Riding the Waves of Business

Calm ocean waves, warm sandy beaches, a gentle breeze in a sunny, cloudless sky: it probably isn’t what first comes to mind when you picture Colne. But business owner Danny Leslie-Steele, who grew up in Barrowford, is looking to change that. His business, Crush Surfboards, handcrafts wooden surfboards, paddleboards, balance boards and more, yet operates inside our little Lancashire village, miles and miles away from sea.

For Danny, surfing is so much more than just a business opportunity though – it’s a rewarding and immensely satisfying experience. “I think the thing with surfing is that it’s just such an enjoyable feeling,” he explains, “and you really do lose yourself in the waves! It’s infectious and you can’t help but smile – I know, when I’ve been surfing, I’m smiling for a good few months after! I just can’t recommend it enough, it’s one of the best things I can recommend learning to do.”

‘You really do lose yourself in the waves…’

He fondly recounts his initial experience with surfing, and says he’s been hooked since that very first time riding the waves. “When I was about 15 me and my family went to a little Welsh town on holiday. I remember there was a guy surfing on the beach just doing little bits like popping up out of the water – seeing him made me realise I wanted to try out surfing. He told me about a shop near the beach that you could rent boards from, so early the next morning we rented a board and went out surfing. I got wiped out doing it – it was my first time! But instantly I was hooked, and I knew I wanted to eventually have proper lessons.”

And all the hours of practising riding the waves and learning to master the balance have clearly paid off. Crush Surfboards is thriving, offering a wide variety of boards for both experts and beginners. Everything offered by Crush Surfboards is individually handmade by Danny, meaning anything can be tailored to personal request. In the winter months, the business also offers bespoke furniture as well as boards.

“My advice for people wanting to start learning to surf is to bring a good wetsuit – especially in the north as it’s bloody freezing! I’d also recommend you start off on a form board: speaking from experience, if you fall off or get hit by a wooden surfboard it’s going to cause some damage!

“Balance is key too,” he explains, “so if you have good balance, or like skateboarding, you’ll be able to pick it up relatively easy.”

As he is keen to emphasise, the UK is a really great place to go surfing, “there’s some nice beaches with some great waves, and (unless you’re in Cornwall) you’re unlikely to encounter any sharks!”

‘There’s some nice beaches with some great waves, and (unless you’re in Cornwall) you’re unlikely to encounter any sharks!’

And that’s why Crush Surfboards is so great, it gives us up in the rural north an opportunity to engage in surfing and have that confidence that the boards we buy are both affordable and good quality. You can really feel the passion Danny has for surfing, in both his words and in all the time and effort poured into each and every board.

Colne might be far from the sea, but Crush Surfboards ensures that all the warmth of the sunny beach is felt even in our drizzly little town.

ColneLife Mar 23