Bob McTavish: Trim & Wonder

Bob McTavish: Trim & Wonder

Author: Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich - surf stories & ocean adventures August 30, 2024 Duration: 57:56

Over the last half century, Bob McTavish has shaped thousands of custom surfboards. 

Always an innovator in surfboard design and technology, Bob pioneered cutting edge changes to the basic concept of a surfboard. 

In 1965,  he started tinkering with rail and bottom design to maximise performance. This was part of the movement that would become known as the shortboard revolution, in which Bob’s role was pivotal, but only part of his ongoing contribution to the evolution of the surfboard.

Now in his eighth decade, Bob continues to push the limits of surfboard design across the full range of wave-riding vehicles, including the shape that we focus on in this conversation – the 10 foot plus glider.  

After 5 years dormant, Bob brought his objective surf contest concept - The McTavish Trim -  to our local surf festival with three rules:

Rule #1 - Board must be 10ft+
Rule #2 - Furthest up the beach wins -- must hit the sand (paddle around the very wide  buoy) 
Rule #3 - Must stay on your feet

Surfing is full of old men who calcify and only speak of the good 'ole days.   Bob is not one of those guys -- he's still full of wonder and has made a career out of his wave riding curiosity.

We were lucky enough to sit down with Bob in front of a live audience at the 2024 Byron Bay Surf Festival in the parking lot of the McTavish factory - to talk all things glider, the surf/life balance, and how he has stayed perpetually stoked. 

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Theme song: Shannon Sol Carroll

Additional music by Kai Mcgilvray   + Ben J Alexander

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There’s a particular kind of life shaped by time spent in and around the ocean, one that blends saltwater with a deeper perspective. Hosted by lifelong surfers and storytellers Lauren L. Hill and Dave Rastovich, the Waterpeople Podcast explores exactly that. Each conversation is less an interview and more a shared dive with guides who know the water intimately-from scientists and activists to adventurers and artists. You’ll hear firsthand accounts that stretch beyond simple adventure tales, touching on how a connection to the sea informs everything from ecological stewardship and community building to the pure, playful joy of a wave. This podcast serves as a meeting point for a far-flung tribe, weaving together themes of inclusivity, humour, and what it means to live thoughtfully along the coast. It’s about the stories that emerge when people are truly at home in the aquatic world, offering listeners a sense of place and connection within a global ocean community. Tune in for genuine, meandering talks that feel like sitting around after a long day in the swell, where the topics are as vast and shifting as the sea itself.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 133

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