[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":692},["ShallowReactive",2],{"content-nav":3,"site-navigation":218,"notification":239,"site-settings":251,"{\"version\":\"draft\"}blog\u002Fdoctor-surf-culture":292,"blog-single-sidebar-posts":344,"blog-config-post":675},[4],{"title":5,"path":6,"stem":7,"children":8,"page":217},"Blog","\u002Fblog","blog",[9,13,17,21,25,29,33,37,41,45,49,53,57,61,65,69,73,77,81,85,89,93,97,101,105,109,113,117,121,125,129,133,137,141,145,149,153,157,161,165,169,173,177,181,185,189,193,197,201,205,209,213],{"title":10,"path":11,"stem":12},"2011 Australian International Best Design award for the Seaglass Project Tuna","\u002Fblog\u002F2011-australian-international-best-design-award-seaglass-project-tuna","blog\u002F2011-australian-international-best-design-award-seaglass-project-tuna",{"title":14,"path":15,"stem":16},"Alaia wins Living Smart Solutions Award for Tom Wegener Surfboards green factory!","\u002Fblog\u002Falaia-wins-living-smart-solutions-award-tom-wegener-surfboards-green-factory","blog\u002Falaia-wins-living-smart-solutions-award-tom-wegener-surfboards-green-factory",{"title":18,"path":19,"stem":20},"Alaias, Paipos and Albacores: This year's focus","\u002Fblog\u002Falaias-paipos-and-albacores-years-focus","blog\u002Falaias-paipos-and-albacores-years-focus",{"title":22,"path":23,"stem":24},"Albacore is the FUN MACHINE!","\u002Fblog\u002Falbacore-fun-machine","blog\u002Falbacore-fun-machine",{"title":26,"path":27,"stem":28},"Albacore Surfing with Jacob Pedrana","\u002Fblog\u002Falbacore-surfing-jacob-pedrana","blog\u002Falbacore-surfing-jacob-pedrana",{"title":30,"path":31,"stem":32},"The Albacore video is UP!","\u002Fblog\u002Falbacore-video","blog\u002Falbacore-video",{"title":34,"path":35,"stem":36},"Albacores are SICK!","\u002Fblog\u002Falbacores-are-sick","blog\u002Falbacores-are-sick",{"title":38,"path":39,"stem":40},"Albacores in Byron Bay","\u002Fblog\u002Falbacores-byron-bay","blog\u002Falbacores-byron-bay",{"title":42,"path":43,"stem":44},"Book Launch","\u002Fblog\u002Fbook-launch","blog\u002Fbook-launch",{"title":46,"path":47,"stem":48},"Camel the Seaglass Ripper","\u002Fblog\u002Fcamel-seaglass-ripper","blog\u002Fcamel-seaglass-ripper",{"title":50,"path":51,"stem":52},"Cork in Noosa movie","\u002Fblog\u002Fcork-noosa-movie","blog\u002Fcork-noosa-movie",{"title":54,"path":55,"stem":56},"Corky Testing Day","\u002Fblog\u002Fcorky-testing-day","blog\u002Fcorky-testing-day",{"title":58,"path":59,"stem":60},"Creation Plantation TV number 1: You Need To Get A Roundtoit!!!","\u002Fblog\u002Fcreation-plantation-tv-number-1-you-need-get-roundtoit","blog\u002Fcreation-plantation-tv-number-1-you-need-get-roundtoit",{"title":62,"path":63,"stem":64},"Development of the Seaglass Project Tuna and Albacore","\u002Fblog\u002Fdevelopment-seaglass-project-tuna-and-albacore","blog\u002Fdevelopment-seaglass-project-tuna-and-albacore",{"title":66,"path":67,"stem":68},"Doctor of Surf Culture","\u002Fblog\u002Fdoctor-surf-culture","blog\u002Fdoctor-surf-culture",{"title":70,"path":71,"stem":72},"Dugout Canoe for David Rastovich","\u002Fblog\u002Fdugout-canoe-david-rastovich","blog\u002Fdugout-canoe-david-rastovich",{"title":74,"path":75,"stem":76},"Family Film","\u002Fblog\u002Ffamily-film","blog\u002Ffamily-film",{"title":78,"path":79,"stem":80},"February 2012 deals...","\u002Fblog\u002Ffebruary-2012-deals","blog\u002Ffebruary-2012-deals",{"title":82,"path":83,"stem":84},"Fin's Film for NALU","\u002Fblog\u002Ffins-film-nalu","blog\u002Ffins-film-nalu",{"title":86,"path":87,"stem":88},"The first filmed session on alaia number 1","\u002Fblog\u002Ffirst-filmed-session-alaia-number-1","blog\u002Ffirst-filmed-session-alaia-number-1",{"title":90,"path":91,"stem":92},"Golden Days Festival – Green Day Out","\u002Fblog\u002Fgolden-days-festival-green-day-out","blog\u002Fgolden-days-festival-green-day-out",{"title":94,"path":95,"stem":96},"Lets make a Corky","\u002Fblog\u002Flets-make-corky-1","blog\u002Flets-make-corky-1",{"title":98,"path":99,"stem":100},"Mini Simmons to Fish Comparison","\u002Fblog\u002Fmini-simmons-fish-comparison","blog\u002Fmini-simmons-fish-comparison",{"title":102,"path":103,"stem":104},"Model A: Creation Plantation TV show 2","\u002Fblog\u002Fmodel-creation-plantation-tv-show-2","blog\u002Fmodel-creation-plantation-tv-show-2",{"title":106,"path":107,"stem":108},"My Sabbatical Leave from Shaping","\u002Fblog\u002Fmy-sabbatical-leave-shaping","blog\u002Fmy-sabbatical-leave-shaping",{"title":110,"path":111,"stem":112},"The New “Corky” Surfboard","\u002Fblog\u002Fnew-corky-surfboard","blog\u002Fnew-corky-surfboard",{"title":114,"path":115,"stem":116},"Noosa Festival of Surfing Finless Division 2016","\u002Fblog\u002Fnoosa-festival-surfing-finless-division-2016","blog\u002Fnoosa-festival-surfing-finless-division-2016",{"title":118,"path":119,"stem":120},"Noosa Festival of Surfing Highlights 2013","\u002Fblog\u002Fnoosa-festival-surfing-highlights-2013","blog\u002Fnoosa-festival-surfing-highlights-2013",{"title":122,"path":123,"stem":124},"Noosa Longboards by Tom Wegener foam boards","\u002Fblog\u002Fnoosa-longboards-tom-wegener-foam-boards","blog\u002Fnoosa-longboards-tom-wegener-foam-boards",{"title":126,"path":127,"stem":128},"Origin of the Surfie Surfboard","\u002Fblog\u002Forigin-surfie-surfboard","blog\u002Forigin-surfie-surfboard",{"title":130,"path":131,"stem":132},"Pacific Longboarder Magazine Article","\u002Fblog\u002Fpacific-longboarder-magazine-article","blog\u002Fpacific-longboarder-magazine-article",{"title":134,"path":135,"stem":136},"Papua New Guinea elders teach our place within nature","\u002Fblog\u002Fpapua-new-guinea-elders-teach-our-place-within-nature","blog\u002Fpapua-new-guinea-elders-teach-our-place-within-nature",{"title":138,"path":139,"stem":140},"Perfect Day for the Finless Sliders","\u002Fblog\u002Fperfect-day-finless-sliders","blog\u002Fperfect-day-finless-sliders",{"title":142,"path":143,"stem":144},"Plankton Noserider and Alaias finished for the week.","\u002Fblog\u002Fplankton-noserider-and-alaias-finished-week","blog\u002Fplankton-noserider-and-alaias-finished-week",{"title":146,"path":147,"stem":148},"Positive feedback from my book Surfboard Artisans For The Love","\u002Fblog\u002Fpositive-feedback-my-book-surfboard-artisans-love","blog\u002Fpositive-feedback-my-book-surfboard-artisans-love",{"title":150,"path":151,"stem":152},"Prone or Belly Board Alaias","\u002Fblog\u002Fprone-or-belly-board-alaias","blog\u002Fprone-or-belly-board-alaias",{"title":154,"path":155,"stem":156},"\"The Salt of the Earth\" short movie by Dean Saffron","\u002Fblog\u002Fsalt-earth-short-movie-dean-saffron","blog\u002Fsalt-earth-short-movie-dean-saffron",{"title":158,"path":159,"stem":160},"Shaping Classes","\u002Fblog\u002Fshaping-classes","blog\u002Fshaping-classes",{"title":162,"path":163,"stem":164},"Shaping Classes: Learn to make a Corky","\u002Fblog\u002Fshaping-classes-learn-make-corky","blog\u002Fshaping-classes-learn-make-corky",{"title":166,"path":167,"stem":168},"Suction + Tension = Hang Ten","\u002Fblog\u002Fsuction-tension-hang-ten","blog\u002Fsuction-tension-hang-ten",{"title":170,"path":171,"stem":172},"Super Custom Foam Longboards","\u002Fblog\u002Fsuper-custom-foam-longboards","blog\u002Fsuper-custom-foam-longboards",{"title":174,"path":175,"stem":176},"Surfboards in Stock","\u002Fblog\u002Fsurfboards-stock","blog\u002Fsurfboards-stock",{"title":178,"path":179,"stem":180},"Surfie art by Sunday and surfing by Tom","\u002Fblog\u002Fsurfie-art-sunday-and-surfing-tom","blog\u002Fsurfie-art-sunday-and-surfing-tom",{"title":182,"path":183,"stem":184},"Surfie for Fitness","\u002Fblog\u002Fsurfie-fitness","blog\u002Fsurfie-fitness",{"title":186,"path":187,"stem":188},"Surfie Odyssey","\u002Fblog\u002Fsurfie-odyssey","blog\u002Fsurfie-odyssey",{"title":190,"path":191,"stem":192},"Surfie Odyssey photos","\u002Fblog\u002Fsurfie-odyssey-photos","blog\u002Fsurfie-odyssey-photos",{"title":194,"path":195,"stem":196},"Surfing Backside on the Finless Boards","\u002Fblog\u002Fsurfing-backside-finless-boards","blog\u002Fsurfing-backside-finless-boards",{"title":198,"path":199,"stem":200},"Tom Wegener Alaias and Surfie Surfboards in small surf","\u002Fblog\u002Ftom-wegener-alaias-and-surfie-surfboards-small-surf","blog\u002Ftom-wegener-alaias-and-surfie-surfboards-small-surf",{"title":202,"path":203,"stem":204},"Tom Wegener Noosa Councillor","\u002Fblog\u002Ftom-wegener-noosa-councillor","blog\u002Ftom-wegener-noosa-councillor",{"title":206,"path":207,"stem":208},"Tom's launch of the Noosa Agriculture Hub","\u002Fblog\u002Ftoms-launch-noosa-agriculture-hub","blog\u002Ftoms-launch-noosa-agriculture-hub",{"title":210,"path":211,"stem":212},"Wood Bodyboards: English and Japanese","\u002Fblog\u002Fwood-bodyboards-english-and-japanese","blog\u002Fwood-bodyboards-english-and-japanese",{"title":214,"path":215,"stem":216},"Wooden Surfboards and more...","\u002Fblog\u002Fwooden-surfboards-and-more","blog\u002Fwooden-surfboards-and-more",false,[219,224,228,232,235],{"label":220,"to":221,"icon":222,"order":223},"Home","\u002F","",1,{"label":225,"to":226,"icon":222,"order":227},"Designs","\u002Fmodels",2,{"label":229,"to":230,"icon":222,"order":231},"About Tom","\u002Fabout",3,{"label":233,"to":6,"icon":222,"order":234},"Blog Archive",4,{"label":236,"to":237,"icon":222,"order":238},"Contact","\u002Fcontact",5,{"id":240,"dismissible":217,"enabled":241,"extension":242,"link":243,"message":247,"meta":248,"stem":249,"__hash__":250},"notification\u002Fsite-notification.yml",true,"yml",{"label":244,"to":245,"icon":246},"Wegener Tool Co.","https:\u002F\u002Fwegenertoolco.com","i-lucide-arrow-right","All products available to purchase at",{},"site-notification","f0OcPGfKDTNSPojx8kQY9sZ9rYyefUCbR-GhE19rl_c",{"id":252,"extension":242,"footer":253,"meta":289,"stem":290,"__hash__":291},"settings\u002Fsite\u002Fsettings.yml",{"headings":254,"explore":258,"wtcShop":263,"connect":275,"copyright":287,"tagline":288},{"explore":255,"wtcShop":256,"connect":257},"Explore","Buy at Wegener Tool Co.","Connect",[259,260,261,262],{"label":225,"to":226},{"label":229,"to":230},{"label":233,"to":6},{"label":236,"to":237},[264,266,269,272],{"label":265,"to":222},"Surfboards →",{"label":267,"to":268},"Bellyboards →","\u002Fcollections\u002Fall",{"label":270,"to":271},"Paulownia timber →","\u002Fpaulownia",{"label":273,"to":274},"Tools →","\u002Ftools",[276,279,282,285],{"label":277,"to":278},"YouTube","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fchannel\u002FUChNazxkAb38Fougu_h4bEsw\u002Fvideos",{"label":280,"to":281},"Facebook","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002Fpeople\u002FTom-Wegener-Surfboards\u002F100063526421878\u002F",{"label":283,"to":284},"Instagram","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.instagram.com\u002Ftomwegenersurfboards\u002F",{"label":286,"to":245},"The Journal","Tom Wegener Surfboards. All rights reserved.","Noosa, Australia · Shaped by hand",{},"site\u002Fsettings","_h1yYZgMLk-w0rlSyY4a8ZTwhpYuGAqydwXG_VAuqHQ",{"data":293,"headers":320},{"story":294,"cv":317,"rels":318,"links":319},{"name":66,"created_at":295,"published_at":296,"updated_at":297,"id":298,"uuid":299,"content":300,"slug":310,"full_slug":68,"sort_by_date":296,"position":311,"tag_list":312,"is_startpage":217,"parent_id":313,"meta_data":296,"group_id":314,"first_published_at":296,"release_id":296,"lang":315,"path":296,"alternates":316,"default_full_slug":296,"translated_slugs":296},"2026-08-31T02:47:47.119Z",null,"2026-08-31T04:27:32.303Z",214855135745967,"29db047b-e99b-44cf-8728-fd57b6143d20",{"_uid":301,"body":302,"date":303,"badge":304,"title":66,"excerpt":305,"youtube":222,"category":222,"component":306,"image_alt":222,"image_src":307,"author_name":308,"_editable":309},"346b3281-5118-4f01-90ff-b0f54f060dab","![](\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fdoctor-surf-culture-1.jpg)\n\nTom’s research into the sustainability of the surfboard industry has earned him a Doctor of Philosophy of Surf Culture at the University of the Sunshine Coast. It was a six year journey of research and writing, followed up by many edits & rewrites.\n\n\"I am infinitely grateful to my wife Margie for her support and encouragement. For three years I was buried in the thesis and often vacant from the real world, and then for almost another three years I was left wondering if my work would pass the board of examiners. It was a difficult time for the whole family and coincided with having two teenagers going through high school. We are on a new path now, out the other side.\n\nMany times one of us wanted to give up, but fortunately we never both gave up at the same time. The PhD is opening up all kinds of exciting opportunities to further my work in the surfing industry.\"\n\nTom and Margie have enjoyed enormous success from their humble home and surfboard factory in the Noosa hinterland including the 2009 Shaper of the Year accolade, a 2010 Smart Business Award and a 2011 Innovation Award from the Sunshine Coast Council. They have worked with leading film makers Thomas Campbell, Jack McCoy and Nathan Oldfield. Now they are sharing the deep cultural and intellectual philosophies behind surfboard shaping and creating at Wegener Surf Stay.\n\nTheir focus has shifted from purely creating and producing surfboards to now sharing and teaching surfboard design, surf culture and history.\n\nThe thesis and book, Surfboard Artisans, For The Love, is now available to download online at [http:\u002F\u002Fresearch.usc.edu.au\u002Fvital\u002Faccess\u002Fmanager\u002FRepository\u002Fusc:28442](..\u002F..\u002F..\u002Fresearch.usc.edu.au\u002Fesploro\u002Foutputs\u002Fdoctoral\u002FGlobalisation-and-the-Sustainability-of-Small\u002F99450617402621\u002Findex.html) Simply follow this link to download and read the book. It starts on page 70.\n\nSurfboards are just the output of this beautiful machine called surfing. Tom and Margie are now working on the machine itself with great developments coming in 2020!\n\nPlease go ahead and read **Surfboard Artisans, For the Love** by Tom Wegener PhD\n\nBUY THE BOOK [here ](..\u002F..\u002Fproducts\u002Fsurfboard-artisans-love\u002Findex.html#overlay-context=blog\u002Fnoosa-festival-surfing-finless-division-2016)\n\n![](\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fdoctor-surf-culture-2.jpg)","2019-06-16 00:00","Article","Tom’s research into the sustainability of the surfboard industry has earned him a Doctor of Philosophy of Surf Culture at the University of the Sunshine Coast. It was a six year journey of research and writing, followed up by many edits & rewrites.","article","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fbook-launch-1.jpg","Tom Wegener","\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"article\", \"space\": \"294641482445311\", \"uid\": \"346b3281-5118-4f01-90ff-b0f54f060dab\", \"id\": \"214855135745967\"}-->","doctor-surf-culture",-150,[],210671136149765,"6864db46-83f0-4993-94b0-6a0127a872d7","default",[],1788150487,[],[],{"cache-control":321,"connection":322,"content-encoding":323,"content-type":324,"date":325,"etag":326,"referrer-policy":327,"sb-be-version":328,"server":329,"transfer-encoding":330,"vary":331,"via":332,"x-amz-cf-id":333,"x-amz-cf-pop":334,"x-cache":335,"x-content-type-options":336,"x-frame-options":337,"x-permitted-cross-domain-policies":338,"x-ratelimit":339,"x-ratelimit-policy":340,"x-request-id":341,"x-runtime":342,"x-xss-protection":343},"max-age=0, private, must-revalidate","keep-alive","gzip","application\u002Fjson; charset=utf-8","Thu, 03 Sep 2026 02:33:54 GMT","W\u002F\"992defcf2a96dc60c3086f2cd1525ccf\"","strict-origin-when-cross-origin","5.959.0","nginx\u002F1.29.1","chunked","Origin,Accept-Encoding","1.1 51ffeaad251fe0b5f7c1a5d15ce9b49a.cloudfront.net (CloudFront)","30wbcaqp3zZI0Y-Q0y9FZKw3qoDAHUGkcaXZst2zNIsceJPaveNnOA==","BNE50-P3","RefreshHit from cloudfront","nosniff","SAMEORIGIN","none","\"space-concurrent-requests\";r=22","\"space-concurrent-requests\";q=30","138c9142-5ab7-45eb-a24b-20335bdd03a5","0.023279","0",[345,353,360,367,371,378,385,392,399,406,413,420,427,434,440,446,453,459,465,471,478,484,490,496,502,508,514,520,526,532,538,544,550,556,562,568,574,580,586,592,598,604,610,616,622,628,634,640,646,652,658,664,670],{"path":207,"title":206,"description":346,"date":347,"image":348,"authors":350,"youtube":352,"body":-1},"Noosa Biosphere Agriculture Hub Opening Pages by Cr Tom Wegener.","2021-08-06 00:00",{"src":349,"alt":222},"\u002Fimages\u002Fmodels\u002Fancient-hawaiian-olo-1.jpg",[351],{"name":308},"obLz1bPVsqE",{"path":203,"title":202,"description":354,"date":355,"image":356,"authors":358,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"In March 2020, I was elected as one of seven Noosa Councillors. At the time I thought I would be able to make a few surfboards while acting as a councillor, but I have found that I do not have the time or energy. I am loving the new position and I am putting my all into doing a good job.","2021-07-08 00:00",{"src":357,"alt":222},"\u002Fimages\u002Fhome\u002Fhomepage_hero-1.jpg",[359],{"name":308},{"path":135,"title":134,"description":361,"date":362,"image":363,"authors":365,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"How do we make change in the world? To answer this question we should look at our relationship with nature and society. In the modern world, humans create wealth from extracting value from nature. We control the world. In the in indiginous worldview, humans share gifts with nature (gift economy).","2021-06-26 00:00",{"src":364,"alt":222},"\u002Fimages\u002Fmodels\u002Falaia-1.jpg",[366],{"name":308},{"path":67,"title":66,"description":305,"date":303,"image":368,"authors":369,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},{"src":307,"alt":222},[370],{"name":308},{"path":155,"title":154,"description":372,"date":373,"image":374,"authors":376,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Noosa is lucky to have top photo journalist Dean Saffron now in the fold! He is the most frothing dude I have ever met and he took on creating a little clip on me with unbridled enthusiasm. This clip won the best short film at the prominent Anglet Surf Film Festival in France.","2018-09-21 00:00",{"src":375,"alt":222},"\u002Fimages\u002Fmodels\u002Fsurfie-bellyboards-1.jpg",[377],{"name":308},{"path":51,"title":50,"description":379,"date":380,"image":381,"authors":383,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Last year Sunday, my daughter made this video. It was featured at the Noosa Surf Film Festival and the Green Room Festival in Japan. Thank you Sunday!","2018-07-31 00:00",{"src":382,"alt":222},"\u002Fimages\u002Fmodels\u002Ffinless-corkys-1.jpg",[384],{"name":308},{"path":163,"title":162,"description":386,"date":387,"image":388,"authors":390,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Shaping Classes: Learn to make a Corky In my book, Surfboard Artisans For The Love, I discuss the importance of inspired surfers making their own surfboard. It is what keeps the surfboard industry vibrant and what keeps the entire industry alive in Australia and around the world.","2017-02-02 00:00",{"src":389,"alt":222},"\u002Fimages\u002Fabout\u002Fcorky-cross-cut.jpg",[391],{"name":308},{"path":147,"title":146,"description":393,"date":394,"image":395,"authors":397,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Above: I am presenting a talk on the book at the Patagonia Shop in Encinitas, California and below I am reading at the book Launch at Annie's Books in Perigian Beach, Queensland. The events were well atteneded and a lively surfboard industry followed.","2017-01-22 00:00",{"src":396,"alt":222},"\u002Fimages\u002Fmodels\u002Fhand-plane-1.jpg",[398],{"name":308},{"path":95,"title":94,"description":400,"date":401,"image":402,"authors":404,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Shaping the rails of my Flexible Ultra Noserider (FUN) board. Come to my shed and help make your board. Photo Misha Robb-Mass I have made 11 corkys now and I am totally confident with the process. The finless corky flex beautifully into the wave and hold in like my best alaias.","2016-10-03 00:00",{"src":403,"alt":222},"\u002Fimages\u002Fmodels\u002Fmodel-1.jpg",[405],{"name":308},{"path":55,"title":54,"description":407,"date":408,"image":409,"authors":411,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Corky quiver with JJ Star: From Left to right; JJ's body board, Finley;s 7'2 alaia style, my 5'6 tuna, 4'6 thin bellyboard and Carlos de Landre's board - the shape needs a name. Top: Sean Cusik holds the tuna shape which is very similar to an albacore shape.","2016-06-13 00:00",{"src":410,"alt":222},"\u002Fimages\u002Fbadges\u002Fget-stoked.gif",[412],{"name":308},{"path":43,"title":42,"description":414,"date":415,"image":416,"authors":418,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"The most valuable thing I can do is pass on what I have learned about surfing and surfboards Why do we get out of bed in the morning? What are the emotions we want to feel and the things we want to experience? What is valuable to us? I know that I really love surfing.","2016-06-02 00:00",{"src":417,"alt":222},"\u002Fimages\u002Fbadges\u002Fwood-is-good.gif",[419],{"name":308},{"path":111,"title":110,"description":421,"date":422,"image":423,"authors":425,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Finley on Corky #1: This board is 7’2 and slides with the elegance and speed of an alaia but is very buoyant. The Corky Surfboard: A long journey to custom flex and floatation It took one wave on the first alaia on March 5, 2005 to realise that there was another way of surfing.","2016-04-29 00:00",{"src":424,"alt":222},"\u002Fimages\u002Fbadges\u002Ffun-is-number-one.gif",[426],{"name":308},{"path":115,"title":114,"description":428,"date":429,"image":430,"authors":432,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Adam Baldwin, Matt Williams, Fred Branger, Sterling Harper, Josh Woollett,Stuart Jaeys, Carl De Landre and Gus O'Malley The finless comp is the smallest division in the Noosa Festival, and nearly disappeared with GSI pulling out (after generously sponsoring it for four years).","2016-04-27 00:00",{"src":431,"alt":222},"\u002Fimages\u002Fbadges\u002Fits-all-about-the-flex.gif",[433],{"name":308},{"path":107,"title":106,"description":435,"date":436,"image":437,"authors":438,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Hello surfers, I have enrolled in a PhD program at the University of the Sunshine Coast studying the Sustainability of the Surfboard Industry on the Sunshine Coast. I am loving it!!!","2014-05-16 00:00",{"src":424,"alt":222},[439],{"name":308},{"path":159,"title":158,"description":441,"date":442,"image":443,"authors":444,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Come to the Creation Plantation and spend some time with me learning about surfboards. There is a giant world in surfboard shapes and learning about them is a never ending journey. Often customers come to my shaping room and watch me make their board.","2013-06-19 00:00",{"src":424,"alt":222},[445],{"name":308},{"path":171,"title":170,"description":447,"date":448,"image":449,"authors":451,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Tom’s Background with Durable Boards: When I was in 7th grade, 1976, I bought my first early 60’s longboard for $11.00. It was a mint condition Wardy that was my favourite board for years. The boards of the 1960’s were made to last. In 1986 I became a team rider for Donald Takayama. He made me beautiful boards but I had to give them back after 6 months because they were still","2013-05-21 00:00",{"src":450,"alt":222},"\u002Fimages\u002Fbadges\u002Ffinless-is-faster.gif",[452],{"name":308},{"path":123,"title":122,"description":454,"date":455,"image":456,"authors":457,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"After a very long journey with hollow wood longboards I have turned my focus back to foam. The foam boards are really quite good and half the price of the wood. It is like coming home. I know the shapes so well. Working with Noosa Longboards I have developed a very good range of models that are always in stock in their store at Hastings Street. It has been a pleasure to work","2013-05-16 00:00",{"src":424,"alt":222},[458],{"name":308},{"path":83,"title":82,"description":460,"date":461,"image":462,"authors":463,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"As the realease for the next quarterly Japanese surf magazine, NALU approaches we're stoked to have Fin's latest film accompany it.","2013-04-05 00:00",{"src":424,"alt":222},[464],{"name":308},{"path":119,"title":118,"description":466,"date":467,"image":468,"authors":469,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Dane Wilson and Son brave a massive closeout The 2013 Noosa Festival was probably the best ever. The surf was pumping with four days with perfect sunshine. It was GREAT!!!","2013-04-01 00:00",{"src":417,"alt":222},[470],{"name":308},{"path":183,"title":182,"description":472,"date":473,"image":474,"authors":476,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Jennifer Buckle, a stoked surfie rider and health journalist, wanted to mix her passions for fitness and surfing. She graciously sent this article to me. Please check it out.","2013-02-26 00:00",{"src":475,"alt":222},"\u002Fimages\u002Fbadges\u002Fi-heart-wood.gif",[477],{"name":308},{"path":71,"title":70,"description":479,"date":480,"image":481,"authors":482,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Last year David Rastovich called and said that he would like to make a proper dugout canoe. We looked at a lot of logs and agreed that we would do it soon but the time always was pushed back.","2013-02-13 00:00",{"src":475,"alt":222},[483],{"name":308},{"path":195,"title":194,"description":485,"date":486,"image":487,"authors":488,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Surfing backside on the finless has been problematic for many people including me. I constantley revert back to finned surfboard thinking and stomp on the back corner in hopes that it will help the edge dig in to the face.","2013-01-30 00:00",{"src":450,"alt":222},[489],{"name":308},{"path":27,"title":26,"description":491,"date":492,"image":493,"authors":494,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Check this new Albacore video: Jacob Pedrana at Sunshine Beach Jacob has been pushing the albacore harder than anyone I know. Like most finless riders, he was a bit timid on going backside but then he focused on it and figured it out. Now he perfers backside more than frontside.","2013-01-03 00:00",{"src":417,"alt":222},[495],{"name":308},{"path":179,"title":178,"description":497,"date":498,"image":499,"authors":500,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"The Surfie is a fun board to decorate as well as surf!","2012-11-14 00:00",{"src":450,"alt":222},[501],{"name":308},{"path":191,"title":190,"description":503,"date":504,"image":505,"authors":506,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"As a back up to the last blog post, here are some frame grabs from the last few weeks of Surfie sessions at the beach where there was nobody else out. The surf was too small for everyone else but we had a blast! We all claim to be this person. Margie slides her heart away before work.","2012-11-07 00:00",{"src":410,"alt":222},[507],{"name":308},{"path":47,"title":46,"description":509,"date":504,"image":510,"authors":512,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"A very distinguished surfer from West Australia known as Camel has been riding the Seaglass and the Albacore. His surf adventures through Indonesia are legendary and his tube riding is the best in the world.",{"src":511,"alt":222},"\u002Fimages\u002Fbadges\u002Fno-fins-wins.gif",[513],{"name":308},{"path":187,"title":186,"description":515,"date":516,"image":517,"authors":518,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Finley and I have been on a Surfie Odyssey for the last two weeks. The surf has been small, clean and warm and we are spending a lot of time in the tube. We always have five or more surfies with us and every day we share them around with anyone interested.","2012-10-20 00:00",{"src":511,"alt":222},[519],{"name":308},{"path":63,"title":62,"description":521,"date":522,"image":523,"authors":524,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"The tuna is the completion of a vision that I had the first moment I saw Jake ride that first faithful wave an alaia in 2005, \"Oh my god, you don't need a fin!!!\" Tom Blake put fin on a surfboard in 1936 but they did not really become a necessary part of surfboards for almost a generation. Could we have lost something special when we abandoned the finless surfing some time in","2012-09-28 00:00",{"src":410,"alt":222},[525],{"name":308},{"path":127,"title":126,"description":527,"date":528,"image":529,"authors":530,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"My introduction to the wood belly board was backward. I made replicas of the boards I saw in the Bishop Museum in Hawaii and found how fun they are to surf. I was wondering why nobody else surfs like this. Then I discovered there were pockets of stoked wood belly boards in the UK and Hawaii. Once I looked deeper, I found that 100 years ago there was a wave of belly boarding","2012-09-21 00:00",{"src":475,"alt":222},[531],{"name":308},{"path":19,"title":18,"description":533,"date":534,"image":535,"authors":536,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"This year, 2012, I have been narrowing down the boards that I make. I am focussing on the boards that I am still developing and super passionate about at this time.","2012-07-09 00:00",{"src":450,"alt":222},[537],{"name":308},{"path":199,"title":198,"description":539,"date":540,"image":541,"authors":542,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"My business is surfboards and it can actually take me far away from the pure fun of surfing. Belly boarding the Surfie or the shorter alaias bring me back to my inner child and my first love of surfing.","2012-07-01 00:00",{"src":450,"alt":222},[543],{"name":308},{"path":15,"title":14,"description":545,"date":546,"image":547,"authors":548,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"It was a real buzz to hop on stage and accept the Living Smart Solutions Award for a green surfboard factory producing the magical Alaia! Ten years ago we said there must be a better way to make surfboards other than from foam and toxic resins. Our pursuit led to the discovery of paulownia’s astounding application for making surfboards, “It is like God made this wood","2012-06-18 00:00",{"src":424,"alt":222},[549],{"name":308},{"path":139,"title":138,"description":551,"date":552,"image":553,"authors":554,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Noosa's inside section turned on for the finless slider in April, 2012","2012-05-13 00:00",{"src":450,"alt":222},[555],{"name":308},{"path":23,"title":22,"description":557,"date":558,"image":559,"authors":560,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"The Seaglass Project Albacore is nearly here!!! The Albacore is such a terrific surfboard. I can’t believe they are on the way to public now. It has been nearly five years since I felt the board while surfing in my mind. I really hope many people enjoy them as much as my family, friends and I do.","2012-04-18 00:00",{"src":410,"alt":222},[561],{"name":308},{"path":39,"title":38,"description":563,"date":564,"image":565,"authors":566,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"This is my latest masterpiece, a look at how the albacores work, from underwater. Harrison and I tagged along with Tom on his latest trip down to Byron Bay. We met up with Nathan oldfield, who, at the time, was shooting Chris Del Moro. Chris tried the Albacore and got STOKED.","2012-04-13 00:00",{"src":511,"alt":222},[567],{"name":308},{"path":35,"title":34,"description":569,"date":570,"image":571,"authors":572,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Recently I've been riding a lot with our new team rider, Harrison Muscat, on the albacores. School is over for the teram, so we've been shredding non stop. We've been progressing an amazing amount, getting 360's and cutbacks on some real awesome tea-tree sliders.","2012-04-01 00:00",{"src":475,"alt":222},[573],{"name":308},{"path":143,"title":142,"description":575,"date":576,"image":577,"authors":578,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Check this out! This is love!!! For Sarah and Scott's wedding they had a custom Plankton Noserider made for the day. What a great wedding present - raising the bar for all those newly engaged out there! After a beautiful wedding ceremony they were off to beach to continue the happiest day.","2012-03-05 00:00",{"src":410,"alt":222},[579],{"name":308},{"path":151,"title":150,"description":581,"date":582,"image":583,"authors":584,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Finley was 5 years old when I was pushing him into tiny reforms on little alaia. I would watch him from behind and I could see his head going towards shore. One whitewash reformed into a wave with shape and I hoped he may angle across it. But, I just about had a heart attack as I saw the shadow of his head through the wave go so fast that I thought he would for sure get hurt.","2012-02-11 00:00",{"src":431,"alt":222},[585],{"name":308},{"path":131,"title":130,"description":587,"date":588,"image":589,"authors":590,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Check out this Article from a while ago published in the Pacific Longboarder Magazine on the evolution of the Seaglass Project. You can find it here.","2012-02-09 00:00",{"src":431,"alt":222},[591],{"name":308},{"path":79,"title":78,"description":593,"date":594,"image":595,"authors":596,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Seems like the whole world is in trouble and the doom and gloom about the economy continues. The only things that make me feel good are, in no order; surfing (naturally), a hard days work, beer (still), my family and my garden. That's all the important things I need.","2012-02-02 00:00",{"src":431,"alt":222},[597],{"name":308},{"path":31,"title":30,"description":599,"date":600,"image":601,"authors":602,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Check out this new video starring some local shredders, as well as the Wegener family-The Albacore is the bubbliest, most fun, simplest finless board in the world. It makes the thrill of finless surfing easy and user friendly.","2012-01-06 00:00",{"src":431,"alt":222},[603],{"name":308},{"path":91,"title":90,"description":605,"date":606,"image":607,"authors":608,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Tom with Italian visitor from Alaia Religion It was an Alaia Bonanza at the recent Green Day Out, held in conjunction with the Golden Days Festival at Coolum Beach!","2011-11-21 00:00",{"src":431,"alt":222},[609],{"name":308},{"path":75,"title":74,"description":611,"date":612,"image":613,"authors":614,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Filming begins with photograper Sally Haxton Our first day of filming a brand spanking new project with Sally Haxton - the Family Film.","2011-11-08 00:00",{"src":511,"alt":222},[615],{"name":308},{"path":215,"title":214,"description":617,"date":618,"image":619,"authors":620,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"1951 to 1971 vs. 1991 to 2011- Thoughts from the Byron Bay Surf Festival I recently spent the weekend at the Byron Bay Surf Festival with my son Finley and good friend Sandy Haynes. We piled up the van with a load of new wooden surfboards and alaias and hit the road south.","2011-10-30 00:00",{"src":511,"alt":222},[621],{"name":308},{"path":99,"title":98,"description":623,"date":624,"image":625,"authors":626,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Above Bowie drifts on the Tom Thumb Mini Simmons. The rail is a chined Vacuum rail with a thick fin foiled on both sides. In March, 2011, I started to make a line of foam boards with Noosa Longboards. The biggest challenge for me was the Mini Simmons.","2011-09-14 00:00",{"src":431,"alt":222},[627],{"name":308},{"path":211,"title":210,"description":629,"date":630,"image":631,"authors":632,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Enjoying the little wood belly board.","2011-08-30 00:00",{"src":511,"alt":222},[633],{"name":308},{"path":103,"title":102,"description":635,"date":636,"image":637,"authors":638,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"This is a video of Tom discussing his Model A longboard.","2011-08-24 00:00",{"src":450,"alt":222},[639],{"name":308},{"path":59,"title":58,"description":641,"date":642,"image":643,"authors":644,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"A quirky look at Tom and Finley Wegener goofing around in the Creation Plantation. We wanted to make a web TV show but burnt out after a few episodes. But, we had a great time doing it.","2011-08-18 00:00",{"src":417,"alt":222},[645],{"name":308},{"path":11,"title":10,"description":647,"date":648,"image":649,"authors":650,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"The Seaglass Project took out the Asturalian International Design Award. Here is the channel 10 story and a Tom's story of the development of the tuna","2011-07-26 00:00",{"src":424,"alt":222},[651],{"name":308},{"path":175,"title":174,"description":653,"date":654,"image":655,"authors":656,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"New bung system for the planktons","2011-07-14 00:00",{"src":417,"alt":222},[657],{"name":308},{"path":87,"title":86,"description":659,"date":660,"image":661,"authors":662,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Click through to watchthe first filmed session on my alaia number one. I could not believe how fast it went. It was a whole new world in surfing.","2011-06-19 00:00",{"src":417,"alt":222},[663],{"name":308},{"path":167,"title":166,"description":665,"date":666,"image":667,"authors":668,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"Suction + Tension = Hang Ten I cannot believe that I found my Suction + Tension article from 1998. It was transfered into three languages and read widely around the world. Click here to download.","1998-10-01 00:00",{"src":424,"alt":222},[669],{"name":308},{"path":671,"title":672,"description":673,"date":222,"image":-1,"authors":674,"youtube":-1,"body":-1},"\u002Fblog\u002Fmigration-smoke","Storyblok migration smoke","First article created via Management API. Public site is still Tina until Visual Editor is proven.",[],{"title":233,"archiveDescription":676,"archiveTitle":233,"ctaCardDescription":677,"ctaCardLinkLabel":678,"ctaCardTitle":679,"description":680,"navigation":681,"periodLine":682,"preFooterCtaLabel":683,"preFooterTitle":684,"wtcJournalLabel":685,"wtcJournalUrl":245,"sidebarIndexTitle":686,"sidebarIndexSubtitle":687,"sidebarIndexLinkLabel":688,"sidebarSingleTitle":689,"sidebarSingleSubtitle":690,"sidebarSingleLinkLabel":691},"Stories, updates, and notes from the workshop, 2011 to 2021.","This blog is closed to new posts as of 2026. For Tom's current writing — shaping notes, surf trips, and tool reviews — read on at the Wegener Tool Co. Journal.","Read the WTC Journal →","Looking for new articles?","Stories and updates from Tom Wegener Surfboards, 2011 to 2021. Newer articles on the WTC Journal.",{"label":233,"to":6,"icon":222,"order":234},"2011 to 2021","Shop WTC →","Shop surfboards, timber, and tools at Wegener Tool Co.","For new articles, visit the Wegener Tool Co. Journal","All posts","Blog home","View all posts →","Recent blog posts","From the archive","More →",1788402832342]