Jim Banks on single fins, jammin and heartful surfing.

From the SINGLE FIN IS KING feature special vault in BLUE magazine 2010, we bring to you a day out with Jim Banks during a brief stint back in Australia. One of surfing’s unforgotten legends, Jim’s heart is as big as the Hawaiian water mountains he used to charge on hand-shaped single fins.

Jim Banks on single fins, jammin and heartfelt surfing.

By Angie & Kuni Takanami

Left feeling empty amongst an industry dominated by high-performance, renowned big wave surfing legend and equally talented board shaper Jim Banks wandered off the top of the pro tour at the height of his career.

“I came from the 70s, when ‘Tracks’ magazine was all about growing a vegie garden, how to do yoga, how to build a house, how to do massage. Life was about going up the Aussie coast and going surfing and just loving each other, it was beautiful. That’s the surfing I fell in love with”.

“I felt that if I lost my surfing, what does my life mean anymore? So I went back to my passion of going to remote places and finding the best waves, making the best boards and seeing what else was possible”.

Casually strumming away on his self-made guitar, Jim lazes about his rental farm house, bare feet filthy from the unswept sandy floor. In no rush to check the small summer swell, he looks out onto rolling green pastures, happy to be back in Byron Bay after travels through Bali, Japan and Western Australia.

“These days the urge to go surfing isn’t what it used to be. I need to dive in the ocean or walk on the beach everyday, but it’s either high quality surf or testing out a board that really gets me in the water”.

And out of the water Jim surrounds himself with friends and music, revelling in the moment and instinctive creativity.

“I always have parties when I’m back in Australia. Everyone comes over and we just jam and it’s wonderful. The most powerful thing is playing in the moment. Nothing rehearsed, all spontaneous”.

Shaping when he feels inspired to create, Jim embraces the resurgence of single fins, releasing his own line of guns based on templates from the 70s, boards ideal for the big conditions at waves like ‘Sunset’ in Hawai’i. He says to ride them you’ve got to be ‘chilled’ out, feel the wave and pay attention to what the board is doing,

Acknowledging changes in the way the public view surfing’s dominant industry, Jim reckons people are starting to feel surfing again from inside.

“That’s why they want to pick up a single fin. Single fin riders are people more connected to their heart, feeling the magic in the glide. But to be honest, I’m hooked on the twin fin. Addicted to the speed”.

Jim is currently surfing perfect hollow tubes whilst exploring uncharted waves in Indonesia for his new project The Indo Odyssey. Places on the boat are open for those interested in jumping onboard, check out www.indo-odyssey.com for more details.