In celebration of true artisans and their crafts, La Marzocco has teamed up with Thomas Surfboards to give one lucky person the chance to win a custom 7’6” utility mid board, designed in collaboration with Thomas Surfboards and La Marzocco.
Click here for your chance to enter and win!
Based out in Noosa Heads, Thomas Surfboards is a hub of creativity featuring a shared workspace, a barbershop, merch store, gym, art gallery, café and of course, a surfboard workshop. Originally starting the business from his personal shed, the expansion of Thomas’ workspace came quite naturally and maintained the same goal, to attract likeminded creatives and entrepreneurs to one central location.
“The space evolved by bringing a whole bunch of mates together to do cool stuff in the same spot.”
Opened three years ago, the existing shared space is centric to the lifestyle and interests of Thomas and the local community. One unique and ever-changing space at Thomas Surfboards is their art gallery. Showcasing the works of emerging artists, the choice to include an art gallery seemed to make sense for Thomas as various mediums of art inspire him daily when designing surfboards.
“When I used to glaze surfboards, I would be inspired by different artists and play with paints on the board.”
One notable – and also very popular – inclusion to the Thomas Bexon space is the café. Serving Allpress Espresso on a Linea Classic, the café has become a popular meeting place for locals in the area going about their daily lives. However, the choice to include such delicious coffee and a workhorse machine wasn’t coincidental for Thomas and his team.
Prior to starting his full-time career as a surfboard shaper, Thomas was working in one of the first cafes on the Sunshine Coast to stock and brew Allpress Espresso. Drawn to the brand’s strong ties to the surf culture and taken by the coffee’s smooth and consistent taste, Thomas believed it made sense to continue using the iconic machine and consistent coffee that he relied on in his previous job.
“In the mornings I wake up, have a coffee, then come to work and have another great coffee.”
A central spot for the community to catch up over a coffee, check out what’s new with the brand or get a fresh haircut, Thomas shares that his favourite moments are when the community rally together and show up for the occasional party the site throws. Listing the annual Noosa Festival of Surfing Opening Party as one of the biggest and best, the event can see over one thousand attendees show up at a time and show support. Sharing that while today’s parties may be more tame and controlled than the first few parties held at the old site, Thomas thoroughly enjoys hosting these events and bringing the community closer together through common interests.
What gives Thomas Surfboards the ultimate edge to other surfboard stores, is the transparency to how his products are made.
With a large glass window in place to separating the café’s seating area from the glassing room, visitors can sit back sip their coffee and observe how Thomas’ world-class surfboards
are made before hitting the surf.
“At a lot of surfboard factories, you don’t know where the boards are getting made. It’s pretty unique here.”
Diverse in their specialty and trade, each business at Thomas Surfboards workshop is brought together by a common interest in creativity, craftmanship and surfing, a culture that continues to define the Sunshine Coast region.
To learn more about Thomas Surfboards and his incredible shared space, visit his website.
Want to be in the draw to win a one-off custom surfboard, designed in collaboration with La Marzocco and Thomas Bexon? Click here to enter.