Age: 27
Lives: Llantwit Major, Wales
Weight: 83kg
Height: 1.84m
Boards per year: 25-30

When we called Welsh goofyfoot Nathan Phillips to ask him about his favourite rafts, the distinct ‘Baaaaaa’ of Welsh sheep was audible in the background. “Yeah I just got out of bed,” quipped The Weapon, “Can you hear the girls, can you…? Nah, only joking, I’m just working on a farm near Llantwit scraping wallpaper, there’s plenty of sheep around by ’ere.” On his favourite shaper Nath reckoned, “I’ve been riding John Purton’s boards since back when he was shaping in a shed in his garden. Now he’s got pretty big, he’s got a machine and a nice big factory in Swansea and is turning out some great boards. I think he’s making the best boards coming out of the UK right now, all the top guys over here are riding them.”

photo: Will Bailey

(From L-R)
1. 6’1” x 18 ½” x 2 ¼”
Swallow “I surf this one in 2-4ft waves. It’s got a single to double concave, which I have in all my boards, and goes good in clean little waves.”

2. 6’2” x 18 ½” x 2 ¼”
“This is a great all-round board. I’ll surf it here at home in Llantwit, anywhere around Britain or elsewhere in pretty much any kind of surf from 2-6ft. If I was going away somewhere and could only take one board with me, this would be it.”

3. 6’4” x 18 ½” x 2 ½”
“I like to surf this board in thicker, more powerful waves. The last time I surfed it was in Hawaii, before that I surfed it at Bagpipes in Scotland. It gets you in to the wave real early and then turns like a shortboard, so long as the waves have enough power, coz it is pretty thick.”

4. 6’0” x 19” 2 ¼”
“This is my groveller, with a wide tail and flatter outline for really shitty waves. The last time I surfed it was over in Ireland last week, at the Quik King of the Groms comp over there. It’s basically a board for
shite, so it’s the perfect board for Wales….”

5. 6’6” x 18 ¼” x 2 ¼” pintail
“I last surfed this one in Hawaii, at OTW and Pipe. It’s real good in the barrel plus it turns well too, which is a pretty good combo. I’d surf it here in Britain at spots like big Bagpipes and maybe at Y Bocs when it’s pretty big”.

(All boards shaped by JP)