As Cornwall is the centre of surfing within the UK, Cornwall College is lucky enough to have links with some of the top names from the industry.
Professional surfer Ben Skinner is sharing the talent and resources at his Newquay-based company SkinDog Surfboards, with our degree students, giving them a unique opportunity to get the hands on experience of building a custom board.
Working in partnership with Cornwall College, SkinDog has been helping students from the foundation degree in Surf Science & Technology to design, shape, paint and finish their own custom surfboards as part of a module on their specialist foundation degree programme.
Ben Skinner, who is currently fifth in the world Longboard rankings, explains: “My relationship evolved with Cornwall College through a good friend of mine Ciaran Mcqueen. We are really excited about doing the course and it’s something that we all find interesting; teaching and passing on the knowledge that we’ve learnt along the way. It’s been a great process building our factory and being able to offer our services to Cornwall College and give the students the experience of getting hands-on and having a custom board built is great.”
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| Student Ben Sherratt working on his own board design with Ben Skinner at the SkinDog factory |
Few students in the world can boast they are learning directly from Ben Skinner and his team of industry leading professionals, which includes Ben’s business partner Jason Gray, expert sander and former British Surfing champion Shaun Skilton and sprayer Jesús González Verdi from Spain.
Student Ben Sherratt moved down from Exeter to study the Surf Science & Technology course at Cornwall College Newquay. Ben has been working with the SkinDog team to create his own asymmetrical surfboard. Check out what Ben has to say about the Surf Science course in the video below:
Programme Manager Brender Willmott explained the distinctive appeal of the FdSc Surf Science & Technology: “I am so happy to be managing a course that is not only educational but inspirational and that offers a rare opportunity to study at degree level, a sport and industry that is growing so rapidly. It offers unique chances to design and build a board with world class athletes and shapers, to work with national level competitive organisations and sponsors, experience an overseas trip to explore environmental aspects and business opportunities, at the same time as gaining a recognised degree qualification studied primarily on or close to Newquay beaches. What more could you want- it’s a unique opportunity to submerge yourself in the culture of the sport and gain knowledge and experience that will equip you to gain employment in any number of aspects of the sport you love.”
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| Student Greg Sowa with his own board design that he produced at SkinDog Surfboards |
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