Since 1956, Bennett Surf Co. has served the surf community across three generations. Brookvale-born, family-run and built on enduring quality, this is a business with as much history as it has future.

Founder Barry Bennett started with balsa surfboards in the 1950s, the hollow wooden boards that were the craft of the era. Watching what American board builders were doing, he introduced expanding polyurethane foam cores around 1958, a move that proved a turning point for the Australian surfboard industry. It paid off. Barry went on to supply finished surfboards and all the raw materials needed to make them, reaching manufacturers across Australia and beyond. Boardmakers made the trip to Brookvale to see his work, among them Bob McTavish, now the namesake of another Brookvale surf shop. Barry became a mentor to these young craftsmen, sharing not just the art of shaping but the fundamentals of running a business.

Outside the factory he was equally accomplished. Barry won the Australian title for surf skis and passed that passion to his son Greg, a winner in his own right. He was inducted into the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame, awarded the Order of Australia Medal, and became the first Australian named in the International Surfboard Builders Hall of Fame. None of it changed who he was. A down-to-earth lover of surf, Barry remained dedicated to his craft, working full-time at the factory until he was 89. His legacy carries on through his son Greg and grandson Tom. To mark the milestone, Bennett Surf has released a 70th Anniversary short documentary, available on their YouTube channel @BennettSurfAustralia.

Continuing Barry's collaborative approach, Bennett Surfboards works with a team of experienced shapers including third-generation Tom Bennett, Sam Tehan, Mark Rabbidge and Billy Tolhurst. The range runs from high-performance shortboards to high-end Malibus and everything in between, with custom boards available to order at bennettsurf.com. The business has always extended beyond surfboards too, as an industry leader in surf lifesaving, rescue and kayaking equipment, supplying nipper boards, race mals, rescue boards and custom kayak paddles.

"We're open Monday to Saturday, so stop by and check out our extensive range," says owner Tom Bennett. Seventy years in, Bennett Surf Co. shows no signs of slowing down. Visit them at 180 Harbord Rd, Brookvale, or browse and order at bennettsurf.com. Call (02) 9905 5157.