Tom Wegener: designer/shaper (PhD Surf Culture)
No one chooses to become a surfboard shaper. You certainly don't choose it for the money or fame. Tom has dreamt of surfboards since a very young age and continues to do so. With an intense interest in surfboard history, he has delved into every type of surfboard design across the decades (and centuries). In 1985, Tom moved to San Diego, California and became immersed in the resurgence of longboarding. Tom became a Team Rider for Donald Takayama and was introduced to Donald’s world of surf culture. Although he learned much from Donald’s surfboards, it was Donald’s personality, generosity, charisma, aloha and worldview which mostly influenced Tom.Donald instilled values which had surfing at the centre of very rich social life.
Paul Hutchinson: shaper
Paul Hutchinson is a true legend of the Australian board shaping community and has been shaping and manufacturing surfboards since 1967, when he was aged just 15. Since that time his career has moved from strength to strength. Paul famously shaped all of Steve Cooney’s boards during the filming of the early 70s Australian cult classic Morning of the Earth, and can be seen in the iconic “chillum” scene in Uluwatu cave. Paul moved his operations to the Byron Bay area in 1985, and began shaping under the North Coast Surfboards label in 1990.
Since that time has applied his skills at numerous specialist board labels, including Bear Surfboards and NoBrand, and in 1999 he secured the license to shape for ‘Hawaii Pro Designs - Surfboards by Donald Takayama’. Paul shaped both of Beau Young’s title winning boards in 2000 and 2003. In 2007 Paul co-founded Vouch, which is produced out of North Coast Surfboards’ studio in Byron Bay, and has been shaping for Noosa Longboards since the mid 2000s. Paul is a genuine master craftsmen and we are honoured to work with him to produce our much-loved artisan surfboards.
