Local Heroes Podcast

In this episode Benny sits down with Surfboard Artisan Tom Wegener to discuss his unique board manufacturing methods. TOM WEGENER IS ARGUABLY THE MOST CUTTING EDGE SHAPER IN THE WORLD. He started the alaia revolution in 2005 and was named Surfboard Shaper of the Year in 2009 for this. In 2016, Tom developed a way to incorporate flex through paulownia and cork woods into his finless boards to create the next level of finless surfing. Tom was a key inspiration for the wood board movement. In 2001 he discovered that paulownia is the best wood for surfboards because of its highly unusual property of not sucking up salt water. In 2003 Tom stopped making foam surfboards and turned only to paulownia wood and made over 300 hollow wood finned surfboards. (Also, the alaia revolution was possible because Tom’s work with paulownia). Tom is most proud of his green factory which has no toxic chemicals and almost no waste. In 2011, Tom was awarded the Sunshine Coast “Smart Business Award” for his environmentally fr