Board Shaper, Honey Maker

WORDS BY ANTHONY PANCIA / PHOTOS BY RUSSELL ORD

For someone with a deep obsession for all things surf, it’s slightly surprising it took so long for Gary Bennett to turn his hand to making surfboards.

Intricately designed and crafted, Gary’s timber surfboards look good on a wall, but perhaps more importantly, they work well in the water too.

The boards are the result of a collaboration with a respected shaper, Jim Banks and Gary’s business partner, David Paris.

“I’ve always loved the sculptural form of surfboards and I guess what really got me into having a crack at making one was my friendship with Jim Banks, who is a passionate woodworker and loves making guitars and all that sort of stuff out of wood,” says Gary.