All Together Now

10 . 09 . 16

Having somebody join us from overseas for a workshop week to make their own wooden surfboard is not uncommon, but having a completely international group of workshoppers join us for our most recent workshop has been a first. As August transitioned into September we were joined by Larry (French, of American descent, who lives and works in London), Marc (from Switzerland) and Henrik (from Sweden but living and working in London), a wonderful group who were a real pleasure to spend time with over the course of the week. Whilst all of them come from different countries, all three shared common passions and interests, and Larry and Henrik were actually linked through work but didn’t realise it until they asked each other what they did on Monday morning.

These common passions and interests made for some great conversations over the course of the week and a lot of swapping of recommendations for travel and surf destinations, books, films and music. Whilst the greatest take-home from five days in our workshop is without question the sense of achievement and the tactile trophy of a beautiful surfboard made with one’s own two hands, the subtle and not so immediately obvious benefits from a week spent with interesting folk are often the little things: the potential for a new favourite book, an introduction to a new piece of music, or the seed for a future surf-trip of a lifetime.

This is why we cherish our growing community of workshoppers so much, and why we try to create regular opportunities for them to meet each other and connect over their common experience of having made a wooden surfboard with us; inevitably they will have other things to talk about, and who knows what will come of those conversations?

In a week’s time we’ll be gathering as many of our former workshoppers as possible together again for our 2016 Annual Gathering of Makers (which everyone who has ever shaped their own surfboard with us is invited to every year). We’re looking forward to catching up with old friends, sharing new stories, and perhaps even thanking them for that one piece of advice or that recommendation that may have had a positive impact since we last saw them.