This all started out as a photography project that finished at over 50 different prototypes including, surf waxes seasoned with red wine and glide snowboard wax mixed and served with a banana.
I had been asked by my friend Phil at the local surf shop if I would like to do a photography exhibition outside the shop later in the summer. I need an idea .. I had seen that the pin trees at the beach car park had been tapped for resin over 60 years ago (this industry has all but stopped here) and the idea was an exhibition showing how the early pioneers of Montalivet used to tap the resin from the pine trees as a way of living. Well it went a bit further down the road of innovation!
Gathering resin is a time consuming and tough job if you do it in the way that our ancestors did (now there are techniques which make the tapping easier). My next door neighbour's grandfather was a “resinier” and he was happy to lend me his tools and explain a little bit of the techniques used in days gone by.
A few weeks later I had my first pot of sticky tree resin and calluses on my hands :) Stage 1 had given me the resin so now time to find some of those bees.
This stage became interesting.. My first call was to a friend of a friend who had just started out in the world of apiculture, all started off well, but at some moment or other, something went wrong.. either the bees were not happy in the hive or the colony was having a bad day.. I ended up with 25 stings when the guard bees must had decided that I was to close with my camera. I have not run so fast for a long time ..
Second time lucky it was a happy day at the hive ( I had been introduced to a honey farmer from the next village). Now I was the happy owner of a few kg's of wax and some tasty pots of Medoc honey.
The rest of the mix for my waxes I had decided would be from the kitchen and garden (I decided to use kitchen LARD instead of coconut oil) so it was time to get the bain marie hot.
I produced a range of surf wax including, garlic/onion wax (for the freeloader who always wants to borrow wax), red wine wax (a small amount of red wine inclosed for a quick mouth wash before surfing) and herb-wax (a mixture of fresh herbs from the garden..)
Next was the snowboard wax, upcycled fruit skins. Including banana's, oranges and lemons.
I had a lot of fun with this one. A 100% ecological snowboard wax, made from beeswax, banana and a few extra ingredients. My prototype wax fix's well to the ptex base after warming with "grandma's old iron". Comes up with a fantastic shine after scraping and polishing the boards base. Next are the SNOW tests to check out the slide, glide and durability !
