Bob McTavish

Bob Mctavish (2013), More Stoked!. Harper Collins. ISBN 978-073-229-676-6

Bob Mctavish (2009), Stoked!. Hyams Publishing. ISBN 978-097-757-986-0

McTavish was voted the most influential shaper of all time by Australia’s Surfing Life magazine in 1992.

In the mid-1990s McTavish began producing 'Big M' longboards, which have a factory and retail operation in Byron Bay.

In 1989 McTavish introduced Pro Circuit boards, which created machine-moulded replicas of the boards ridden by professional surfers.

In the 1970s, McTavish became a Jehovah’s Witness.

It is the generally accepted view that McTavish, influenced by California kneeboarder George Greenough, was responsible for starting the shortboard revolution with the development of the short, wide-tailed vee-bottom design of surfboard in 1966.

McTavish won the Qld State titles in 1964-66 and finished third in the Nationals behind Midget Farrelly and Nat Young, after which he abandoned competitive surfing.  McTavish was a dynamic surfer eschewing the longboard style of surfing that was dominant at the time.

From 1961 onwards McTavish worked for surfboard labels including Scott Dillon, Dale, Hayden, Bob Davie, Morey-Pope, Keyo and Cord. In 1969 he established his own brand, 'McTavish'. His 1972 model, the 'Bluebird', has been described as the world's first production short-board, resulting in thousands being produced until 1979.

Bob McTavish (born 1944) is an Australian surfboard designer and member of the surfing hall of fame.

Born in Mackay, Queensland in 1944, McTavish began surfing at the age of twelve. He dropped out of school at 15, and moved to Sydney. In 1963 McTavish famously stowed away in an ocean liner bound for Hawaii. He spent 5 weeks in Hawaii before being deported.