Meet Chris

Chris is the junior member of the team here (although he’s a quarter of a century old, so only a touch younger than the average age here).  He joined us last year for a week’s work placement from Falmouth University where he is studying for a degree in Contemporary Crafts, and his impressive work ethic, eagerness to learn, and clear obsession with surfing left a strong impression on us.  As word has spread about our surfboards and workshop courses, it has sometimes been necessary to call upon an extra pair of hands to help with turning rough planks of timber into the deck skins, bottom skins and rail strips for surfboards – and so we would give Chris a call.

These days Chris is spending more and more time with us, which is just the way we like it.  He often rides his bike in to work from his home in Falmouth on the south coast fourteen miles away, following the coast to coast cycle trail that comes out at the bottom of the hill below our workshop, or drives across early in the morning so that he can surf before and after work and quite often during our lunch breaks also.  He rides all manner of surfboards and moves between the different surfboards in the Otter range with ease, here getting in to a wave nice and early on the 9’6″ Pier and hooking a nice turn off the top, getting a fair amount of fresh air under the nose.

Outside of his practical efforts here in our workshop, Chris is super productive with the rest of his time.  His degree projects include an impressive bronze mapscape sculpture showing in relief the topographical and bathymetrical contours of the Fal river valley, which was exhibited at the National Trust’s Trelissick Gardens last month, and a range of small tin sailing and fishing boats which are sold in craft galleries around Cornwall.  You can see his work over on his blog.  Should you happen to visit us at the workshop whilst Chris is in working, he can usually be relied upon for an accurate “eyeball” surf report and a good cup of tea.  Welcome to the team Chris!