Tom Wegener wins international design award for the Seaglass Project
In late June, Tom Wegener won the Australian International Design Award for the Seaglass Project. Wegener, who was SURFER Magazine's 2009 shaper of the year, collaborated with Global Surf Industries to create the Seaglass Project, an epoxy EPS version of the traditional Hawaiian alaia.
Anyone who's ever heard Tom speak will know he is incredibly enthusiastic about design, especially finless design. The Seaglass Project represents a merging of traditional finless design with modern construction materials. I had a chat to him about the award, what he learnt in the design process, and what the future has in store. This is a small part of that conversation.
Congratulations on the design award Tom. Thanks. There was a lot of effort that went into it. You know, it was hard on the family and everything. To get the award at the end makes it worthwhile.
Your entry, the Seaglass Project, was up against a variety of entries from outside the surf world. What criteria did they use to judge? Well there's five criteria: form, function, safety, quality and sustainability. I think they were pretty impressed that it clearly works and that it is very safe with the round nose and no fins.
What do you know about the judges? Does it look like any of them surf? I'm looking at the booklet, it has a list of the judges, and they don't appear to be surfers...here's one of the guys: Harald Leske, a former head of Advanced Design at Mercerdes Benz. And here is another one: John Barrett, President and CEO of Teague - a big cosmetic line. John Brown, CEO and Design Director of Transport Design International...
It's a line-up full of movers and shakers. Yeah, they're not surfers but all of them are pretty high-falootin' people who know a bit about design. There's a lot of PhD's behind everybody's name.
Back to the the Seaglass Project: what did you learn from working with epoxy and fibreglass? That EPS foam has a really good bounce to it. Where regular surfboard foam doesn't have that bounce. I think that's why your boards age. I can see why the pros like Slater will use a board for a couple of heats and grab another one. Because once it loses it's flex you can really feel it, and the board sort of dies under your feet.
I shaped with EPS foam from 1985 to 87 and I loved it back then because of the bounce. But it didn't really transfer over to the modern thruster. It took a long time. But I always knew in the back of my mind how good EPS foam was for the feel. And then when I spoke to the guys at GSI – I see them every year at Noosa - about the materials, they said they had EPS foam that doesn't suck up saltwater. They can compress the beads so hard that it doesn't suck up saltwater. And I said 'you beauty!' because that's always been the big problem with EPS foam - you get a ding and it fills up with water.
Let's compare it to wood Tom. What adjustments did you have to make from wood to epoxy? It was a big transition. At first I was just using EPS foam and not glassing it. The first design challenge was to get the right size. I was surprised that 5'3 was a really good length for that board even though I was making longer alaias. But 5'3 seemed to be the right buoyancy, and once I got the buoyancy that I wanted – which is kind of funny, but it's really important - then I got the shape that I wanted.
After that it was a matter of going to GSI and asking 'how are we gonna put the cloth on?', 'how are gonna put the stringers in?', 'how are gonna put this together so it'll still flex and pop without breaking?' And we went through so many variations...jeez, it just went forever.
Would I be right in saying there's much more concave in the Seaglass than your standard wooden alaias? Yeah, there sure is. It pretty much compensates for the lesser amount of flex. The alaia clearly flexes a lot more and that deeper concave holds the board in. Especially on a flat shoulder it'll really keep the board going in a straight direction where otherwise you'd just be spinning. And then the other thing I've learnt since shaping the boards is how important the top of the rail is.
How so? With an alaia you have that tiny edge but with the Seaglass I realised you cant have a rounded rail on the top of the board or it will just spin sideways. You actually have to have that boogie board-type rail edge along the top of the rail. So it took a long time to discover and work that in.
Where are you taking finless design from here? Is there any new territory that you want to explore? Umm...not really.
Sorry to put you on the spot. No, that's alright. I've been dealing with the Seaglass board and there's also another board coming out that we've made the protypes for. It's a soft bellyboard version of the Seaglass. It's a soft board. It's like a Seaglass made out of boogie board material but because it flexes a bit more it rides and feels more like an alaia.
Comments
for the last 4 years I have had the pleasure of riding a 6'2 seaglass tuna model , unfortunately I have snapped both of them . just a week ago the 2nd snapped , im pretty sure that this model made by gsi industries is now extinct and theres none left to find to buy . have been in touch with tom Wegener as he has sponsored both of those snapped boards for me thankfully . now im without this very good part of my quiver , this board would make fun of small clean waves that go un noticed by normal finned surfers . what to do ? does anybody know who makes foam finless boards ? I have seen some on clips at times on the net but of course nothing beats a swellnet forum . I don't want wooden alaia becos they are too thin and don't paddle well , its foam and glass that im after . anybody knowledgable in this department ?
Mark rabbidge does finless
https://www.markrabbidge.com/
Try Grant Newby, he's from the Gold Coast and makes many interesting boards
https://surfboardsbygrantnewby.blogspot.com.au/
Thank you . Will investigate ..
Very interesting craftsmen these guys . Thanks for the link
You can bid on this one Camel: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Tom-Wegner-Seaglass-Project-Tuna-Finless-Surfboard-62-Retro-Alaia-/171720603135?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item27fb5875ff
You could also try and get in contact with Mark Kelly who owns GSI. Fella swings by the forums here occassionally.
$209 buy now ......grab that Caml.
Camel doesn't want to pay for it udo,:-D, and that is probably why Wegner is not forthcoming with a custom one.
Udo & stu i probably would try buy that but my intelligence levels to low to work out ebay purchasing stuff . That board would get me thru but i think i really want a stronger & more volume one . The seaglass things are so fucn light & prone to snapping . Eps foam / stringerless @ 17 " wide )
Caml get Roger M or Sam Smith to make you one with 6x6x6 glassing .
Hey udo thats what im thinking , a custom . Have been asking tom w for over a year but that doesnt seem to be gonna happen . You know it might work having roger or sam make one but it might not becos those guys dont ride finless . Im really after somthing really good thats better than a seaglass tuna model . If thats possible
Got in touch with jamie from gsi and he said theres none left in stock its been about 8-12 months since he seen one . Guess that mark kelly wouldnt be able to do anyrhing aswell .
Caml, what about Ryan Birch.
Yeah he could be the sort of guy to make a special craft but where is he ? I would certainly like him to make me a finned board too
In Aust now.
Jeez you would think a guy who won an award for a board could at least build a custom board a couple of years later, what's with that.
@kellyslater yeah i have been asking tom numerous times for a few yrs and then more times in the last year . It seems like hes busy doing a phd & isnt making boards . But that was what i want , a seaglass version just a bit more volume than the 26 litres and bit stronger / heavier . That be my first choice but if that cant happen then i would go for something to fill the gap in quiver for long / soft waves
How do we find ryan burch then ?
Hey Caml,
Contact Cyrus Sutton (cyrus@cyrussutton.com). He's good mates with Ryan, should have contact details.
Thanks stu , i emailed him . Might be onto sumthing here
Good stuff Camel. Cyrus is a good guy too. Lemme know how you go.
Stu no reply yet . Oh well the swells been up and board with fins has been working so for now no probs .
hey caml do you want me to chat to Ryan or and Cyrus..been doing abit of work with them in SoCal........would cost you though, as the are both pretty hard to get a hold of and have full order books..especially Ryan.....?
Mc thanks , no need for now . Tom w maybe coming to party ! Hes responding to the idea of a custom idea
mas wong cam,maybe u could shape one yourself ?i think u got the mind,eye n touch to be a great shaper.i still got the penguin u shaped.it goes well for a shorty.like it better as a single fin.i let Dee ride it n he so wanted to buy it off me.
got to take ur hat off 2guys like MP and Lopez dominating on their own eguiptment!
Caml, Carl Ekstrom Hydrodynamica , different looking finless board.
Yes udo i really like his stuff . Big fan of assymetrics . Tom wegener told me he will make a new custom for me in near future . One of the hurdles is finding a laminator of epoxy resin in the noosa or qld or nearby area . We want make it flexible . i maybe able to shape but tom has more knowledge about alaias than i . Not to mention starting to shape again is a ' can o worms ' . Living out of an old car in remote areas i will end up with a bed full of fibre dust & resin fumes , health probs etc etc . If i had the set up probably would be a mad scientist shaper & wierd board creator . Thanks for the kind words of encouragment Daz
Anybody know of a resin master in the noosa area who might resin fibre glass a foam alaia with epoxy & 45 © cloth (diagonal weave) ?
Caml not on Sunny Coast but try DMS at Currumbin.
"Living out of an old car in remote areas"
Thee old car must have good internet Caml;)
Youd be impressed with telstras coverage wellyman . Udo does dms do epoxy ? Sounds good seeing he makes boards for mate joske whos one of my best surf buddys
Yeh they do epoxy glassing ...carbon, carbon wrap.
hey caml , perhaps you need to sort a Sponsorship with Telstra , now that they might be you biggest expense of late . Does a spot being downhill from one location factor in to whether you switch locations to surf ? i know i use to only travel down wind when making fuel budgets stretch in desert regions .
Seriously though it would make a good advertisement for Telstra you blogging direct from your car on the edge of a coastal cliff in a remote region .
Not sure the locals would be keen though ! ;-)