| Darren Needham, “Daz”, gets all the jobs everyone else hates… fin and leash plug setting, sanding, polishing, and ding repair… he even fixes totally broken boards and breathes life back into ones that would otherwise have been destined for landfill. It takes a certain personality to be able to do those jobs, where attention to detail is a must, and Daz loves them all. Daz has been finishing surfboards for over 18 years, and with Ocean magic Surfboard Factory for all that time. He loves surfboards, just like the rest of us. Even a full gloss and polish on a glassed-on Bonzer 5 doesn’t phase him, in fact he enjoys the variation custom surfboard manufacturing brings. “Each customer has something slightly different that they want, and it keeps me fresh. I love a challenge and seeing the finished boards looking spot-on and a smiling customer is what motivates me.” Daz is also a good surfer, often seen in at Whipsiderry riding one of Nigel's latest designs, he has a smooth flowing style, rarely falls, and sends spray flying. When asked what the best thing about working for Nigel he said “I get to ride all his boards, in fact I don’t think I've bought a board since I've been here. I also get to surf whenever there are waves… not many other jobs like that!” I had to agree. I watched Daz finish off my Bonzer the other day, and whilst he was doing it he got a tiny scratch on the polish coat. He cursed, picked up some compound, and duly re-polished the whole area removing a blemish that I probably wouldn’t even have noticed. |