Overview
Mike St John reflects on a lifelong connection to surfing culture, craftsmanship, and community, tracing his journey from childhood in Tamarama to becoming a respected surfboard shaper in Noosa. He describes his early introduction to surfing on heavy plywood and balsa boards, informal apprenticeships with craftsmen such as Billy Wallace and later work with influential shapers including Greg McDonagh and Midget Farrelly. After national service and time in Vietnam, St John relocated to Noosa in 1969, drawn by its quiet lifestyle and surf.
St John recounts life in the Woods campground, the early surf scene, and the tight-knit community that shaped Noosa’s identity in the 1970s. He documents the rapid cultural and environmental changes brought by development pressure, tourism growth, and increasing tension between locals, newcomers, police, and government policy. His contributions to the region centre on decades of surfboard design and innovation—establishing Jam Surfboards, Shotgun Surfboards, and Laguna Bay Longboards, mentoring younger craftsmen, and producing boards for elite surfers including world champions.
He also discusses shifts in surfing style, the evolution of longboard and shortboard design, and the rise of stand up paddleboarding in Noosa. St John concludes by emphasising Noosa’s unique surf culture, the impacts of crowding, and his commitment to creating well crafted boards that enhance surfers’ experiences.
