Between breaks on the Northern Beaches, Byron Bay-based Mctavish Surfboards are stoked to officially open the doors to a new store in Brookvale.
Centred around the daily ritual, Mctavish sees their Brookvale local as a place for the crew to come together after a surf, grab a coffee and toastie, watch a classic surf film, and continue that broken conversation you were having in the line-up.
Inside the shop, you’ll see beautiful surfboards from 5ft to 11ft designed to get you surfing daily, accompanied by quality apparel and gear, with a fit-out that was built by hand by the team at Mctavish – who picked up tools and camped upstairs for a few months to bring it all to life. The shop’s handmade charm and modular set-up has been built around hosting events like film nights, BBQs, ‘Demo Days’, surfboard repair and workshops to bring the local surf community together.
Head Shaper and Bob’s son, Ben McTavish has grown up living and shaping in the Northern Rivers but has a deep appreciation for where it all began in Brookvale. Ben says;
“It was like it’s meant to be, on Harbord Road, next to absolute legends of the industry, Bennetts! For Dad, it’s like sliding into your favourite old leather boots. He did so much shaping time down there in the sixties, we are still using design fundamentals in our boards that sprung from this place. That sense of larrikin is still real, from the resin on the light switches and the images throughout, a real surf shop that will only get saltier in time.”
With a grin from ear to ear, Bob McTavish, 80-year-old surfboard Shaper, who is still enthusiastically handshaping boards today, fizzes “ I am stoked because we are back where it all started! Right next to Barry Bennett’s, the founder of foam and glass in Australia. In the sixties, the ‘Brookvale Six’ emerged from hollow wood surfboards into the new fibreglass, and rapid modifications of shapes and construction led to the current brilliant designs that make surfing so much fun! And I was there for it all. Woooooo we’re stoked to be back in town”. Bob was down in Brookvale for the opening party and premiere of Mctavish’s latest film, Dreading South last month and was happy to see the spirit of the surf community alive and well.
Cam Deague, CEO at Mctavish says “With the new shop we wanted to tell the stories of our surfboards, the surf that they are designed for, to the love that our board builders put into each one. We think of our boards as forever boards, that stand the test of time, you fall in love with, and get you out there every day. These principles of quality, timelessness, and function are also what we hold our apparel and gear to. It’s not about trends, it’s purposeful design for our ritual around the ocean…what we spend most of our days in”.
Arran Russell, who leads Apparel Design says “The new Brookvale store allows us to show Sydney the full depth and heritage of the brand that you can only experience in Byron. I’m proud to be one of the custodians of Mctavish and to have such a large space where we can showcase our apparel that aligns with our ethos of board building; quality and built to last. We want to make garments that are as sustainable as possible that you can wear anywhere, everyday – and now we get to share this with Sydney”.
Whether you’re in the water daily or love the lifestyle, Mctavish is a welcoming space for the Brookie community and beyond to enjoy. You can expect to find a range of meticulously handcrafted Mctavish surfboards (all handmade and sent down from their Byron Factory at 91 Centennial Cct), durable and well- crafted every day apparel like the Merino Wool hoodies and hemp tees, plus a curation of goods to inspire you to get into the ocean more.
Mctavish is stoked to be back in the neighbourhood. Go say g’day and kick back at 182 Harbord Road.
Mctavish Surfboards – 182 Harbord Rd, Brookvale
Open 7 Days – Mon – Fri: 8am – 4pm, Sat – 8am – 2pm, Sun 10am – 2pm
www.mctavish.com.au
About Mctavish
Mctavish is privately owned by a passionate, independent group of Australian surfers including Bob and Ben McTavish, who believe in preserving a legacy.
