Yesterday – An exhibition at V.S.T.R Byron Bay

Posted in: Art, News, Projects, Surfboard, surfing, Wooden Surfboards & Alias by Richard Harvey on December 21, 2012 | No Comments

John Mantle, Rusty Miller and Richard Harvey, three directions, one passion, surfing. Through the golden era of the 60’s and 70’s, they shaped, photographed and painted to record their lifestyle through a special time. Yesterday is an exhibition celebrating their different directions. Rusty’s photography, capturing the moods of the 1960’s and 70’s in Hawaii and Australia and now his images are morphed into Turning Point, Rusty’s first book. John has been a part of the surfboard manufacturing industry world wide, working with many notable shapers and surfers and is now focusing his energies on classic Hawaiian timber surfboards and single fins. Richard has a small studio on the Gold Coast and spends his time shaping, painting and teaching the lost art of handcrafting surfboards. We are sure you will enjoy the work of these three surfers who truly lived the golden era that was Yesterday. The evening was opened by the inimitable Dave Rastovitch. 

Photo Jeff Dawson

Many thanks to Harry Henderson and the guys at V.S.T.R for their help with setting up the exhibition, much appreciated.

A Hot Curl timber surfboard

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Came across this beautiful piece of Silky Oak timber early this month. It was cut and milled in North Queensland  by Don Taylor from a 100 year old tree and has been curing after that for about 30 years. Absolutely amazing grain, with the golden colour finally revealed after it was finished. The board that I shaped from this solid piece was a 7’10″ x 19″ x 2″ solid Hot Curl timber surfboard replica. It has a slight concave deck, rolled bottom running into a deep tail vee. The Hot Curl surfboard, developed around the mid 1930′s, was named because the board allowed the surfer to maneouver into the ‘curl’ of the wave.

These are the process photos.

Steve securing the valuable cargo

What Have I go myself into, only an hour and a half to go, wonder how the elbow will feel in the morning.

One side of the planshape cut.

Lots of brown dust.

Beautiful grain of the Silky Oak

Rough shaped

The finished product

 Think that it could be displayed with the off cut, still working on how.

The board is for sale and can be viewed at my studio. POA

New me

Posted in: Fish, Harvey, model, News, Surfboard by Richard Harvey on August 8, 2012 | No Comments

Put a bit of weight on over the last few years, seems like as you get older the metabolism slows down, so the fat doesn’t get burnt off.

Went on a special program over 6 weeks and took off around 20 kgs. Now down to my recommended weight of 76 kgs.

Feeling like a million dollars even if I don’t have anywhere near that in the bank.

Looking forward to getting back on some smaller boards over summer.

Still have my nice noserider and a new 9’5″ double ender pintail single fin, as well as a 7’6 round pintail board I built for myself before the weight started to stack on which I haven’t ridden.

Now all we need is some waves. In the meantime some of the boards I have built in the last week or so.

The Big Skipper is an easy paddling longer fish, hand laminated timber veneer fins, blue tint top and bottom, mustard pinlines.

Very pretty board.

Wooden Surfboard Day at Currumbin

Posted in: Art, News, Surfboard, Wooden Surfboards & Alias by Richard Harvey on | No Comments

Grant Newby has been organizing both the Fish Fry and the Wooden Surfboard Day for a few years now.

This year there were boards coming from a wood working angle and boards from shapers and everything in between.

My favorites were a beautiful board from Paul Joske, built from a paulownia tree that he planted the seed about 10 years ago and a Hot Curl replica, shaped by Old mate John Mantle, built from the beer vats of the old demolished Reschs Brewery in Sydney

Also had a few of my boards and art pieces on show.

Decided to take some boards that were a combination of timber work added to foam.

Great day, great event.

Skippy goes to Israel

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A surfer from Israel, wanted to take home a reminder of his trip to the Land Down Under.

Some new books

Posted in: News by Richard Harvey on June 24, 2012 | No Comments

Over the last few months I have been putting some of my photos into book form.

As well as some shop copies of “Spirit of Adventure” now in, I have Burleigh Heads, Photos and Paintings, a 40 page collection of historic photos, 70′s and recent mixed with some of my Burleigh Heads art. Signed and numbered (1/20).

Also, for those that know that I have been a robot collector for a few years now I have compiled a book of my robot collection. Same deal Signed  and numbered (1/20).

The next one is a skaters book.  ”The Deep End”. Using photos taken of a pool session in Ventura California in 1975, this 40 page, thick paper version has amazing images from before the advent of knee pads, helmets, just the pure skate essence.

For the History collector, I have found about 5 copies of my first  effort Surfing History of Queensland.

Single Fin

Posted in: Harvey, News, Surfboard by Richard Harvey on April 1, 2012 | No Comments

Nice diamond tail single fin, soft minty green tint on bottom and fabric deck insert with matching fin. All finish coated and polished. Lots of retro fun.

The Deep End

Posted in: Harvey, News by Richard Harvey on March 31, 2012 | No Comments

THE DEEP END – A Skateboarding Exhibition 

A collaboration with the launching of “Seventyseven”, a new company producing handcrafted custom skatedecks, Photographs from a Pool Session in Ventura, California 1975 by Richard Harvey and Skate Art by Jarro Dartnell.

Friday 13th April, doors open at 5 pm and Saturday 14th April from 9.30 am.

Harvey Surf Gallery, 10 Pacific Ave Miami, Gold Coast

Andy Cooper, creator of Seventyseven says he discovered Skateboarding in the Summer of 1977. A year in which the sport took a quantum leap when the “Z Boys”, riding empty swimming pools started to leave the coping and gave birth to the aerial manoeuvre that would in time revolutionize the sport, and influence both surfing and snowboarding.

Seventyseven is producing skatedecks that carry a sense of pride and a style that is unique and evolving. “We want our customers to have the freedom to design for themselves their own unique rides by choosing from a range of shapes, colours and styles. Our skatedecks are rideable works of art and our brand is a point of difference in the Skateboarding spectrum.”

“Ride Different”

Micro Mal

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A while ago someone came into the studio and was saying it would be good if he could get one board that did everything. After a bit of design planning I came up with this Micro Mal. It is a condensed longboard with nose concave combined with a pintail flyer for grip and performance, light twin concave vee throw the wide board up on the rail for shorter turns off the tail.

Fin combinations are pretty varied, single for more glide then increase the side fin size and reduce the centre back fin for turning.  Twin fins, thrusters and an extra set of plugs can be added to a custom order to make it a quad. This one has a bit of everything. So you can have “that fruit salad surfing feeling”.

Dont ride it too big as it already has width for stability and fuller rails for added buoyancy. This one is 6’5″ x 22″ x 2 3/4″

Lime Green tint on bottom and rails, multi coloured resin deck panel, finish coated and polished. All you have to do is choose your fin combo (fins extra) $890 Available in the studio now.

Alaia Project

Posted in: Alaia, News by Richard Harvey on January 18, 2012 | No Comments

It didn’t take long for one surfer to take advantage of the new Alaia blanks in stock. As part of the Surfboard Shapers Workshop he shaped his own in around 5 hours complete with logo, ready to surf.

For more about shaping your own Alaia check out www.surfboardshapersworkshop.com