The Testing Grounds

Jim’s designs originated in the powerful Cronulla reef breaks of Shark Island, Voodoo and Cronulla Point, waves that allowed very little room for error.

These designs proved to be well suited to the long barrels of Indonesia and were further developed through repeated trips to Hawaii in the late 70’s where Jim pushed the limits of many world famous surf breaks.

 “Jim Banks rewrote the book on backhand surfing at Sunset Beach”
Hawaiian Head Judge Jack Shipley 1979

Jim hit the road throughout the 80’s and 90’s with quivers of boards to remote corners of Indonesia, Australia’s North West desert and the Pacific.  These trips to some of the world’s most challenging waves in some of the world’s remotest regions meant that he needed boards that he could depend on to pull himself through situations where sometimes his life was on the line. 

It was these trips to now legendary waves such as Grajagan, Cloudbreak, Desert Point, Outside Corner Uluwatu, Gnarloo, Nihiwatu and completed the development of his already finely honed shapes.