Don Burford surfboards in South Australia

Don Burford started surfing around 1957 when he was a member of the Grange surf life saving club on the 16ft boards that they were using at the time. They mainly surfed the stormies when they occurred under the Grange jetty and also at surf carnivals when they were held down at Moana and Goolwa beach. 1958 saw the introduction of the hollow plywood surfboard shapes

Don had started building a few plywood boards in his parents shed at Grange around this time and this was the beginning of his surfboard building career. By late 1958 early 59 he had sourced some balsa and was building a few boards for his surfing mates.

  At around 1960 Don moved into a shop on Grange rd Henley Beach and continued working part time until around 1965 when he started his business full time. Don won the open mens State Title in 1965. Soon after he moved to a shop just off Jetty rd Glenelg and then in 1969 he moved again to Oaklands rd Somerton where he stayed until his move to Queensland in August 1974.

   These days Dons business Burford Blanks in Currumbin QLD is renowned as one of the best surfboard blank manufacturers in the world.

Photo above factory shop at Oaklands rd. Somerton