We happened across this board on TradeMe a few weeks ago and couldn't pass it up... it almost slipped through our fingers but luckily we shared a bit of our story with the seller and got this piece of history back in our hands.

See, before Craig Hughes started the Raglan Surf Company back in 1992, he secured work to re-establish the Town & Country brand here in NZ. Shaping boards for the likes of T&C and Xanadu, and working alongside some of the most prominent shapers in Raglan (who are still going at it today), the factory soon established itself as the most progressive board factory in the country and became a focal point for local and visiting surfers. 

With the likes of Mickey T, Mark (Spoons) Camenzind, Dave Elley amongst the crew, it was hard to beat that production line. 

Mark (Spoons) Camenzind, back in the day. Spoons now runs his own operation located just outside of Raglan on SH23 - Camenzind Surfboards

In time, the factory was moved to make room for the growing retail space, and after things wrapped up with T&C, Craig and son Luke officially established Hughes Surfboards in 2005.

With the long winding waves of Raglan points as the consistent testing grounds, Hughes Surfboards are made for the waves of Raglan. But don't let that deter you if you spend most weekends surfing elsewhere, Luke has honed in on the craft his Dad handed down, and takes custom board creation to a whole new level. Creating custom boards for the youngest of groms just hitting their surfing stride, to the salty sea dogs who have been surfing for 40 years. 

Nowadays, the Hughes Surfboards lineup still features some of Craig's original high-performance designs, and Luke carry's on not just the family tradition, but the family passion and the original inspiration for the Raglan Surf Company, surfboards and surfing. 

This T&C board was a total trip down memory lane. It was one we had never seen before and is still in such good condition... we might even try and surf it again!

If you have an old custom of Craig's on-hand or you've come across one, we would love to see some photos, email them to Luke - luke@raglansurf.com. 

Churrr Happy surfing