Mark's final piece of the puzzle was revealed last Thursday night with great success.
For the past 12 months Mark has been slowly chipping away at his long term goal of building some balsawood surfboards with the locals in PNG. The video and photos were released at The Sting bar with some great feedback from the sponsors and the surfers and the general public.
Mark started the night with a rundown on how Riley Balsawood Surfboards was created in 1996 and what he has been doing for the past 20 years.
With a set up like this at the Sting bar what could possibly go wrong?
The 18 minute video was then released to the crowd. Ian Hamilton from Lime Light Creative Studios has done an amazing job in putting this together. He had everything in this - drone footage and surfing balsa short boards and longboards, minimals and fish, the friendly kids of the island, Shaun and Kavelo from Nusa Island, diving, Air Niugini, balsa farms, balsa saw mills, locals building balsa boards, glassing balsa boards, To watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVriiWwzlMg
2.SAPNG - SURFING ASSOCIATION OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA developed a unique and sustainable foundation upon which the surfing resource is developed and managed for the collective benefit of its traditional resource custodians and SAPNG affiliated surf clubs and commercial operators. http://www.sapng.com/
3.NASA - Niu Ailan Surfriders Alliance, Kavieng, Papua New Guinea sustainable development of the sport of surfing and surf tourism, the Niu Ailan Surfriders Alliance (NASA) http://www.surfingpng-newireland.org.pg/kavieng.htm
If you are interesting in going to Nusa Island Retreat next March with Mark contact Mark or World Surfaris now because they are only taking 20 people and there is only 10 spots left. First in best dressed.
Check out this video of World Surfaris and Nusa Island Retreat
They meet up with Andy Able from SAPNG - SURFING ASSOCIATION OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
They have developed a unique and sustainable foundation upon which the surfing resource is developed and managed for the collective benefit of its traditional resource custodians and SAPNG affiliated surf clubs and commercial operators. http://www.sapng.com/
The rest of the world needs to take note.
The crew was followed and documented all aspects of the trip with still photos and video by the creative talents of Ian Henderson from Limelight Creative Media These guys are amazing - the planning and execution so far is first class. They will be focasing on a stand alone video that will demonstrate the Ecological benefits of using balsa instead of PU foam, highlighting the great work by SAPNG and PNGTPA "PNG Tourism Promotion Authority"
These were laminated into the 5 boards that Mark took to test and of course the board that will be built in PNG and left there with the locals at Nusa Island Retreat.