SUP Maniacs Ltd: Scott McKercher

Few people have shaped the direction of water sports like Scotty McKercher. From world-title windsurfing glory to driving some of Starboard’s most iconic designs, to launching SMIK — one of the most influential SUP and surf brands on the planet — Scotty’s journey is pure evolution. Now calling Margaret River home, he splits his time between testing boards in heavy remote waves, refining new shapes, and helping create events like the LSR Cosmic Experience in Bali. A true adventurer, designer, and original waterman, Scotty continues to redefine what’s possible on a board.

You’ve worn many hats over the years: world champ windsurfer, Starboard head designer, founder of SMIK. How did that evolution unfold for you?

Well I do always wear a hat, being a fair skinned bald man who’s spent way too much time in the sun... but it has been an evolution of sorts.

Since 16-17 years old, I’ve been sponsored for windsurfing and been involved with board design from the get go. At first with Greg Laurenson at Santosha Surfboards, then with Mick Manolas at Performance Surfboards and then with Neil Scheltema at WindTech. Neil was the driver of thoughts that I should quit my teaching degree and give the world tour a crack, or another crack as myself and Dave Sheen were given some money to do the European leg to promote Western Australian surf products by the government before I went to college.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I gave myself the ultimatum, win enough money over the summer and I’m going to quit college and hit the road. Some serious serendipity occurred. A freak wind gust to win the biggest event of the summer to beat Svein Rasmussen by a whisker and the wheels were set in motion.

Neil and I spent a lot of time in the shaping bay and by the time the first events rolled around in 1993, we had some pretty different looking boards (twin fins in fact). I made a couple of semi-finals, placing third and people really took notice of our boards and orders from tour riders started rolling in for WindTech and a collaboration with Kinetic, which is the factory which produces boards in Vietnam, was born.

Then was a falling out between Neil and I in 1996 and I was left board sponsor-less wondering what the funk to do for the next season. It was then that Svein Rasmussen was just starting out with a little company called Starboard and in 1997 I got a deal to get some race boards and be involved of the development of their wave boards whilst also competing.

Scott with the Evo on the PWA World Tour

In 2003, we developed a board called the Evo which kind changed how waveboards looked: more fishy instead of looking like guns which is what they looked like before then. In 2004, I rode these boards to a PWA world title and the Evo became the biggest selling waveboard in the world. So I kept competing and developing throughout my career, when in 2007, my hip was starting to wear out, stand up paddle was just coming onto the scene and Svein got me involved with the SUP shapes as well. Competing until not physically possible anymore (limping pretty bad needing a new hip at 38), I then went full-time development between windsurfing and SUP: I’d drop off a couple bags of windsurf boards to be modified, pick up some SUPs, go test those and then alternate between the two, flying a crazy amount of miles.

Some internal political stuff within the company had me thinking it was time to go out on my own and jumped off the deep end to start SMIK. At the same time, Arnon from Thailand started the HCT factory and I was able to access high quality PVC carbon boards, with the shapes being “just the way I liked them”. The funny thing was, when I left, I grabbed a set of MR twin fins that were sitting in the factory. A couple years later, I thought I really need to make a board for those fins and the Hipster Twin was born. And the market has been trying to catch up ever since.

The Hipster Twin in Margaret River

SMIK has become one of the most respected names in SUP, foil and surf design. What's the philosophy behind the brand and what makes a board truly SMIK?

Ultimately, what I’ve found with testing is it’s the boards you don’t want to come in on that are THE ones. They make you want to surf more because they’re working well. The focus is a certain level of automation built into a board. They have to carve well, as a good hack has been pretty much the focus of my entire life, but the way a board reacts with the lip, how it accelerates... all critical. And it has to be automatic.

A huge part has always been about construction. Full PVC wrap with carbon decks is without doubt still the strongest, lightest, most durable construction available, without a shadow of a doubt.

You’ve always been deeply hands on with design and testing. What does a typical R&D trip up the coast look like, and how wild do things get out there?

This has certainly been a major part of my life, over various forms of craft. With windsurfing it was boards, but also sail development. And it had me moving a hell of a lot all over the years. Thankfully, I kind of like driving and flying to an extent: it’s quite meditative. Back in the day, it was always hectic, fly from Thailand, drive up for two days, drive back, fly back up, modify, etc...

Since SMIK, I’ve had more time to park up and take more time in my old 1977 caravan that lives up there. Play around with boards more. Take more time to evaluate, whilst nursing my beer. It’s not all heart-in-your-mouth sketchy drops and barrels up there. On smaller days, it’s quite playful out the front of camp and there's another wave in the bay. There’s a mixed bag of conditions which is pretty handy for assessing boards. Which is what I think is the most important thing with board design and testing. To try boards in a variety of conditions over time to get a true feel for a design. But yeah, on its day, it can truly scare the shit out of you. Only when paddling in though. Windsurfing is like towing in. It’s too easy.

You’re known for seeking out heavy remote waves. With Margaret River as home and WA offering some of the most adventurous world class surf on the planet, what draws you to this rugged isolated breaks along the coast?

Margaret has been home for 24 years. Before that I grew up in Perth which has the least amount of swell due to Rottnest Island blocking it all, but Margies has the most consistent swell supply of anywhere in the world. And I‘m generally not into surfing with crowds, which is why I have my little secret outer reef that I’m usually surfing alone. Or with my mate Paul Lane. Thankfully we’ve only seen dolphins out there up till now. It’s quite a paddle out to sea which is why we get it to ourselves. But I really love our entire coastline. The isolation, rawness, beauty. I’ve scoured pretty much every inch of it over the years. And never tire driving to the east, south or north as it’s so diverse in waves, climate and landscape.

The LSR Cosmic Experience in Bali has grown into something pretty special. What inspired you to bring that idea to life, and how has the event evolved over the past four years and what would you like to see happen with the future of the Cosmic?

Well, that was just having spent a fair bit of time in Sanur testing at the Rip Curl School of Surf (Jonni's place) and got to thinking that Oka Point was a great longboard SUP wave that rarely has anyone on it. So it was a place that we could hold a comp and not piss anyone off. And you ‘re in Bali, eating nasi goreng and drinking Bintangs. I mentioned it to yourself and Jonni and the response was a unanimous “fuck yeah”.

And Sanur is the old world part of Bali that hasn’t changed/hipsterized too much. It grew as people just came and had a great time, very casual, not too much of a contesty type vibe, but then as it’s grown, it kinda has become a bit more serious. I just love hanging out with my team as they’re such a great bunch of people. As are all the folks that have been rocking up. I'm a little out to lunch on the inclusion of foiling, so we’ll see how that evolves.

The SMIK team at the Longboard SUP Revolution in 2023

You’ve shaped boards for everyone from weekend warriors to elite pros astound the world.  What’s the key to designing equipment that works across such a wide range of riders?

Well I guess I’m now the target market for the majority of the SUP market: couple fake joints, little heavier, less flexible that enjoys a board that’s forgiving with good balance, but can also appreciate what a performance turn feels like. If you get the young pros to develop, sure, they can make great 6’8’s and 7’0 shortboards, but they never actually ride the larger SUPs. Or actually don’t have the weight to be able to push them around.

I remember team riders always wanting to have their boards with narrow noses that were super hard to stand on, and that just didn’t translate to what the market was actually needing under their feet. Ultimately, listening to what people want is the key. And as I said before, testing in a wide variety of conditions is the key to appease everyone.

SMIK supports an impressive group of ambassadors and riders worldwide. What do you look for in someone representing the SMIK brand?

That’s just kind of evolved. Obviously they have to surf well, and I guess be of a like mind?
Wes Fry was my first team rider and we just gelled on trips and somehow managed to ALWAYS score on trips. And we just had a good time hanging out. That expanded to when Skyla [Rayner] came into the picture, naturally, and I always been a great admirer of Kai [Bates]’s surfing so when I bumped into him up in Exmouth, I asked the cheeky question. I was super stoked he got on board. Zanny and Brea [Wright] are also rippers that are like family.

Iballa Moreno is a phenomenal athlete and a friend for a lot of years, so that was a no brainer, who illuminated me to the talents of Julieta [Rodriguez] and Enrique [Perez], whom I’ve never really met but trust Iballa. The best thing about being on the trips though is how much fun we’ve had.

Between windsurfing, SUP, foiling, what’s firing you up the most right now?

That’s a horses for courses thing. What ever the weather is doing is what I’m fired up on. Outside right now is light onshore and shit waves and I’m keen for a wingfoil. Sunday morning looks like good for SUP, and Sunday arvo looks like an epic windsurf. If I’m in Perth, there’s no waves, so I’m pretty keen on the parawing thing for downwind. I still love SUP and windsurf the most though. As all these news sports have come along I do enjoy the challenge of trying to figure them out, whilst simultaneously developing gear. It definitely keeps life diverse and interesting.

Scott laying it down at Surfers' Point

You’ve built a life around the ocean, design, and adventure. What keeps that passion burning after so many years at the forefront of water sports?

Peter Pan syndrome? I haven’t grown up yet? Part gypsy, need to keep moving?
I’m not sure. Not ready to be a full time gardener yet. However, the garden is looking really good.

Looking ahead, what’s next for you and for SMIK? Have we reached the point where SUP board design is close to its limit — with only minor refinements left — or do you see new breakthroughs in the design of boards?

It’s all just a case of history repeating I reckon. Trying to find new ideas out of old ways of thinking. Right now I’m playing around with some design ideas after seeing a mate's retro twinny collection in Barwon Heads. Some really heavy V’d twins. I’ve made a couple protos and there’s been some nice sensations, but not polished yet. But I guess it’s the small tweaking that needs to be played around with. Fins, to rocker, to outline... all so critical to each other. It’s a lot  of fun to try and figure out the matrix. And motivates you to get on the water more too.

Testing new prototypes

 

This interview was originally published on The Longboard SUP Revolution group on Facebook, by Michael Jenkins.