There are shapers and there are shapers.
Geoff McCoy was our local eminent, and world-recognised, master surfboard shaper. I call this gaggle of exclusive surfboard shapers a special and unique ‘guild’.
In other trades, they are known as ‘master craftsmen.’
For over a half a century, Geoff was known for his interesting and rare mix of shaped boards, which were produced for a conservative, and often critical, tribe of surfers.
Short board revival
To explain, some surfers who had quit surfing for decades, and put on 20 kilos over that time, would be frustrated around how to surf on a short board again.
Many quit altogether, or lost interest. Geoff made a whole new world of short boards, by increasing their volume mainly through thickness, so it could actually float. He kept the quality of the board and its responsiveness.
The more mature shortboard riders could find that on Geoff’s boards, they could operate and slide, and easily manoeuvre on waves again, much more evenly and frictionlessly.
This was his vision; a design that created a large ‘formerly recalcitrant’ pack of surfers getting back into the delights of surfing again.
Surfing Australia award
Surfing Australia gave him a special award for his creative and persistent contributions.
A testament to Geoff’s talents were all those who attended his paddle-out on Saturday, July 6.
A ‘guild’ of local shapers streamed out of the woodwork: Chris Brock, Brett Munro, Roy Meisel, Derek Hynd, George Greenough, Doug Unger, Gunther Rohn, and a swag of surfing’s industry workers.
Brockie and Derek both told me that one of Geoff’s remarkable creations was his surfboard rails work, and making thick-high floatation boards work perfectly, hanging onto steep wave curves.
Unique rails
Thick rails often tend to slip on waves.
Geoff’s boards don’t.
The waves of The Pass were an exceptional quality this day. Mother Nature was saluting with persistent surges of peeling waves, accommodating well over 100 wave riders.
And there were over 50 Geoff McCoy models slipping, sliding and fleeing upon the waves.
RIP Geoff McCoy.
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