“We’re putting it out there for people who have never tried it before for free,” said co-founder Lucas Sampaio.
The Goat Shed library on Nayland St is looking for donations of decent quality surfboards to bolster its stocks.
Sampaio and another Sumner resident Carlos Alonso came up with the idea in 2020 and have slowly opened the library up to the public.
“We believe that building slowly, we’ll be able to build a bigger foundation for something in the future,” Sampaio said.
He hopes the concept of the library, which is run by volunteers, spreads across New Zealand.
“I believe and advocate for every town in New Zealand having a library because it would increase the stoke and the level of surfing and happiness,” Sampaio said.
A key priority of the library is to increase sustainability in the sport.
The volunteers are not looking for broken surfboards, but can repair and recycle them for future use.
Sampaio said they will assess the difficulty of repairing a board before it is accepted for donation.
Experimentation is encouraged, with Sampaio hoping people will try out different types of surfboards from the library to find what they enjoy.
“You don’t need to go out and buy five different boards. You can borrow what you need at the time.
“If you know the forecast (waves are) going to be a bit bigger or smaller then you can come and borrow a different board for that specific week.”
The library operates under an honour system, with people signing an agreement promising to return the surfboards they borrow.
Sampaio credited the Sumner Community Residents’ Association and Hub for providing the library with a garage at 57 Nayland St.
•The Goat Shed is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4-6pm
