Today, I got to sit down for a chat with a surfing legend : Tom Wegener. I can't find the words to describe Tom that do him justice. He is just the most enthusiastic, joyous and exciting person to talk to. For the few unfamiliar among us, Tom Wegener is a surfer, filmmaker, actor, author, master shaper and an academic. In fact, he has collected so much wisdom on surfing and shaping over the years, he was recently awarded with a PhD on the sustainability of the surfboard industry. In this episode we get to know Tom a bit better and discuss his PhD, the discoveries he made and the sheer Aloha spirit.
Today, I got to sit down for a chat with a surfing legend : Tom Wegener. I can't find the words to describe Tom that do him justice. He is just the most enthusiastic, joyous and exciting person to talk to.
For the few unfamiliar among us, Tom Wegener is a surfer, filmmaker, actor, author, master shaper and an academic. In fact, he has collected so much wisdom on surfing and shaping over the years, he was recently awarded with a PhD on the sustainability of the surfboard industry. His thesis "Globalisation and the Sustainability of Small Manufacturers: Challenges Facing the Surfboard Artisans of Australia" was published last week and is an amazing read towards understanding what it takes to be an artisan surfboard maker in today's globalized economy.
Tom is recognized all around the world as a master surfboard shaper, one of the best, in fact. He is specialized in shaping the greenest boards on earth. His boards have been lauded by surfing geniuses such as Rob Machado and Dave Rastovitch.
In this conversation, we discuss Tom's tremendous experience in surfing and in shaping. We talk about how his passion for surf archeology and the discovery of Paulownia wood helped him develop some of the grooviest surfboards on the planet.
Tom explains how and why he shares his knowledge around the world, teaching other aspiring shapers to make sustainable boards with very basic raw materials.
This brings us to Tom's thesis on how artisan craftsmen, in particular the artisan shapers almost disappeared off the face of the earth in favor of mass produced boards, and you'll be surprised to find out how this industry resisted.
You can download Tom Wegener's thesis here: http://research.usc.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/usc:28442 which was inspired by the book Surboard Artisans, for the Love.
Finally, we talk about the currency of time: how chasing money isn't as interesting or fun as the concept of free time.
If there's anything to take from this conversation, it's you can make a surfboard! So get out there, and start using your hands! If you need any guidance, Tom organises a wonderful surf stay with his wife Margie. Learn to make your own surfboard and have a great time with the Wegeners in the process.
It was an absolute delight and honor to spend an hour with Tom. I love everything about this exchange. I hope you do too.
Links
To get hold of Tom, you can connect to his website www.tomwegenersurfboards.com or follow him on Instagram @tomwegenersurfboards. You can also find him on Facebook. There is also an illustrated article on medium.com with links to some crazy videos.
Thank you Tom for being such an amazing guest!
Until next time, take care, have fun and enjoy the waves.
Ciao
Imi
About the Oceanriders Podcast
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