Paddle Out For The Ride of Your Life

Honcho Surf Skis

The Head Honcho is Andrew Fyfe info@honchosurfskis.co.za. And the Main Honchos are you - the paddlers.

HEAD HONCHO ANDREW FYFE
Contact Andrew

Andrew was born into a family of creative people. "My father has been involved in many aspects of fiberglass molding for most of his working life and what I used to do as a child instead of messing around with my friends, I used to go to his factory and really enjoy working with polyester resins and urethane foams and things.

"I was fascinated by the material and I shaped and glassed my own surfboard before I was fifteen.

"Basically my interest in fiberglass just grew from there."

After completing his military service, Andrew joined his father in his business, and they decided to build paddle skis. "At first we made entry-level, canoe-type skis but then we got into in making production pop-outs, competitive skis and paddles. I was also involved in the sport at a competitive level and I made it into the Eastern Province side and took part in the SA champs" (he would later race power boats, wet bikes, and racing yachts - and enjoy non-competitive water skiing).

"The Vortex was our top-of-the-range ski - the J-bay legend Glen D'Arcy shaped it for us and I did the moulding," said Andrew.

Before the Vortex went into full production, however, the pair sold the business to a public group - which took Andrew on as a director. "I became involved in sales which sort of curbed my creative abilities for a while.

But working for a boss bored Andrew and within two years he'd moved to Cape Town to look for new opportunities. "I launched Andy Cab, manufacturing my own top of the range selection of canopies and building the plugs and moulds from scratch.

And Honcho?

"I've always been into water sports and racing. From paddle skiing days it progressed into racing, inflatable boats. I raced with a partner for about two years but the sport got too dangerous, so I bailed out gracefully, while I still had a back left and kidneys.

"And then, enjoying the competitive thing, I got involved in wet bike racing. Now I do a lot of keel boat racing and actively crew on a 54-foot Sovereign.

"About two years ago I tried surf skiing and I went about buying a ski, but I wasn't happy with the quality of the skis on the market. I decided I could build one that would look as good as it paddled - and that's when the idea of Honcho was born.

"But it wasn't as easy as that: it took 18 months to develop the Honcho Oceans Pro and the Rookie - and now they've been tested in actual races. And they've won them, too.

"Honcho is going to be a force to contend with in the future... and a good-looking force, too."

info@honchosurfskis.co.za