Utopia Surf Factory

The culmination of a passion project.

In the months leading up to this trip it wasn’t only the van conversion which took up our time, an entirely different project was underway too. Wrestling for our focus throughout was the wooden surfboard taking shape behind the scenes. A project that started as a vague experiment and slowly gained momentum until it’s completion almost jeopardised that of the van.

We worked on it sporadically over the course of almost a year. A spare evening here or weekend there stolen from the van and gifted over to the surfboard instead. With no prior knowledge and only YouTube and Instagram as guides our progress was slow. Everything was done from scratch. Wood was milled and templates cut, glue and sandpaper vanishing too as we worked our way up and over a very steep learning curve. Ultimately it was the dream of gliding through water on a vessel created by hand that drove the progress, that and our usual stubborn determination.

The board joined our transition out of our old lives and into the new. It was one of the final projects to take place in our Peckham workshop before we gave up the space. After that it moved temporarily to our bedroom until we gave that up too. When we moved out of London it sat beside the van in Hastings like a symbol of divided intentions. On departure day the unfinished board was optimistically packed onto the roof of the finished van where it stayed for 2 months, accompanying us around Europe and Scandinavia like a heavy totem of our trip.

Despite this the dream of riding the board never went away. We contacted various shapers on our travels hoping to borrow some knowledge and facilities, so close but so still so far. Then in Mimizan destiny took over. Eleven months and three thousand miles since starting the project Dave Kingdon of Utopia Surf Factory agreed to help finish it. Seeing the board in the shapers bay was a euphoric moment, the fluorescent lights lit up the grain lines and emanated renewed excitement of a project nearing completion.

We spent 4 days with Dave soaking up every piece of wisdom he was kind enough to impart. Techniques and processes only ever witnessed in film were now unfolding before our eyes. Our hands carved lines in wood while our minds carved arcs through water. Rails and concaves were etched from the bulk and we gazed as the fine sawdust settled all around us, each pass of sandpaper slowly bringing the vessel to life.

Then, with one final inspection from our mentor it was over and done. The elation and excitement prevailed but they hid the echo of reluctance, part of us didn't want to let go of another long-term project.

Living in London this surfboard came to represent a meaningful engagement with the pursuit of surf. With no waves the project became the closest we could get to the water. It’s very existence became a proud and comforting one, a place to redirect our energy when longing to surf was futile. Now complete it acts as a physical reminder of our passion to create. It floats, better yet it surfs. But perhaps more important than either is the sense of pride it delivers - a real, rideable board made entirely by hand. With luck it will last a lifetime, waves ridden and memories created. But if not nevermind - it has already served it’s purpose. As with so many things the outcome feels less important now than the process and the memories from along the way.