In some people's eyes the wooden board revival has come and gone; just another fashion in a fickle world.

But just as Derek Hynd is still out there spinning on his finless boards, so to is Tom Wegener shucking the sawdust off his next timber creation, each of them too wedded to their ideals to move with the pack.

A year or so back Tom published 'Surfboard Artisans: For The Love', a book that framed the value of surfboard shapers in cultural terms. "Culture," explained Tom, "is a set of ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a group of people."

In the book, Tom largely concerned himself with the established surf cultures of Hawaii, the US, and Australia, yet he also travels to new surf cultures to impart surf history, make wooden boards, and engage with the recruits. All the while observing the similarities and differences between the clans.

Bit too highfalutin? Don't fret, ol' Tom also knows when to run with a proper cheesy pun.

Take it away, Mr Wegener...

In the last six months I have met several men who have traded their lucrative, high-flying careers for a family/beach lifestyle; so many that I could call it a trend.

For example, one sold his internet company, another was a consultant for mining giants, and another left an influential advertising position in New York in order to spend more time with family, friends, and to go surfing. The mining consultant told me that he had offices in Perth, Sydney, New York, London and Delhi. He was always at working and missing his kids, and even when he was home he really wasn’t.

I am a surfboard maker in Noosa and often customers stay with me while we make their surfboard. We have time to talk and tell stories, and hearing about the importance of the surfing lifestyle has led me to think deeper about this shift in values.

The focus on living a more fulfilling life which is not centred around making lots of money mirrors the philosophy and lifestyle of the Epicureans, where the good life is spent in the pursuit of happiness. Epicurus (300 BC in Athens) summed up the path to the good life by the following:

• The goal is to find a personal state of tranquillity, away from pain or fear.
• Do not concern yourself with the Gods other things which you cannot see or personally experience.
• The highest good is to pursue personal pleasures.
• Spend time with friends and family.

Basically, if it feels good do it! The hedonists have taken Epicurus’ concept to an extreme, while Epicurus taught prudence in light of consequences. For instance, if being with your family and friends feels good… just be sure you can support this basic lifestyle.

Epicurus saw the pitfalls of extravagance and believed that the height of the good life is to grow and share your food with friends. While other philosophers taught in academies, Epicurus taught in a garden.

Recently, several of my surfboard customers have been from South Korea and they are similarly following the epicurean ideals. I call them Epi-Koreans. I just spent two weeks in South Korea sharing Western surf culture and shaping some surfboards. Surfing is taking off there in a big way. The growing Epi-Korean surf culture is in direct conflict with their parent’s value of working extremely hard to get ahead.

While I was there, a headline in the weekend edition of the South Korean Times stated: “Choosing Life of Small, Certain Happiness Over Career Goals.” The article defined spending time with friends and family as a small happiness while it is assumed a lucrative career is a big happiness. Epicurus would turn this around and say that a lucrative career is more akin to a small happiness filled with stress and not conducive to a long, happy life.

I find this trend to be a fresh change. I am over fifty years old and feel a constant subconscious anxiety about needing to produce more. Maybe the world will be a happier place with people finding an Epicurean tranquillity through surfing. It also shows the amazing value of our simple surfing lifestyle and culture.

//TOM WEGENER