Coastal dwelling makes up a large part of South African lifestyle so it seemed the perfect opportunity to enlist the help of one of the country’s top surfers slash creative surfboard shapers.
Durban born Ricky Basnett was the youngest South African to qualify for the world’s most prestigious surf tour. He spent over a decade traveling to and competing at the most idyllic international surf destinations before settling down in his own beach house overlooking St Francis Bay. Once ranked number 22 in the world, Ricky has taken a more chilled approach to life chasing good waves and great vibes over grand contest results. Nowadays you can find Ricky where the waves are pumping or in the shaping bay at St Francis Surf Factory cooking up a new batch of bespoke boards.
Van Eijsden knew a marriage between Basnett and the Hertex fabric collection would be a match made in heaven.
“The tropical prints and hues of the Palmer prints (Hertex Awakening) evoked the nostalgia of 70’s retro Hawaii which to me equates to a classic single fin. I did red wood tail blocks and different old school resin tints to accentuate the high gloss fabric inlays. Each fin was hand crafted from reclaimed wood for that personal touch. I interpret my boards as functional art pieces. Each with their own unique character. The aloha spirit flows through these beauties.”
