Maurice Cole Surfboards
Maurice Cole - a history.
"The first time I encountered Maurice was surfing a place in Victoria I won’t name. I’d never seen him before, which surprised me as I watched. I always remember his style was really nice, he was a really natural sort of surfer. Someone with a natural gift, I mean – natural and relaxed.
Our friendship was a gradual process. I would see him around a bit more, just surfing, then he came by my house a couple of times. Then we went to Bali, and that was where I really got to surf with him. Bali at the time was a whole new frontier of surfing, great surf and totally uncrowded. It was a type of surfing wilderness, and that sort of surfing is a profound experience. You form a friendship from it in ways that you don’t form otherwise. That was a catalyst.
He genuinely cared about my well-being. He was always trying to help and support me. He understood that the gap between me and the surfing industry at large was quite profound; there was no way for either party, me or them, to understand each other. But he tried to bridge that gap for me on a number of occasions, to my respect and appreciation.
He was very genuine with his approach to shaping. I thought his surfboards, even very early, were very good. I used to borrow them and I remember thinking, Jeez, that’s fantastic! I think they were better than he realised."
- Wayne Lynch
It's about you, the surfer.
Surfing is a personal pursuit. We all have different paths into the ocean with different experiences and feelings, hopes and passions. But the differences don’t stop there - like anything in life, we are all surfers of varying abilities. Some of us prefer cruisy sessions with mates in easy waves, while others are happy to compete for surf. Some aren’t comfortable in big waves, while others thrive on challenging conditions. There is no right and wrong. No better or worse. There is virtue in all approaches and importantly, there’s room for everyone.
That’s what makes surfing so special.
It’s for this reason that I have taken such a personal perspective about the way I create surf equipment. For me, it’s about connecting with you on a range of levels to understand what you want from your boards - and it’s a process I thoroughly enjoy. Once I’ve tuned into your mindset, I set about creating a customised piece of equipment that will perform at its best. No matter what your standard, your age or the size of waves you’ll tackle.
As a shaper, nothing beats feedback that someone has just had a magical experience on a board you’ve created for them. This spurs me on to design surfboards that go faster, carve harder and showcase a continual evolution of performance virtues. Along the way, I’ve been pushing the boundaries of high-speed tow surfing, have worked closely with the world’s best surfers to feed their information back into the design process and have constantly strived to develop manufacturing credentials that are both sustainable and world’s best practice.
I’ve been tremendously fortunate to be a surfer and a surfboard designer at a fascinating time in the history of this unique surf culture. Over the last half century, I’ve had a wealth of experiences that have influenced innumerable shapes, ideas and visions and am proud to be able to share all this with the next generation of surfboard craftsmen. With this in mind, we have created The Surfer Designer Collective that provides the opportunity for me to personally mentor future designers.
The goal is to create a new, environmentally friendly Sustainable Surfboard manufacturing base – to draw on the latest technology to create longer lasting surfboards - and to allow me to pass on knowledge and experience that helps the shapers of tomorrow shape boards for you - the surfer.
