Simon Jones
The story behind the brand
I first saw surfing when I was 10 years old, gazing out of my bedroom window overlooking Dobroyd Head on Sydney's North Shore. It was May 24, 1974, and a cyclone was battering the coast of Australia, creating some of the wildest conditions the east coast had witnessed in living memory. Little black dots made big, arcing tracks down the faces of waves and back up into the foam. I was hooked. I started shaping boards while still in school, making them for myself and my mates in the same attic bedroom where I first saw surfing on that special day in '74. In 1985, my then-girlfriend and now-wife, Bessie, gave me the Morning of the Earth vinyl album for my 21st birthday. Soon after, I got my hands on the VHS copy of the film. It was a pivotal moment in my life, discovering that movie at that time. I remember thinking, "Morning of the Earth Surfboards—what a classic surfboard label." I sat on this idea for some time. The '90s saw Surfing undergoing gentrification, with a focus on riding mass-produced surfboards made offshore at the expense of people in foreign places & the industry here in Australia. Essentially, surfing was everything Morning of the Earth wasn't. I found Albe's number in the phone book. He agreed to meet at his property one afternoon, where I pitched him the idea of Morning of the Earth Surfboards over a cup of tea and a slice of home-baked banana bread. Albe and I shook hands on an agreement some 25 years ago, which led to where we are now—a brand that took on many forms and led us down a path I could only have dreamed about. This is where Simon Jones Designs comes in. Morning of the Earth Surfboards has found some new torchbearers and has a bright future under its new ownership. As for me—I'm happy back where it all began. Making boards under my own name, experimenting with different designs, and teaching my son, Dash, the ropes. "Grow small, Simon," were the wise words George Greenough said to me when I began shaping surfboards. Simon Jones Designs has been such a refreshing new chapter, and I'm excited to see where it will take me and how we can evolve moving forward. The aim for my surfboards is always to allow the people who enjoy them to surf and express themselves in their purest form. This idea has always been at the forefront of my designs and shapes. This ethos has led me down many amazing paths in the surfboard design world and will continue to inspire me into the future.
Torren Martyn
The surfer - shaper relationship, and what makes it so meaningful
I first became aware of Torren at the local boardriders' comps. My son Dash was surfing in the fleas division (under 9's) at the time, but every now and then, the comps would overlap with the older boys, and I could watch Torren surf. I remember his tall, lean physique and thinking about how beautifully he surfed even in subpar conditions. Fast forward a few years to 2014 at a Tracks Magazine board test at the Moon Struck house in Byron Bay, where I really got to meet him on a personal level. I initially shaped Torren a 5’7” Single Fin channel bottom, which he surfed but never totally gelled with. On Torren’s return from a trip with this single fin and a short conversation about how it performed, I added a set of twin boxes to the board with the idea that it would perform better in the waves he wanted to ride and the style of surfing he was used to. Since that first board, Torren and my relationship has flourished into something that we never could have foreseen. Our professional relationship and close family bond allow us to connect deeply on board design and feedback in a very unique way. Many of my board designs have evolved from Torrens deep and unique feedback from surfing many different waves all around the world. From reef breaks in Indonesia to cold, deep water slabs in the south to tropical sand bottom points in Africa and Australia. This balance of shaper/surfer feedback and knowledge allows us to freely create and develop designs that we hope all surfers can enjoy!
Our Dedication to Quality
I started my shaping and boardbuilding career by working my way through the ranks in various factories over the years. Having shaped, sanded, glassed, and finished thousands of boards, I've developed a deep understanding of the entire manufacturing process, and that focus on quality is at the heart of every board we build.
I’ve always had an eye for detail, and that carries through in every board we make. Each one you see is personally overseen by me and my son, Dash, to ensure that nothing is overlooked. Quality is our highest priority, and we only use the best materials and glasshouses in the world.