Daniel Treloar is the man behind Grow Blanks, a company based in Kenya, East Africa that turns byproduct from agave fiber farms into surfboard blanks ready for shapers to fine-tune and glass up. Agave requires no irrigation to grow and is a much more environmentally responsible choice over foam surfboards. They are currently running a Kickstarter campaign to try and raise the money to scale up their production and make distribution of the blanks cheaper and easier for manufacture. Grow Blanks could more easily compete in the market by lowering their shipping costs worldwide. You can check out that Kickstarter here.
Being born in Zimbabwe, how did you get into surfing and end up in Kenya/UK?
I moved from Zimbabwe to Durban South Africa when I was 5 years old. Durban is a great surf destination. I love watersports, including surfing, but I also like to kite surf in waves. My first ever agave surfboard was one I made in Durban and I still kite that board years later. I have lived in many countries during my adult life, including Kenya. I have some family in UK so I have routes in many countries. My first introduction to Kenya was through my sister who married a Kenyan, and we ended up going to Kenya regularly on family holidays. I loved Kenya right from the start. It is a great country with incredible people. Years Later I met my current girlfriend who lived on an agave farm.... and this was my introduction to agave and the possibilities this plant can have.
Can you give me an idea of the process involved and how long it takes you to go from harvested plant material to a ready-to-ship batch of blanks?
Making agave blanks is a long process that has taken us years to perfect. You have to know the best times to harvest and also cure the poles for several months before processing them into blanks. We have managed to develop a great system so that we have a constant and large supply of material to be able to manufacture blanks to meet the demand. Our Kickstarter aims to scale things up even more and make our blanks cheaper to produce. Therefore, by supporting this Kickstarter you are investing in a making the surf industry a greener one.
How does the shaping process differ with an agave blank vs. a foam blank?
What's incredible about this product is that the same machinery and tools can be used to shape the blanks. Our blanks can be machine cut or hand shaped. There are some slight differences in machine settings, and we give shapers who buy our blanks all the necessary tips to make their experience with our blanks a positive one. With enough funding we will be making "how to" videos on our YouTube channel that shapers can watch to learn a few tips.
Is the volume to size very different than standard foam?
Traditionally foam blanks are between 40-55kg/m3 where as our agave blanks between 50-75kg/ m3.
We’ve been keeping some really light pieces in the 35-40kg/m3 range for some special people who want to show titles can be won on plant based.
Perhaps its worth mentioning have much better agave core is with it’s unique flex and feel on the water. Also being practically unsnappable! and able to absorb shock and heavy landings through its fibred foam like core.
What's the surf scene like on the East Coast of Africa?
Surfing is not really a big scene in Kenya, although there are a few surf spots they are very seasonal, so Kenya is not well known as a surfing destination. The important thing is that we are based on one of the largest agave farms in the world! With a incomprehensible amount of material available here in Kenya, we feel we can make a real difference to the surf industry's negative impact on the environment. Putting Kenya on the map for green innovation in an industry that is really in need of some more sustainable solutions.
Grow Blanks Ltd can be found at the links below. Check out their Kickstarter.
website: growblanks.com
Instagram: @grow_blanks