寺内元基 – 石川県（海洋研究者、木製サーフボードビルダー、家具デザイナー） GENKI TERAUCHI - Ishikawa (Oceanographer, Surfboard Builder, Furniture Designer)

When he finished making his very first surf board, Genki Terauchi returned to the point where he had entered the water for the very first time. It is a contemplative place for him. The Noto Cypress wood used to form his SUP board grows wild in the forest nearby. It weighs up to 20kg but feels light to ride, and catches waves quickly.

Genki started building surfboards from wood after buying his first manual for $100. After that, he invited the author of that manual, the world-famous wooden surfboard builder Paul Jensen, to workshops in Japan ― both in Chiba and his hometown of Ishikawa. He stays in touch with Paul still today.

His studio is on the premises of his house. He uses the lumber from the hill behind his home in his furniture making as well. His wife, Akiko, maintains the well-kept garden.

In his work, his masterpiece is the “River Table.” The flowing curve of the glass partition in the table top accentuates the characteristics of the wood. It is a line that comes from his own experiences of surfing, skiing, and snowboarding.

GENKI TERAUCHI
Born in Ishikawa Prefecture in 1976. PhD (science) holder, wooden surfboard builder, furniture designer. Representative at GT Designs/Chief Researcher at Northwest Pacific Region Environmental Cooperation Center. Prompted by starting to surf when he graduated university, he changed from working as a regular employee at a manufacturer to being an oceanographer. On the sidelines of his ocean research, as a result of pursuing surfing in the ultimate environment at one with nature, he began making surfboards with wood from the mountains upstream from the land. Leveraging the architecture knowledge he learned in uni versity, he established GT Designs in December 2017 by building a studio on the premises of his home and beginning full-blown manufacturing of wooden surfboards and furniture.