of the custom surfboard manufacturing process.
Stage #1.Machine cut foam blank to design specifications.
Al Bean’s shaping machine cutting out a polyurethane surfboard blank to Chappy’s computer specifications. Al Bean Surf Design is located in the light industrial area, Dunsborough WA.
Top: (Left) Chappy designing the board and entering specifications on computer software to meet Loz’s requirements. (Right) Al Bean and Chappy examining the extra-long 11ft+ blank prior to shaping in the shaping machine.
Middle: (Left) Al Bean setting up the blank in shaping machine. (Right) Al and Chappy monitoring the computer and watching the blank being shaped in the shaping machine.
Bottom: (Left) Shaping machine cutting out surfboard shape from blank. (Right) Chappy loading the machine shaped blank onto a truck for transport back to his surf factory for finishing.
Stage #2 Hand finish surfboard shaping
Chappy cleaning up the machine shaped board’s outline and hand finishing the shaping process.
Stage #3 Artwork on surfboard
Artist Chubby Button adding yellow tint and black slash design to shaped foam board prior to glassing.
Stage #4 Glassing surfboard
Master fibreglasser Charles Campbell and Chappy glassing the shaped surfboard in Chappy’s surf factory.
Stage #5 Filler coat and leash attachment
Chappy adding filler coat to glassed board and customised leash attachment.
Stage #6 Sanding surfboard
Chappy sanding the glassed board.
Stage #7 Buff and polish surfboard
Chappy finishing the manufacturing process with a buff and polish.
Stage # 8 Finished product
Chappy with finished surfboard at Chapstar surf factory.
Stage #9 Happy customer.
Top: Loz with new Chapstar surf board
Bottom: (Left) Loz’s maiden voyage on new board at Yalls – Mick marlin pic. (Right) limited edition Natas Kaupas single fin purchased from Yahoo Surfboards.
Loz: “Many thanks to Chappy, Charlie and Chubby “the three amigos” for doing such a great job on my new board”.
Winter time can be a fun time for surfers living in the South West. Winter storms can create novelty waves in the north facing Geographe Bay. Normally placid points and sand banks between the Cape Naturaliste lighthouse and Busselton jetty can come to life in the right conditions. The waves are fickle and don’t hang around, swell size and direction, tides, sand banks and timing are critical.
Some SW locals have the fickle conditions wired. A local female surfer reckons she can feel it in her bones when Geographe Bay point waves are breaking….Ha!
Quindalup resident Loz Smith lives on Geographe Bay and can monitor wave conditions from his house. Loz has enjoyed many happy hours surfing peelers on a sand bar near his place with family and friends.
Photo: 2017 Loz and his son Jimmy surfing the local sand bar. Bruce King and Loz pics.
Recently Loz Smith commissioned Chris ‘Chappy’ Chapman from Chapstar Surfboards in Clark Street Dunsborough to design an 11ft cruiser for use on the Geo Bay peelers. Chappy designed and finished the board. The foam blank was cut out on Al Bean’s shaping machine in the Industrial Area at Dunsborough.
This article covers the making of Loz’s custom ‘11ft Bay Cruiser’ surfboard by craftsmen in the South West surf industry. It is based on Loz’s photos of the various stages of the custom surfboard manufacturing process.
Stage #1. Machine cut foam blank to design specifications.
Al Bean’s shaping machine cutting out a polyurethane surfboard blank to Chappy’s computer specifications. Al Bean Surf Design is located in the light industrial area, Dunsborough WA.
Top: (Left) Chappy designing the board and entering specifications on computer software to meet Loz’s requirements. (Right) Al Bean and Chappy examining the extra-long 11ft+ blank prior to shaping in the shaping machine.
Middle: (Left) Al Bean setting up the blank in shaping machine. (Right) Al and Chappy monitoring the computer and watching the blank being shaped in the shaping machine.
Bottom: (Left) Shaping machine cutting out surfboard shape from blank. (Right) Chappy loading the machine shaped blank onto a truck for transport back to his surf factory for finishing.
Stage #2 Hand finish surfboard shaping
Chappy cleaning up the machine shaped board’s outline and hand finishing the shaping process.
Stage #3 Artwork on surfboard
Artist Chubby Button adding yellow tint and black slash design to shaped foam board prior to glassing.
Stage #4 Glassing surfboard
Master fibreglasser Charles Campbell and Chappy glassing the shaped surfboard in Chappy’s surf factory.
Stage #5 Filler coat and leash attachment
Chappy adding filler coat to glassed board and customised leash attachment.
Stage #6 Sanding surfboard
Chappy sanding the glassed board.
Stage #7 Buff and polish surfboard
Chappy finishing the manufacturing process with a buff and polish.
Stage # 8 Finished product
Chappy with finished surfboard at Chapstar surf factory.
Stage #9 Happy customer.
Top: Loz with new Chapstar surf board
Bottom: (Left) Loz’s maiden voyage on new board at Yalls – Mick marlin pic. (Right) limited edition Natas Kaupas single fin purchased from Yahoo Surfboards.
Loz: “Many thanks to Chappy, Charlie and Chubby “the three amigos” for doing such a great job on my new board”.
Thanks Loz for sharing your photos. Aloha Loz.
Click on this link to view Chapstar Surfboards Facebook page.
——————————————————–
Share this:
Like this: