International Surfboard Builders Hall Of Fame Inductee Details

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Inductee Name
Nev Hyman
Event Year
2019
Inductee Location
Australia
Inductee Contact
https://www.nevhouse.com/
Inductee Brand
Inductee Boardshop
Boardshop Link
Inductee Bio In 1972 Nev Hyman started shaping boards in his garage in Perth's southern suburbs before starting his own label the very next year. From 1973 to 1977 he shaped Odyssey Surfboads with Phil Usher and Bruce Smith. Then in 1978 he crossed the red desert, landing in Burleigh Heads were he opened Nev Hyman Surfboards.

Nev's early advertising efforts were equal parts enthusiasm and atrocious spelling. So it was no surprise he adopted the pidgen sounding 'Neva' in his taglines: Neva look back, Neva say Neva etc etc. Fella knew how to turn a weakness into a strength.

Nev slipped into the Queensland surf industry and took the forward thinking name 'Nev Future Shapes'. He began building a team from local (Craig 'Scat' Pitchers, Dan Adler, Munga Barry), interstate (Dog Marsh, Merrick Davis, Nick Wood), and overseas (Sunny Garcia) surfers.

With a keen eye for promotion Nev made his own VHS video, 'Munga Militia', which starred "Munga and the boyz" (there's that pidgen again!). He also parlayed Guiness World Records into marketing buzz. In 1994 he built the largest surfboard ever - see last pic - then had 47 people ride atop it on the Gold Coast (in 2005 he did a similar thing with Firewire but in California). After the event, the oversized board hung over his shop like a surfing version of the Big Pineapple.

In the early 90s Nev was among the pioneers of computer shaping, involving himself in the development of the APS3000 / AKU Shaper which is now industry standard. 'Pioneers get the arrows, settlers get the land' is the old saying and Nev copped his fair share of barbs, yet he was always open about his involvement. "I shaped the original board and I shaped it without a machine" Nev defiantly told Tim Baker at Tracks in 1991. Subseqently many of his ads offered custom shaping: "Talk personally with Nev".

In 2004 Nev folded Nev Future Shapes 'cos the future really had arrived. A meeting with Bert Burger convinced him of that. Within the year they were making Firewire together...but that's a whole 'nother story.

For the complete biography, go to: https://www.swellnet.com/news/rearview-mirror/2016/05/17/looking-back-nev-future-shapes

Thanks to: Nev for the photo

Links

Australian surfboard pioneer Nev Hyman launches Luxembourg-based fund NevEarth Fund - Silicon Luxembourg

Firewire Hellfire Nev Hyman - YouTube

Firewire Surfboards - Currumbin, Queensland, Australia - Local Business Facebook

Looking back at Nev Future Shapes The Rearview Mirror Swellnet

Nev Hyman Facebook

NEV HYMAN JOINS SURF LAKES ADVISORY BOARD. - ASB

NevHouse - Home Facebook

NevHouse - Our Team

NevHouse

Stab Magazine Nev Hyman Wins Good Design Award For Cyclone-Proof Modular Homes