Hot Rod on Board for Cannes debut

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2nd December 2008

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Rod Hocker works on a surf board.

Bruce Thomas / Coffs Coast Advocate

A COFFS Coast local will be debuting in a film at the Cannes Film Festival this year - but not with his acting skills.

Musica Surfica, one of the most innovative surf films of the year, showcases the world of finless surfing - and right in the centre of it are boards shaped right here on the Coffs Coast, by local Rod Hocker.

Working out of Surf Shapes at Toormina, Rod has been making boards for surfing legend and Musica Surfica star Derek Hynd since the 1970s - so it was no surprise to him that his boards were in the film.

And now, having won the Robert De Niro Award in New York, the film has been invited to be shown at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

“I guess it's a pretty big deal,” Rod said of his finless surfboards being featured in the film.

“I've been making boards for Derek since about 1978, it's really about him. Finless surfboards are pretty much the same as finned ones - it's all about rail control.”

He said there wasn't a huge call for finless surfboards along the Coffs Coast, but perhaps the film would change that.

“A lot of the young kids aren't interested in that, I've mainly been doing stand up paddle boards.”