Renowned Mount Maunganui-based shaper Andy Jordan will soon bow to a strong call from the Land of the Rising Sun and move to a "forgotten" Japanese island to live.
The veteran shaper has crafted an extraordinary 7330-plus “AJ” boards – short, long, twin fins and all the rest, over about 20 ye

Iconic Kiwi Surfboard Shaper To Close Factory, Move To Japan
by Grant Dyson
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Grant Dyson
Dividing his time between Papamoa and the Coromandel, Grant is a veteran freelance journo, writer and editor with an outdoor focus – surfing, cycling and snow skiing in roughly that order. He co-authored New Zealand Surfers with Luke Williamson and has been “endlessly” planning more books on surfing ever since. His writing credits include the Bay of Plenty’s first guide book, The Best of Tauranga. Grant’s background includes hunting surf on islands off Hong Kong and claims his mates in the Hong Kong Surf Club (it was a thing!) named a break after him. As part of an “endangered sub-group,” Grant still rides a custom kneeboard when the surf is hollow enough.