14 October 2013 Last updated at 12:24 ET

Surfer’s ‘wonderful zest’ for life

A man from St Agnes who made surfboards for some of the sport’s highest profile stars has died.

Peter “Chops” Lascelles, 60, was at the forefront of the surfing industry, helping to develop brands like Rip Curl and Billabong in the UK.

He shaped surfboards for Nat Young, Mickey Dora, Michael Demont and Ben Skinner.

Mr Lascelles, who was originally from Australia, competed for England in the Surfing World Championships.

Although he was born in Queensland, Mr Lascelles came to Cornwall in the early 1970s.

His first stop was Perranporth where he worked as a lifeguard.

Soon after, he set up his own business in St Agnes, shaping and selling surfboards.

In a 2005 interview for the Daily Telegraph, Mr Lascelles said: “On one surf trip to Morocco I was told that there was great surf in Cornwall.

“I came over and fell in love with the place. When the weather’s good, it’s just about the prettiest place in the world.”

He once estimated he had shaped more than 20,000 boards in his career.

Tributes have been paid to Mr Lascelles on his Facebook page.

Lin Hendy said: “He had such a wonderful zest for living I’m sure he “lived” far more than those of us who may last many more years.”

Phil Jarratt said: “Chops was always fun to be around, surfer/shaper/bon vivant/good spirit. He will be missed by so many.”

Become A Sponsor!
If you have a product or service that is a good fit for our surf community, we have opportunities for you to sponsor this blog! Download our media kit now!