After five years since the last edition, the 4th European Wooden Surfboard Meet 2024 was a success! On Friday 27 September and Saturday 28 September the fourth EWSM was held at Playa de Berria, Cantabria, Spain.
While many attendees know each other and communicate online, the event is always an excellent opportunity to meet people in person and appreciate eachother’s work in real life. The non-commercial, non-competitive gathering is a way to bring together artists, craftsmen and engineers whom work towards a more eco-conscious and sustainable surfboard making industry.
The event started on Friday evening, where we welcomed master shaper and legendary longboarder @tomwegenersurfboards . Tom Wegener was responible for the renaisance of the ancient alaia and helped popularize paulownia wood, one the most valuable timbers among wooden surfboard builders.
For Sergi, Flamacircular founder, was a very special moment, as he was first introoduced to the magic of paulownia wood when he met Tom Wegener in 2009 when he was touring Europe promoting his alaias. The flame that gave birth to Flama was inginited that day, and they kept their relationship ever since, but only virtually, and it took 15 years to meet again.
On Saturday all the attendees met at the beach park with all their crafts to put on display. It was a long day of a lot of talking, sharing and laughing. A day of pure fun and happiness.
Despite the event’s name and because the industry advanced over the last few of years, we could prove how eco-friendlier-surfboard makers are embracing new technologies and materials in their perpetual pursue of a more sustainable surf industry. Although wood remains as the most used material, flax, hemp, bioresins and 3D print are getting popular.
No wonder everyone was asking if there will be a new meet on 2025. For sure there should be one, and perhaps we could even give it a new push, 15 years after the first Wooden Meet was organized by Grant Newby in the Gold Coast, Australia. It’s time to demonstrate to the surfing world that there are many ways to have a more sustainable industry, and that if it’s not happening it is not because a lack of alternatives.
