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The Two Robbies

Monday, April 22, 2013

We had a great visitor a few weeks back - Robin Kegel. He turned our factory upside down with his wild enthusiasm! We just love the guy!

Robbie is 'Gato Heroi' or Cat Worship!! Funky name from a Punky guy. He shapes radical re-do's of past eras, and rides them with 240 volts of life in him. He was the prime guy in the pigment/tint/wash/dip/splatter/ free lap/ revolution in glassing the past 5 years, out of his skunkworks in Newport California. Robbie stoked me no end that he was now living in France, in the attic in the incredible Barland factory near Guethery in France. Guethery is one of my favourite breaks in the whole world, and Kegel is now living there! It's an amphitheatre of old castles and classic buildings that stagger down the hills to the most elegant big peak on the planet.

Robbie marched around the factory with his credit card in his hand, yelling 'Grab it now, as I've got money right now! I may not shortly.' He ordered two boards, a 9 foot Plastic Machine like I took to Hawaii with Nat in late 67 - 'Just make it as rad as you like, I don't care how hard it is to ride. I just want to draw the longest biggest banked arc on the Guethery peak!'

The other is a reproduction of Nat's Magic Sam, his 1966 World Title winning board. 'I want full-on boat rails… just pull 'em up as much as you like!'

Robbie''s enthusiasm for the film 'Hot Generation' was also a real stoker 'You guys were true surf punks in those days. You just blew the established surf world apart! So Cool!' he dribbled. How can we not get super excited about making a couple of boards for Mr. Robbie Gato Heroi Kegel!!!

Stoked!

Bob


The two Robins - Photo Jack Belli


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Leopard time

Friday, April 12, 2013
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UFO name change

Tuesday, April 09, 2013

A few people have been calling in a panic this week asking 'what happened to the UFO??!!' - well its just had a name change so all is good. We had to re-name the board, and we decided on Vuelo - Spanish for flight. There has been no change to the board itself - only the name, so you can still find the board info here - and we'll have fresh stock online soon. In the meantime we're clearing out all the older UFO models - there are 6 left and they're currently on sale here.

BW



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Milky Joe

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Roisin sent us a few photos this week of her breaking in her new UFO which she's christened 'Milky Joe'. Thanks to Rupert Goodall for the photos.

BW

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Collectors Involvement for sale

Monday, March 11, 2013

A few years back we made a run of collectors Involvement boards, to celebrate the launch of this new model. The board was an exact replica of Bobs original board from '66 and only 6 were made. All were sold out before production so we've not had one available since. Now number 6 of 6 has come back on the market, and is available now for $2100. It is immaculate and unridden. Please email us at sales@mctavish.com.au if you're keen on this board, it really is a collectors item.

BW

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Wispin at the Pass

Friday, March 08, 2013

Big thanks to local photographer Ming Nomchong for these photos of Wispy at the Pass a few weeks back. That's a 9'6" Noserider he's styling on.

BW





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Mexi finale

Thursday, March 07, 2013

Came out a treat!

BW



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BBSF Highlights Video

Wednesday, March 06, 2013
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Deus night

Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Last Friday night us McTavish guys held a Bob McTavish night at the amazing Deus ex Machina shop located in inner-city Camperdown, Sydney. It was a sit-down three-course dinner for 130 punters in the great restaurant, with great beer from Stone and Wood here in Byron.

Getting me there from Telos Islands was a two-day epic involving open-ocean bash and dash, a long drive around Nias Island, then three flights all delayed by tropical storms. Everyone involved in organising was biting fingernails. Would I make it in time? I cleared customs at 7:10. Arrived at Deus at 7:33. Starting time!!

After Dare Jennings (the brain behind Mambo thirty years ago, and now Deus chief) did a brief opening, he introduced the spectacular surprise guest: none other then the amazing H G Nelson! H G did an amazing fantasy surfing piece in which Rampaging Roy Slaven and I compete in a do-or-die surf out at the Kiama Blowhole. He had the place in stitches, and my nerves started to blow out. How the hell do I follow and act like that? 

All I could do was what we'd prepared. I got up on a wooden chest so the back of the room could see. I called it the barber's plank, like I needed as a kid in the barbers' chair.

I told two brief stories of the two motor bikes I owned in the sixties, to tie in the Deus ex Machina theme, then launched into the first of four design eras, the 1964 Involvement school at Noosa. (We had a board from each era on display). Next to the Plastic Machine at Keyo (1967) Then we used Alby Falzon's shots from 1969 to illustrate the Tracker, the true pointed-nose mid-six-foot short board. Finally to some unique footage of me at Lennox shot by Springhead on a classic Bluebird gun. 

I quit for dinner, as the mains circulated for twenty minutes, then back up for the Q&A section. Steve ‘Monty’ Montell from Noosa/Bali handled the floor, and boomed out questions from the crowd. It was an awesome exchange, and lots of laughs clattered around the big room. All-in-all it was great fun and we wrapped it up at about 11. Many fine and fun people continued to chat for another hour, then the boys dropped me at the Mercure overlooking Town Hall and Central Station to crash for ten and a half hours! Dead. 

Next days swap meet was hampered by wet weather, still many had a lot of fun talking and trading. I jumped the 3pm to Ballina, and back to Lynn and daughter Sophie's crew. Beat! Eleven days of Surfing Australia, Travel to Telos, back to Oz, and Deus. Suffolk Park looked peaceful, but drenched!

Bob

All photos courtesy Deus ex Machina












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Deus surf swap meet boards

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Here's a little taste of what we're taking down to the Deus swap meet this Saturday.....all hand-shaped by Bob and all will be for sale at the event.

BW


8'10" x 21 1/2" x 2 3/4" Speedshape - 1" WRC Stringer :: Aqua tint :: Wetrub finish


8'8" x 22" x 2 3/4" Stepdeck Hotdog - 1/2" Obeche Stringer :: Coke tint all over :: Polish finish


9'4" x 22 1/2" x 2 7/8" Involvement 'Batman' - 1" WRC stringer :: Black pigment 8oz Volan all over :: Polish finish


9'7" x 22 7/8" x 3 1/8" Involvement 'Batman' - 1" WRC stringer :: 8oz Volan all over :: Wet-rub finish


9'6" x 22 3/4" x 3 1/8" Noosa '66 - 1" WRC stringer :: 8oz Volan all over :: Polish finish


8'0" x 21 1/2" x 3" Tracker - 1" WRC stringer :: Yellow tint :: Glass-on fin :: Polish finish


7'0" x 21" x 3" Tracker - Stringerless :: Majenta tint :: Polish finish




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