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Surf champion expands Beach Beat
A Cornwall-based surfboard designer who has sold his creations to artist Damien Hirst is taking advantage of groundbreaking technology to stay ahead of the competition.
Peter "Chops" Lascelles, himself a champion surfer, owns and runs Beach Beat. He is using the revolutionary computer technology to help build surfboards and to involve his customers in the process.
"I have embraced the new computer technology for designing/shaping surfboards by introducing it into a retail store on a 42" plasma screen which allows the public to actually participate in their own design. I believe this is a European first. I have also worked in conjunction with a Newquay firm Ocean Magic where the machine is based, in introducing this revolutionary shaping technology which allows me to be in constant touch with the production. I can do designs from wherever I am in the world as long as I can plug my laptop into the internet and send the design directly to the machine. From there they finish it at our Wheal Kitty factory. It is very versatile and can do all sorts of weird designs if required."
Mr Lascelles has been involved in surfboard design since the 1960s when he worked with the family business in Australia. He moved to Cornwall about 30 years ago and his company is now based at Wheal Kitty workshops, St Agnes.
His business has recently expanded into e-shopping and is offering another first via the Internet. The new website - www.beachbeatsurfboards.co.uk - will allow customers to design their own board online. This will be the first time this service has been available anywhere.
The web design and consequent business expansion plans came about with support from Unlocking Cornish Potential, a scheme that has received Objective One investment and places graduates with businesses. Toby White-Chambers is a surf science graduate who is responsible for setting up the e-shop.
Ben Leonard, UCP spokesman, said: "The project that Toby is undertaking is going to be invaluable to their future success. His drive and abilities will enable them to capitalise on the company's already excellent reputation and the high regard which Beach Beat is held in the market. The online shop that Toby is creating and will manage will be far more targeted and considered than many of the other 'online superstores' that are in existence and should reflect the quality driven approach of the organisation as a whole. UCP is tremendously excited to be supporting Toby and we wish him every success with the project."
Mr Lascelles has also been supported by actnow - a partnership involving British telecom and Objective One that has meant the roll out of high speed Broadband Internet access across this region.
From a one man band Mr Lacelles now has seven employees, rising to nine in the summer season. He sells from 800 to 1,000 surfboards a year and is hoping to expand even further. His most famous client is Damien Hirst who initially met Mr Lascelles during a fund raising project for Surfers Against Sewage. Mr Lascelles made two surfboards with Mr Hirst's designs on them that were auctioned to raise funds for the environmental charity. The whole auction raised tens of thousands of pounds.
"He recently asked me to make a couple more that he wanted to give as presents so I showed him how to work with the foam and what we can do and sent him six different designs," said Mr Lascelles. "I shape and he paints."
For further information please contact Clare Morgan on 01872 223439 or email: cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk.
The Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has invested in the Wheal Kitty Workshop Project and the actnow project through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The Programme has also invested in the Unlocking Cornish Potential Project through the European Social Fund (ESF).
Story courtesy of http://www.objectiveone.com
Cornwall Pure Business is a service of Cornwall Enterprise