Former Scarborough surfer Ken MacKenzie has been surfing and making quality surfboards for over forty years. He has an extensive surfing pedigree and is acknowledged as a WA surfing industry pioneer.
Ken has won State Schoolboys (Churchlands High School) and Open Men’s Surfing titles, represented WA in National surfing contests and won the Margaret River Surfing Classic. He was a member of Dolphins Board Riders Club in the early 70s and is a life member of Margaret River Board Riders Club with his mother Mary.
Image: 1973 Cover shot in Walkabout Magazine of Ken Mackenzie surfing South Passage (Lancelin) on a Jacko Surfboard. Photo by Tom Collins.
This blog focuses on Ken’s involvement in Energy Surfboards. Surfing Down South will cover Ken’s surfing achievements in another article.
These are Ken ‘Macka’ Mackenzie’s comments and images (unless stated otherwise).
My partners in Energy Surfboards were my mum Mary and Keith ‘Woolly’ Hawken. We have been making surfboards since 13 March 1975. Our first board shop was in 63 Hector St Osborne Park.
Images: 1975-76 Energy Surfboards Hector St media material.
Left: Energy Surfboards start up. Doug White Wave Length Col. Sunday Times.
Right: (Top) media advertisement (Bottom) Flyer (pamphlet).
Image: 1975 Stewart Bettenay and Ken’s brother Hamish at Energy Surfboards Hector St Osborne park. ( Hamish passed away 10 Feb 1977).
In 1976-77 we moved our surfboard business from Hector St to a home in Colray Ave Osborne Park Ave. The garage was for shaping, inside rooms were used for glassing, glossing, plus showroom and chill out area for workers/customers.
Image: 1976 Woolly and Ken with Energy Surfboards at Colray Ave Osborne Park.
Woolly is holding a kneeboard shaped by Ross O’Brien and I’m holding a pintail shaped by myself.
Circa 1976 a Surf Expo was held in Perth city. Most WA Surfboard makers had displays at the Expo. Energy Surfboards had boards and signage on display.
Image: 1976-77 Energy Surfboards sign on display at Surf Expo.
Image: 1976-77 Surf Expo Energy Surfboards display items
Top: First Energy Surfboards sign by sign maker Ron Mannix.
Bottom: Energy Surfboards price list.
1976-77 new Energy surfboards cost $135 plus $4 for sprays and designs.
Barry Day from West Coast Surfboards showed us how to glass a surfboard and near the end of 1975 footy season Woolly & I were in the factory listening to the WAFL Grand Final on the radio and heard Barry kick 7 goals for West Perth in the final quarter.
Image: 1976 Ken (shaper) and Woolly (glasser/finisher). Extract Surfboards Buyers Guide Independent Newspapers.
Images: 1976-77 Ken, Woolly and Ross O’Brien at Energy surfboards in Colray Ave Osborne Park.
Images: 1976-77 Ken making boards Colray Ave Osborne Park.
Left: Ric Gath watching Ken shaping.
Right: (Top) Ken shaping. (Bottom) Ken glossing
Images: 1976-77 Ross O’Brien making kneeboards in Colray Ave Osborne Park.
Left: Ross glassing.
Right: Ross sanding.
Image: 1976 Energy Surfboards at MGM/Bears.
L-R Ronnie Ratshit, Ken, Bruce Elliott and Bill Gibson.(all Energy Boards except Ronnie’s kneeboard).
In 1977 we moved our Energy board making business Down South to Margaret River. For a couple of years I shaped surfboard blanks on my family’s Marg’s property. We took the shaped blanks to the wooden surfboard shed in Smiths Valley for glassing and finishing. Later all aspects of the board-building process were done in my board making shed at Marg’s.
My mum Mary picked up surf blanks from Surf Supplies in Osborne Park and bought the blanks and other surfboard materials down to Margs.
Image: 1980s Mary’s VW Golf loaded with surf blanks and other surfboard materials at Margs.
Image: 1979 MacKenzie family photo on Marg’s property. All members wearing Energy Surfboards t-shirts.
L-R Dad Ian, Sister Jean, Ken, mum Mary and brother Peter McKenzie.
Bruce Elliot was a screen printer and designed our first Energy Surfboards logo.
Image: 1979 Ceramic painting of Energy Surfboards logo by Mary MacKenzie.
Image: Late 1970s Ken and Bill Gibson holding Bill’s Energy Surfboard with original surfboard logo. Ken’s dog OD is looking on.
The original Energy Surfboards shaping room built 1977-78 at Margs was destroyed in the 2011 bush fire. This shaping room was rebuilt as part of new board shed after the fire.
Image: 1978 Ken MacKenzie standing outside original shaping room.
Our wooden board shed built 1979 at Margs was also destroyed by the 2011 bush fire and has since been rebuilt.
Images: 1980s Energy Surfboards board shed destroyed by 2011 bush fire.
Image: 2018 The rebuilt Energy Surfboards board shed at Margs.
Image: 1980 Surfing article on Ken MacKenzie by surf journo Doug Young. Courtesy of the Daily News.
Images: 1980s Ken and Woolly with Woolly’s art design on double flyer swallow tail Energy Surfboard.
In the 80s Shaun Atkinson and I surfed Energy shortboards at Margs.
Image: Energy Surfboards flyer swallow tails at Margs.
L-R. Ken with his 5′ 7″ and Shaun with his 5′ 4″.
Shaun Atkinson – Thank you Ken for all the wonderful boards and memories like this.
Image: 1985 Shaun Atkinson surfing Nias (Indo) on 5’6” Energy Surfboard.
Images: 1977-80s Country living at Marg’s.
Top: (Left) 1980s Ken on family property at Marg’s. (Right) 1977 Ric Gath, Woolly & Ken on Ric’s block at Marg’s.
Bottom: (Left) 1980s Ken & sister Jean with Ken’s Rambler Classic loaded with Energy Surfboards. (Right) 1980s Ken feeding the cows.
In the 80s, I also shaped and rode surfboards for Star Surfboards in Perth. I was a team rider with Mitch Thorson, Chris Fullston and Mike McAuliffe.
Editor: Dave Kennedy opened & ran Star Surf & Skate surf shop in Perth city from 1980 until 2006 when at the age of 51 he lost his battle with leukaemia.
Image: 1980 Star Surfboard shaped by Ken MacKenzie. Grant Mooney pic.
Image: 1983 Pepsi Surfer of the Month in West Coast Wind and Surfer Magazine.
Ken MacKenzie hovering at Left Handers on an Energy Surfboard.
Images: 1990s Ken with Australia flag design swallow tail twin fin.
In the 90s I made myself this 7’7” x 17.5” pintail gun and rode it at Marg’s, it was one of my favourite boards, but I sold it to a East Coast buyer. The monument was made by artist Shaun Atkinson and yourself as a memorial for Hamish. Monument is at Westerness property in Margs.
Image: 1990s Ken with one of his favourite Energy pintail gun boards.
Image: 1991 sister Jean, Ken, cousin Toby and friend Peter enjoying a golf day at Margarets.
Shane Wilton – Thanks for the board Ken.
Image: 2011 Shane riding an Energy Surfboards knee board in Bali (Indo).
Bill Gibson: “The coloured deck on this Energy Surfboard is the design you got if you asked for ‘no colour’.”
Image: 2018 Energy Surfboard circa 1980 on display at WA Surf Gallery. WA Surf Gallery pic. Surfboard supplied by Bill Gibson.
L-R Mick Marlin, Peter Dunn, Mark Lane (CEO Surfing WA), Bill Gibson & Jim King.
Ken (age 62) lives in Margaret River and is semi-retired. He makes/fixes boards and plays table tennis with his friends.
Woolly lives in Margaret River and works in the South West.
Ross O’Brien’s whereabouts are unknown.
Special thanks to Ken for sharing his Energy Surfboards recollections and images. Thanks also to Keith Halnan, Woolly, Bill Gibson and Mike Bosich for helping me prepare this article.
Former Scarborough surfer Ken MacKenzie has been surfing and making quality surfboards for over forty years. He has an extensive surfing pedigree and is acknowledged as a WA surfing industry pioneer.
Ken has won State Schoolboys (Churchlands High School) and Open Men’s Surfing titles, represented WA in National surfing contests and won the Margaret River Surfing Classic. He was a member of Dolphins Board Riders Club in the early 70s and is a life member of Margaret River Board Riders Club with his mother Mary.
Image: 1973 Cover shot in Walkabout Magazine of Ken Mackenzie surfing South Passage (Lancelin) on a Jacko Surfboard. Photo by Tom Collins.
This blog focuses on Ken’s involvement in Energy Surfboards. Surfing Down South will cover Ken’s surfing achievements in another article.
These are Ken ‘Macka’ Mackenzie’s comments and images (unless stated otherwise).
My partners in Energy Surfboards were my mum Mary and Keith ‘Woolly’ Hawken. We have been making surfboards since 13 March 1975. Our first board shop was in 63 Hector St Osborne Park.
Images: 1975-76 Energy Surfboards Hector St media material.
Left: Energy Surfboards start up. Doug White Wave Length Col. Sunday Times.
Right: (Top) media advertisement (Bottom) Flyer (pamphlet).
Image: 1975 Stewart Bettenay and Ken’s brother Hamish at Energy Surfboards Hector St Osborne park. ( Hamish passed away 10 Feb 1977).
In 1976-77 we moved our surfboard business from Hector St to a home in Colray Ave Osborne Park Ave. The garage was for shaping, inside rooms were used for glassing, glossing, plus showroom and chill out area for workers/customers.
Image: 1976 Woolly and Ken with Energy Surfboards at Colray Ave Osborne Park.
Woolly is holding a kneeboard shaped by Ross O’Brien and I’m holding a pintail shaped by myself.
Circa 1976 a Surf Expo was held in Perth city. Most WA Surfboard makers had displays at the Expo. Energy Surfboards had boards and signage on display.
Image: 1976-77 Energy Surfboards sign on display at Surf Expo.
Image: 1976-77 Surf Expo Energy Surfboards display items
Top: First Energy Surfboards sign by sign maker Ron Mannix.
Bottom: Energy Surfboards price list.
1976-77 new Energy surfboards cost $135 plus $4 for sprays and designs.
Image: 1976 Energy Surfboards overview. Extract Surfboards Buyers Guide Independent Newspapers.
Barry Day from West Coast Surfboards showed us how to glass a surfboard and near the end of 1975 footy season Woolly & I were in the factory listening to the WAFL Grand Final on the radio and heard Barry kick 7 goals for West Perth in the final quarter.
Image: 1976 Ken (shaper) and Woolly (glasser/finisher). Extract Surfboards Buyers Guide Independent Newspapers.
Images: 1976-77 Ken, Woolly and Ross O’Brien at Energy surfboards in Colray Ave Osborne Park.
Images: 1976-77 Ken making boards Colray Ave Osborne Park.
Left: Ric Gath watching Ken shaping.
Right: (Top) Ken shaping. (Bottom) Ken glossing
Images: 1976-77 Ross O’Brien making kneeboards in Colray Ave Osborne Park.
Left: Ross glassing.
Right: Ross sanding.
Image: 1976 Energy Surfboards at MGM/Bears.
L-R Ronnie Ratshit, Ken, Bruce Elliott and Bill Gibson.(all Energy Boards except Ronnie’s kneeboard).
In 1977 we moved our Energy board making business Down South to Margaret River. For a couple of years I shaped surfboard blanks on my family’s Marg’s property. We took the shaped blanks to the wooden surfboard shed in Smiths Valley for glassing and finishing. Later all aspects of the board-building process were done in my board making shed at Marg’s.
My mum Mary picked up surf blanks from Surf Supplies in Osborne Park and bought the blanks and other surfboard materials down to Margs.
Image: 1980s Mary’s VW Golf loaded with surf blanks and other surfboard materials at Margs.
Image: 1979 MacKenzie family photo on Marg’s property. All members wearing Energy Surfboards t-shirts.
L-R Dad Ian, Sister Jean, Ken, mum Mary and brother Peter McKenzie.
Bruce Elliot was a screen printer and designed our first Energy Surfboards logo.
Image: 1979 Ceramic painting of Energy Surfboards logo by Mary MacKenzie.
Image: Late 1970s Ken and Bill Gibson holding Bill’s Energy Surfboard with original surfboard logo. Ken’s dog OD is looking on.
The original Energy Surfboards shaping room built 1977-78 at Margs was destroyed in the 2011 bush fire. This shaping room was rebuilt as part of new board shed after the fire.
Image: 1978 Ken MacKenzie standing outside original shaping room.
Our wooden board shed built 1979 at Margs was also destroyed by the 2011 bush fire and has since been rebuilt.
Images: 1980s Energy Surfboards board shed destroyed by 2011 bush fire.
Image: 2018 The rebuilt Energy Surfboards board shed at Margs.
Image: 1980 Surfing article on Ken MacKenzie by surf journo Doug Young. Courtesy of the Daily News.
Images: 1980s Ken and Woolly with Woolly’s art design on double flyer swallow tail Energy Surfboard.
In the 80s Shaun Atkinson and I surfed Energy shortboards at Margs.
Image: Energy Surfboards flyer swallow tails at Margs.
L-R. Ken with his 5′ 7″ and Shaun with his 5′ 4″.
Shaun Atkinson – Thank you Ken for all the wonderful boards and memories like this.
Image: 1985 Shaun Atkinson surfing Nias (Indo) on 5’6” Energy Surfboard.
Images: 1977-80s Country living at Marg’s.
Top: (Left) 1980s Ken on family property at Marg’s. (Right) 1977 Ric Gath, Woolly & Ken on Ric’s block at Marg’s.
Bottom: (Left) 1980s Ken & sister Jean with Ken’s Rambler Classic loaded with Energy Surfboards. (Right) 1980s Ken feeding the cows.
In the 80s, I also shaped and rode surfboards for Star Surfboards in Perth. I was a team rider with Mitch Thorson, Chris Fullston and Mike McAuliffe.
Editor: Dave Kennedy opened & ran Star Surf & Skate surf shop in Perth city from 1980 until 2006 when at the age of 51 he lost his battle with leukaemia.
Image: 1980 Star Surfboard shaped by Ken MacKenzie. Grant Mooney pic.
Image: 1983 Pepsi Surfer of the Month in West Coast Wind and Surfer Magazine.
Ken MacKenzie hovering at Left Handers on an Energy Surfboard.
Images: 1990s Ken with Australia flag design swallow tail twin fin.
In the 90s I made myself this 7’7” x 17.5” pintail gun and rode it at Marg’s, it was one of my favourite boards, but I sold it to a East Coast buyer. The monument was made by artist Shaun Atkinson and yourself as a memorial for Hamish. Monument is at Westerness property in Margs.
Image: 1990s Ken with one of his favourite Energy pintail gun boards.
Image: 1991 sister Jean, Ken, cousin Toby and friend Peter enjoying a golf day at Margarets.
Shane Wilton – Thanks for the board Ken.
Image: 2011 Shane riding an Energy Surfboards knee board in Bali (Indo).
Bill Gibson: “The coloured deck on this Energy Surfboard is the design you got if you asked for ‘no colour’.”
Image: 2018 Energy Surfboard circa 1980 on display at WA Surf Gallery. WA Surf Gallery pic. Surfboard supplied by Bill Gibson.
L-R Mick Marlin, Peter Dunn, Mark Lane (CEO Surfing WA), Bill Gibson & Jim King.
Ken (age 62) lives in Margaret River and is semi-retired. He makes/fixes boards and plays table tennis with his friends.
Woolly lives in Margaret River and works in the South West.
Ross O’Brien’s whereabouts are unknown.
Special thanks to Ken for sharing his Energy Surfboards recollections and images. Thanks also to Keith Halnan, Woolly, Bill Gibson and Mike Bosich for helping me prepare this article.
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