Two sheets of marine ply and some design plans from the USA, plus six months work and this 9ft 10″ x 22″ wooden Malibu surfboard (known as Okanui in Oz) was created. The year was 1961.
It was made by Marton Nicholas and has been in the Nicholas family ever since. The original fin was lost on Yallingup reef in 1963.
This homemade board was also the inspiration for younger brother Craige to take up surfing and become involved in the surfing industry in Perth. Craige started up Town and Country Surfboards WA, consisting of two retail outlets and a manufacturing factory. Over a twenty-year period T&C produced approximately 10,000 surfboards. Many of these surfboards were shaped by top shapers including Col Ladhams, Al Bean, Nev Hyman, Mick Manolas and others.
The wooden Nicholas Malibu was on constant display in the T&C shop in East Fremantle where it evoked many questions and comments about its origin.
It really inspires the surfer to delve into the history of surfing.
Craige Nicholas.
2024 Owner Craige Nicholas with The Nicholas Malibu. Photo Craige Nicholas.1970s Renowned shaper Nev Hyman with T&C surfboard in the surf factory. Photo Nev Hyman.
History of Okanui Surfboards in Oz
In 1956 Greg Noll (later to become big wave surfing legend) and other surfers from the USA brought the Balsa Malibu to Australia, when Bill Wallace Brookvale NSW and others saw the board in the water they couldn’t believe how a board could ride across the wave and turn so easily. Bill set out to replicate that board, but at that time you could not buy Balsa wood in Australia. So he made it like the Toothpicks from the 40s & 50s – hollow in the middle and chambered with Marine Ply. These boards would be known as the ‘Okanui’. Source: History of Okanui Surfboards in Australia by Bill Wallace published in Pacific Longboarder Magazine 3 April 2012.
2024 The Nicholas Malibu deck with metal plug hibernatingat Bill Gibson’s Cave of Dreams. Photo Bill Gibson.2024 The Nicholas Malibu bottom with replacement D fin hibernatingat Bill Gibson’s Cave of Dreams. Photo Bill Gibson.
WA Surf Gallery
Craige Nicholas has kindly loaned The Nicholas Malibu (aka Okanui) to the WA Surf Gallery, Aravina Estate Yallingup. It will soon be on public display at the Surf Gallery (winter timetable Jun-Sep Frid to Sun 11am to 5pm).
2024 Bill Gibson loading The Nicholas Malibu on his 4WD at the WA Surf Gallery. Photo Jim King.
Thanks for sharing your wooden surfboard story Craige.
Two sheets of marine ply and some design plans from the USA, plus six months work and this 9ft 10″ x 22″ wooden Malibu surfboard (known as Okanui in Oz) was created. The year was 1961.
It was made by Marton Nicholas and has been in the Nicholas family ever since. The original fin was lost on Yallingup reef in 1963.
This homemade board was also the inspiration for younger brother Craige to take up surfing and become involved in the surfing industry in Perth. Craige started up Town and Country Surfboards WA, consisting of two retail outlets and a manufacturing factory. Over a twenty-year period T&C produced approximately 10,000 surfboards. Many of these surfboards were shaped by top shapers including Col Ladhams, Al Bean, Nev Hyman, Mick Manolas and others.
The wooden Nicholas Malibu was on constant display in the T&C shop in East Fremantle where it evoked many questions and comments about its origin.
It really inspires the surfer to delve into the history of surfing.
Craige Nicholas.
History of Okanui Surfboards in Oz
In 1956 Greg Noll (later to become big wave surfing legend) and other surfers from the USA brought the Balsa Malibu to Australia, when Bill Wallace Brookvale NSW and others saw the board in the water they couldn’t believe how a board could ride across the wave and turn so easily. Bill set out to replicate that board, but at that time you could not buy Balsa wood in Australia. So he made it like the Toothpicks from the 40s & 50s – hollow in the middle and chambered with Marine Ply. These boards would be known as the ‘Okanui’. Source: History of Okanui Surfboards in Australia by Bill Wallace published in Pacific Longboarder Magazine 3 April 2012.
WA Surf Gallery
Craige Nicholas has kindly loaned The Nicholas Malibu (aka Okanui) to the WA Surf Gallery, Aravina Estate Yallingup. It will soon be on public display at the Surf Gallery (winter timetable Jun-Sep Frid to Sun 11am to 5pm).
Thanks for sharing your wooden surfboard story Craige.
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