Zag has just launched the second “We Make It Sic” design competition sponsored by Bosch and Dremel, where we’re inviting you to submit your surf related creations. Get the full lowdown on We Make It Sic here but in the meanwhile, we caught up with last year’s winner, Jasper Eales.
Jasper scooped the win with his innovative surfboard storage system – the Jabba Surf Rack – which also won a national award for innovation and went on to be nominated as part of the ‘2014 Most Beautiful Objects in South Africa.’ Jasper’s business has continued to grow and he is creating plenty more surf-inspired items.
Name: Jasper Eales
Age: 27
Home break: Llandudno
Jasper, slotted in the Southern Cape.
ZIGZAG: So tell us what you’ve been up to of late?
Jasper: I just returned back to studio after a much-needed swell chase up to J-bay last week. Scored some epic surf at Supers and Boneyards on Monday and Tuesday morning. It was a super good cleanser for the mind and got my inner soul surfer kicked back into action.
Now that your inner soul surfer is firing on all cylinders, can we expect any more designs coming from you in the near future?
Indeed you can. I have recently released a single board display/holder unit called the ‘Beaut Board Display.’ I have another product I’ve been working on which targets the wetsuit industry. It’s known as the ‘ZOOMIE’ and helps you get into your wetsuit. It is an eco-friendly product made from recycled material, with functionality being its core offering. For now those are the surf-related products that have been occupying my time. I do have a few other custom jobs on the go and product development happening on a few of my other ranges, which are more directed around product and furniture for the house or office.
Last year your Jabba Racks won the We Make It Sic comp here on Zigzag, and then went on to win a bunch of design awards. How do they work?
My range of surf racks is designed to live with you in your limited living space, while keeping your precious boards secure, out of the way and looking good on the wall. The system allows you to store up to eight boards in a vertical or horizontal position.
And the all-important question every surfer’s going to ask: what do they cost?
The systems vary from R1100.00 up to R1950.00.
Jasper’s design for his ‘Jabba Surf Racks’ was nominated as a finalist in the 2014 Design Indaba.
Nice one. So tell us what got you into design and innovation?
I’ve been fortunate enough to grow up in an innovative-minded family, where my folks encouraged creativity and out of the box thinking. I have always been encouraged to follow an entrepreneurially creative career path, from the days of art/design class while at high school, to my lecturer’s comments during my four years of Industrial Design at CPUT. I have always had the self-motivation to make things with my hands and an eye for the finer details. I’m working with a line of manufacturers and specialists and the possibilities are very exciting.
What inspires you the most, in and out the water?
Natural surroundings, passion, the sound of the ocean and the setting sun, honest beauty, functional simplicity, people, road trips, being a surfer with the ability for open thought.
Outer Pool lip bash during a Southern Cape road trip.
We’ve seen a fair share of photos of you ripping over the years. What were you doing before your new career?
I was surfing and travelling a lot, learning about myself and what the world has to offer. Meeting people and living every day to its full potential. Things have changed slightly with my business being my main point of focus these days, though it’s all still done with the heart and soul of a surfer. My goal is designing and developing products that are conscious of the environment, aid the needs of surfers and put functionality before aesthetics.
The ‘Beaut Board Display’ – part of the Jasper Eales Original collection.