Modern Boards For Every Break
Blending traditional craftsmanship with modern creativity, Surf by Blank has carved a niche in New Zealand's surf scene, offering high-performance boards and gear with a fresh twist.
The surf industry has evolved from a closeknit community to a more mainstream culture, driven by social media, online tutorials, and surf schools. This accessibility has attracted a more diverse audience than ever before, prompting brands to respond by either doubling down on their core identity or pivoting towards the broader lifestyle market.
Blank is a brand that bridges old and new, merging traditional surf craftsmanship and authenticity with the modern desires for creativity, adventure and self-expression. Blank provides quality hand-crafted boards and gear while also serving as a platform for individuality that appeals to both seasoned surfers and those just starting out.
Founder Jon Chapman-Smith grew up in Raglan but spent his holidays at the family bach in Omaha. Spending most summers on the East Coast, he explored the idea of creating a shorter, wider board to surf the often small and mellow waves of Northland’s beach breaks.
“At that time the alternative surfboard options were very limited,” he says. “Alt boards were just starting to be explored overseas but it was very difficult to find anything locally outside a 6'3" x 18” thruster.”
In 2013, Jon collaborated with a good friend and local shaper to create Blank’s first surfboard design, The Easy Rider, designed to offer small-wave fun for all skill levels. Another of Blank’s most popular models is the Rad Fish, a twin fin with a wide chest for float and a tight swallow tail for agile turns. It’s fast and perfect for the East Coast.
Long-time friend of Jon and Matakana local, Simon Brady, is the other half of Blank. A keen surfer himself, Simon gets as much pleasure pushing his kids into waves as he does riding them. “What I love about Blank is the way it fuses surfing and design,” Simon says. “The boards surf as good as they look, and are as much at home in a gallery or on the bach wall as they are in the ocean.”
Blank’s boards, plus a range of bespoke apparel, skateboards and accessories are available online, with a stunning polished olive mid-length surfboard on display at Green with Envy in Matakana this summer.
www.SurfByBlank.com | simon@SurfByBlank.com