| Bob McTavish | |
| Birth Place: | Mackay, Queensland |
| Nationality: | Australian |
Bob McTavish (born 1944) is an Australian surfboard designer and member of the surfing hall of fame. He is often credited with the invention of the V-bottom surfboard and was one of a number of pioneering surfer/shapers considered instrumental in the development of shortboard surfing.[1] [2] It has been suggested that without his contributions, the revolutionary nature of shortboard surfing wouldn't have been as effective.[3]
Born in Mackay, Queensland in 1944, McTavish began surfing at the age of twelve.[4] He dropped out of school at 15, and moved to Sydney.[5] In 1963, McTavish famously stowed away in an ocean liner bound for Hawaii.[6] He spent 5 weeks in Hawaii before being deported.[7]
In the 1970s, McTavish became a Jehovah’s Witness.[8]
McTavish began surfing on a 16-foot (4.8m) plywood paddleboard.[9]
McTavish won the Qld State titles in 1964-66 and finished third in the Nationals behind Midget Farrelly and Nat Young, after which he abandoned competitive surfing.[10] McTavish was a dynamic surfer eschewing the longboard style of surfing that was dominant at the time.[11] Greg Noll, Joe Quigg were instrumental to him in his surf board shaping.[12]
McTavish was voted the most influential shaper of all time by Australia’s Surfing Life magazine in 1992.[13]
From 1961 onwards McTavish worked for surfboard labels including Scott Dillon, Dale, Hayden, Bob Davie, Morey-Pope, Keyo and Cord. He worked alongside the Australian foam-core innovator Barry Bennett at his factory in Brookvale in 1972.[14]
Meanwhile, he was developing his eponymous brand, 'McTavish'. His 1972 model, the 'Bluebird', has been described as the world's first production short-board, resulting in thousands being produced until 1979.[15]
In 1989 McTavish introduced Pro Circuit boards, which created machine-moulded replicas of the boards ridden by professional surfers.[16]
In the mid-1990s McTavish began producing 'Big M' longboards, which have a factory and retail operation in Byron Bay.[17]
McTavish was the inaugural recipient of the FCS Legend Shaper Award.[18]
It is the generally accepted view that McTavish, influenced by California kneeboarder George Greenough, was responsible for starting the shortboard revolution with the development of the short, wide-tailed vee-bottom design of surfboard in 1966.[19]
The vee-bottom design allowed surfers to go up the face of a wave rather than simply race away from a breaking curl.[20]
Hawaiian Dick Brewer claims the vee-bottom design originated with him in Hawaii.[21]
Midget Farrelly claimed he shaped a vee-bottom prior to McTavish, however McTavish's central role in the shortboard revolution is acknowledged by the American surfers Greg Noll, Skip Frye and Mike Hynson.[22]
Bob Mctavish (2009), Stoked!. Hyams Publishing. ISBN 978-097-757-986-0
Bob Mctavish (2013), More Stoked!. Harper Collins. ISBN 978-073-229-676-6