Wooden Honeycomb Surfboard – Taking board making to the next level

Surfboard making of the foam variety is one of those arts that really appeals to a select few. Most surf fanatics tend to live in coastal areas, and at that, the largest concentrations are those in favorable climates. But there’s something about wooden surfboard making that seems to extend beyond this population, impressing people by the sheer beauty and craftsmanship of the art.

These wooden boards are most often hollow constructions with an internal spine-and-rib-like framework. Carefully milled and planed wood planks are layered and shaped into the elegant curves that are typically carved from foam blocks on conventional boards. Depending on the material, the finished product is then laminated, or not.

There are some amazing artists making these wooden boards – check out Danny Hess and Grain Surfboards for two examples that you can find and purchase. But New Zealand computer engineer post grad Mike Grobelny has stepped the game up with his latest project, a CAD designed, CNC-routered honeycomb surfboard. This takes things to an awesome new level.

With a workshop that would make almost anyone envious, Mike graciously captured the entire build process in time lapse, from digital all the way to first-person view of the board in action.

Hard to not get inspired by footage like this. And remember, you can never have too many clamps.