JUC Surf's boards are available for preorder now via the company's website

JUC Sur

A startup spun out of Australia's Deakin University has leveraged its knowledge in organic chemistry and aerospace engineering to produce the world's first recycled carbon fiber surfboard. Pitched as not just a way of preventing waste going to landfill, JUC Surf says it has overcome previous issues with carbon fiber construction to offer a board that performs just as well as a traditional one.

"While carbon fiber is an amazing material, more than 45,000 tonnes of it is thrown into landfill each year," says JUC Surf's Dr Filip Stojcevski, an aerospace engineer. "By using the principles of engineering and chemistry we learnt at Deakin, we've created surfboards that we're confident people will love, with the added benefits to the environment in reducing landfill too."

While completing his PhD, Stojcevski worked with Boeing R and T Aerospace on advanced surface treatments for carbon fiber to improve its adherence to resin. Other innovations involved advanced electrochemistry techniques and new ways of recycling the carbon fibers to make the material more durable.