Our 98th board winner Andrew gets delivery of his Chelman Volan Double Ender 9’1”

“Tried the board a few times already and it’s amazing! Thanks so much PLB and especially Ryan Chelman for making such a beautiful board. It’s much lighter and faster than what I’m used to (I usually ride a 9’8”) and it likes a clean face. Found that it just goes weeee away from under your feet if it’s really grinding but that could be me not being quick enough pushing it! Loving the challenge!”

Ryan Chelman glasses, sands and finishes all his boards himself, and this beauty with its paulownia stringer is a traditionally styled but tuned double ender glassed old-school in volan. It’s had plenty of road-testing over the years, and it’s a super versatile 9’1” single-fin for small waves or size. Got to love that classy volan look and plan-shape.

Ryan grew up in his parent’s surf shop in Port Macquarie and has been building all sorts of boards full-time since 2007, originally under his Black Square label and these days as Chelman Surfboards out of Yamba. Fair to say he’s been immersed in surfboard building and design all his life, and he’s an old-school craftsman top-to-bottom - and a legend bloke.

The Chelman was the 98th board we’ve given to an Australian magazine subscriber – and number 99 is a schmick Carabine “Shakey” model out of Wollongong, and we’ll be announcing the winner of that one in the next Issue 115. (Out in June.)

And wait ’til you see board 100 – it’s pretty special and we’ll be announcing all the details on this unique beauty in the next issue too. It’s already made – and holy moly! 

Well it’s taken some years but we’re actually up to 100 boards! (Where are those Guinness people?) All you have to do to be in the running each issue is to be a subscriber – every new or current subscriber is in the draw every issue.

WEB: chelmansurfboards.com  EMAIL: chelmansurfboards@gmail.com

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