A New Chip In The Infinite Puzzle Of Board Tech

Ain’t nothing sweeter, you’d have to imagine, than having a son who gives a damn about the family business. Teach him what you know, pass on your wisdom, and watch him grow. One day, you hand him the keys. You sit back, watching him take the reins, your pride swelling as you lean into the corner, a tear slipping down your cheek, beer in hand.

“What is Campbell Designed? A father and son team, both former professional surfers, with a passion for pushing the envelope of technology by creating boards that people love to surf and enjoy, whether you’re a beginner, or a high level pro,” says Ryan Campbell, son of Stuart Campbell, half of Campbell Designed.

Ryan and Stuart, as you’ve just read, are the quiet innovators behind some of Australia’s finest performance surfboards, hailing from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. The Campbell family’s shaping legacy spans three generations, and now, with a new tech ready to gift to the world, they’ve enlisted the help of heavy hitters — Dan Scott and Kai Neville — to tell their story.

The film gives a moving backstory into the surfing lives of the father and son, who both started shaping backyard boards at 12 years old before dipping their toes into professional surfing careers. When Ryan competed, he rode his dad’s boards, and when he stopped, he joined him in the shaping bay.

“We worked on all of his boards together through his competitive career,” Stuart says, reflecting. “Now, he’s the head shaper, and I’ve regressed to the factory grom.”

The real story here, beyond the nostalgia, is that the Campbell’s think they’ve cracked something big — a new stringer design they can’t keep bottled up.

“I built a few fast-sailing catamarans over the years,” Stuart says. “The way we used carbon fibre on the multi-hulls, like a leaf spring in a car or a trailer, I figured we could do the same thing with a surfboard. Built one for Ryan, and straight up — it went amazing. We see Exo Flex as an enhanced stringer replacement. It flexes right, snaps back faster, gives you more speed in turns, and it’s tougher than timber. No weak spots like the usual stringless EPS. It seems to like more powerful conditions.”

“It’s too good to just keep to ourselves,” Ryan adds. “We want to license it out, so everyone can get their hands on it, not just the guys riding Campbell Designed.”

This isn’t a half-baked marketing ploy, either. Stab’s in-house board junkie, Michael Ciaramella, got his hands on two of their creations, maniacally tore them apart, and came out the other side claiming they’re some of the best boards he’s ever ridden.

Now, the boys are ready to scale, searching for collaborators to help them share Exo Flex with the world. 

“We’re keen to link up with brands that care about making better boards and want to use Exo Flex,” Ryan says. “We’re also looking for someone who’s keen to take a small slice of the company and help us grow it into what we know it can be.”

Got some cash collecting dust? You could do worse than throwing it behind Exo Flex.