13 February 2024
When Jurie Muller, a sheep farmer, decided to undertake a recycling project by making a surfboard from a washed-up buoy, the natural answer was to harness wool as a sustainable alternative to fibreglass.
Jurie has always had a love for surfing, and with a fondness for craftsmanship he began making his own boards. “You have more control over the process and I can improve the board’s performance,” he says.
He is a big wave rider, and because large waves easily break boards he can save money by making them. He also doesn’t have to wait as long for a board.
Jurie and his father, Johann, farm Merino sheep on the Ouland farm near Vleesbaai in the Southern Cape and produce fine wool of 18-19 microns. They also raise calves. In the semi-arid climate near Mossel Bay, the sheep are kept on pasture, with 10% lucerne grown in rotation with sown and other forage crops.
<caption> Jurie Muller farms with his father, Johann, on the Ouland farm near Vleesbaai in the Mossel Bay district. Photo: Johann de Klerk
Recycling
Jurie’s journey with the woollen surfboard began when he went surfing and saw a large buoy that had washed ashore. “When I went to investigate, I saw it was made of the foam material they use to build surfboards.”
With his background in surfboards, he decided to make two cores from the buoy to build a board.
“Because I was working on a recycling project, I thought about how cool it would be to integrate wool into the surfboard.”
An advantage of wool is that it only starts burning at 600°C, with the resin used in surfboards heated up to 120°C.
Jurie had to work out how to integrate wool into the surfboard. “I remembered grandmothers who made art from wool felt and decided to make a felted blanket to put on the surfboard instead of using fibreglass.”
<caption> Jurie decided to process wool into felt and use it in place of fibreglass for the surfboard. Photo: Johann de Klerk
His first attempt to use the wool felt blanket was problematic because the resin burned holes in the foam.
“After a bit of research, I found out that the felt blanket was too thick and absorbed too much of the resin, which meant there was an exothermic reaction occurring, burning the foam.”
He went back to the drawing board and made a thinner felt blanket, this time using fine wool. The other wool was also not long enough to form a strong structure.
For the second attempt, he used a vacuum process to complete the board, with input from Alex Monro, who also makes handmade boards.
The process of making the surfboard was filmed. This short film, Tides of Wool, made by Johann de Klerk and Adam Heyns, can be watched on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctvmtYuzlJM
Unique
It seems the woollen surfboard is a work of art or a one-time project, says Jurie. “The project did show that it is possible to make a surfboard from wool, and if I ever have a machine that can felt wool really nicely, I can take it further.”
He explains that the wool surfboard is a more traditional thicker board and will be used more for fun than for high performance.
“The wool surfboard is for someone who is more of a soul surfer – someone with a love for surfing and not expecting much from a surfboard.”
Jurie says the board also turned out heavier and stiffer than he expected. “The board doesn’t have as much life. Usually, you get more kinetic energy from the surfboard.”
When he’s not farming, you’ll find Jurie in the ocean riding big waves on one of his Gonzo boards.
