Bens dad Mal ( short for Malnutrition the skinny mongrel) has actually worked on McTavish boards since he was a school kid in Byron. He used to drop into San Juan Surfboards after school and wet rub all the sanded boards before John Thomas gloss coated them. That was 1972. Now Mal has been fitting fin boxes and gloss coating all our boards for over 20 years. And I personally met mal as a skinny kid in 1962!! He surfs great too! Best trimmer in town, he just doesn't know it!!
- Bob McTavsih
I was lucky enough to be born and bred in Byron – back when it was still possible to surf The Pass with a handful of friends, the road to Tallows was dirt and bananas still stood on the hillsides of Wategos.
The ocean and the lifestyle surrounding it were pivotal in shaping me as a person and a photographer. This rings true even in my earliest memories – sitting with Mum on the beach eating apricots – the shimmering surface of the water as I first stepped in – the feeling of cool relief on a hot summer day – lying in the rain under the pandanus at The Pass curled up in my dad’s board bag, waiting for him to finish surfing so we could head home for dinner – The ever-present smell of fiberglass and resin from dad working in the local surf factories (He still works for McTavish to this day) and hanging out in them at every chance I got.
All the tiniest moments I’ve experienced, when added up, make me who I am. It’s these fleeting but important moments I aim to convey through my photography – a gentle and observing eye that longs to capture a tactile and textural feeling of the ocean and the peace it brings me.
These days life has now led me to Sydney, where I currently work as Deputy Editor, Photo Editor and Photographer for Tracks Magazine.
– Ben Bugden
Ben's images are on display in our showroom and are for sale both framed and unframed. For prices on these beautiful images in their printed form come visit our showroom at 91 Centennial Circuit or head over to Ben's website here.
