Surf's up for Colne craftsman who began building wooden surfboards in lockdown

Danny Steele, who lives in Colne, was walking up a hill near to home at the start of the pandemic when he started struggling with his breathing.

A positive test for Covid led to two weeks off work and quite a bit of spare time on his hands. That spare time was quickly taken up by a passion project that would soon turn into his very own business.

“I couldn’t do anything [during the two weeks], so I decided to order some wood and see if I could build a surfboard,” said the 29-year-old.

A long-time lover of surfing, Danny admitted his woodwork skills initially left a lot to be desired. Undeterred, hours spent watching YouTube videos, combined with hard graft and steely determination, saw his first carved creation come to life.

"I have no background in woodwork. I actually failed design technology at school,” said the former Primet High School pupil. “I YouTubed how to make a wooden surfboard, watched a load of videos, and thought, ‘Right, I can do this’. A ton of Gorilla Glue and Titebond later, I'd made my first board.

"It started off just as a hobby, basically just making a surfboard for myself. I love surfing. I travel to the east coast a lot, over the weekend, when the weather’s nice. It’s by far the best thing I do.

"After a while, I started making balance boards, which anyone can use to help improve their balance. Then people started asking if I could make them one. The feedback has been incredible. It’s definitely keeping me busy. I’ve just taken five balance boards to a surf school in Whitby.”

Danny, who christened his business ‘Crush Surfboards’ last year, sources all his wood locally. It takes him, on average, a month to make a full-length 7ft surfboard, and he has now started branching out into clothing and other wooden paraphernalia, such as chopping boards.

"I sold quite a few items at the Colne Blues back in August, which was nice. Obviously, we’re not too near to the coast here, so it’s a good way to get the name out. I make everything in the shed in my back garden. I do have a full-time job, so it does take up a lot of my evenings and weekends.

“I’ve started making skateboards now as well, so, I imagine there’ll be quite a bit of interest in that. I just want to keep building the brand up and see where it takes me."

You can check out Danny's creations at www.crushsurfboards.co.uk.