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Island Surfboards was one of the UK's first surfboard companies, it was set up by a group of Kent surfers in 1968 and based in Thanet hence the name Island Surfboards. The company  only lasted for a couple of years but in that time about 30 boards were made starting with traditional longboards and then revolutionary shortie and Knee boards with flexible fins. Most of the boards were exported to Europe, France, Spain, Portugal. If you know the whereabouts of any Island Surfboards or other genuine 1960's Island Surfboards products we would be most interested to hear from you.

Paul Knowles recollection of Island Surfboards. Very few of us had new boards in those days; most boards were imported from Australia or made in Newquay by Bilbo. There was great excitement when the first Bilbo popouts arrived in Thanet in 1968 as these boards were affordable at about half the cost of a new custom boards, but these boards were long and heavy almost needing two people to carry the 10 foot boards down to the beach. The surfing world was changing and the need to develop and the thirst for experimentation was growing, many people in Thanet and all the UK and the rest of Europe were wanting surfboards and the existing surfers wanting shorter, lighter and more maneuverable boards. And so it was in a basement flat in Hawley Square Margate, that almost certainly saw the birth of the first modern surfboard in Thanet. Shaped from foam brought from Baxendales near Manchester with a one inch redwood stringer and then covered in fibre glass matting with a blue pigment. Kurt Maskelyn shaped and glassed that board back in 68. Great excitement ensued as the board was tested at Joss Bay. “We can make more of these”. Experiments were made in blowing our own foam blanks in Tim Keenan's garage which ended in failure. Supplies of the correct Clark foam blanks, redwood stringers and trade supplies of fibre glass and resin were obtained.

This solid wood skate board was used as the sign hung above the factory door.

ISLAND SURFBOARDS started trading from a workshop in Ramsgate run by Tony Ward, Ian Stevenson, Kurt Maskelyn, Tim Keenan and Paul Knowles. Boards were made in a variety of sizes from 8 to 9 feet, plus the then revolutionary knee machine or knee board. There was a lot of local publicity as the surfboard manufacturing industry was confined to 3 or 4 makers based in the west country. In total about 30 boards were made, but the lack of business skills and capital required meant the business closed. Kurt and Tony moved to Braunton followed by Ian in the early seventies. Kurt made boards in North Devon for a while under the KM custom range.