My passion with water started as a child when I swam competitively for local Edinburgh swimming clubs.  A swimming friend then introduced me to surfing and took me to Dunbar on the east coast of Edinburgh.  At first I watched, but it looked like it was so much fun.  So, the week after I was in the sea giving it a go, and from that first day I was hooked on surfing.

As a surfer I started fixing my own board, and as I got better, more and more friends started asking me to fix theirs too. Having gained experience of fixing surfboards, I was curious if I could make one, and 12 years ago I made my first one.  I still have this surfboard that was made in my garden hut, and it reminds me of the journey I have undertaken to have my own custom handmade surfboard business.   Through word of mouth initially, more orders started to accumulate, so I then decided to start my own business.  I outgrew the garden hut, and it took nearly 2 years to find the perfect workshop, and the wait has been worthwhile.  The location of my workshop is in the grounds of Newbattle Abbey College in Midlothian, with such an idyllic location I'm able to tap into my creative inspiration.  Finding this workshop 3 years ago has allowed me to focus on making the business grow.

As a self-taught surfboard maker I've had to learn how to design, shape, and glass surfboards.  As a logical thinker this has been a challenge that I have thrived on, and continue to learn with each surfboard I make.  As an experienced surfer I strongly believe that it is important to match the needs and abilities of each surfer and tailor make their surfboards to suit. Therefore, before any surfboard is made, a personal consultation is done, which you don't get when you order a pre-made one off the shelf.  As every surfboard I make is custom designed and hand made, each one is unique.   

Making surfboards isn't a full time job as the market in Scotland isn't big enough.  I do it more out of love and enjoy the challenge in making new designs and experiment with different types of resin art on the surfboards.  As a surfer of asymmetric surfboards, I enjoy explaining the different surfing experience and raising awareness of these designs.  I've also been dabbling in a bit of resin art with the surplus resin used when making boards.  I am enjoying this creative journey, and I look forward to where it takes me.  It's funny, you get asked at school "what do you want to do when your older?" and I didn't have a clue. But surfing has 'shaped' my life to where I am now.