Forget the flying cars and robot maids of the Jetsons, if you wanna see what the future will look like go no further than Nev’s flagship store on the Gold Coast. “It’s the next level of surf retail and board manufacturing,” shaper Nev Hyman proclaimed at the launch of the recently renovated store in March. Apart from boasting a new minimalist modern feel, the store also houses a mad contraption called a ‘Design Pod’ – an advanced computer shaping machine, which will allow the world’s best shapers to customise boards via email from anywhere in the world and have them made onsite and ready to ride in two to three days.

“The aim is to provide customers with quality custom boards from the world’s best shapers, communicate via email, voice or video mail with the shaper from our store and then be able to pick it up in the shortest time- frame possible,” Nev says, adding, “We’re also about to release a unique custom composite board construction technique that’ll shake things up too.”

“It’s all just part of a vision to create a destination store with fashion and boards that are absolute cutting edge,” he explains, noting there will also be a café bar, music and art to make the store an environment that “customers won’t want to leave.” Plans are even open to potentially incorporate beauty therapy services on the second floor: “It’s not the average surf shop … it’s a lifestyle destination,” Nev explains.

If all goes to plan, Nev hopes his innovations will be franchised to other surf retailers globally in the not-so-distant future.