Old wind turbines ride new wave
A Gold Coast surfing competition has become the testing ground for fins crafted from recycled wind turbine blades.
The world's first retail-ready surfboard fins made from recycled wind turbine blades have been tested in a real-world surfing competition.
The fins were designed to meet the performance demands of modern surfing while highlighting the scalability of recycled wind turbine materials, and were put to the test by professional surfer Darcy Crump at last weekend's Aussie Boardriders Battle on the Gold Coast.
"As a surfer, performance comes first. The fins feel solid, and quick around turns, and knowing they're made from recycled turbine blades makes it even better," Crump said.
The fins are the first commercially available product to come out of Acciona's 'Turbine Made' initiative. The global renewable infrastructure company launched the initiative last year to reimagine new ways to transform decommissioned wind turbine blades.
Experts say this challenge is set to grow significantly as Australia grapples with an increasing volume of decommissioned blades over the next 10 to 15 years.
"Crucially, the material is super strong and stiff, which perfectly lends itself to high-performance surfboard fins"
Acciona first launched the 'Turbine Made' initiative last year, partnering with professional surfer Josh Kerr and his brand Draft Surf to create a set of high-performance surfboards made from a decommissioned wind turbine blade. These efforts earned the company a place as a finalist in the Clean Energy Council's 2025 Collaboration Award category.
To develop the fins unveiled at last weekend's competition, Acciona partnered with Australian surf brand Bolero Surf which is led by 26-year-old entrepreneur Banjo Hunt.
According to Bolero Surf, many surfboards are still paired with fins made from unsustainable manufacturing practices – something the new fins directly address.
The company said it spent years testing recycled fibreglass options, from caravan panels to boat hulls, before finding the right material in repurposed turbine blade fibreglass.
"The fibreglass inside a wind turbine blade has so much inherent value, which for us means it can be turned into high-quality surfboard fins. By reusing this material, we avoid one of the most expensive and labour-intensive parts of traditional fin manufacturing," Bolero Surf said.
"That advantage is helping us bring production back to Australia. Crucially, the material is super strong and stiff, which perfectly lends itself to high-performance surfboard fins."
Crafted in Sydney, the 'Turbine Made' fins are designed to be available to both Australian and international consumers.
Acciona Energía Australia's managing director Gavin Reymond said the fins represented a turning point for the initiative.
"Last year, we proved the Turbine Made concept by making the world's first surfboards from a retired wind turbine blade. This year, we're showing how we can scale the initiative by creating a retail product, helping surfers not just surf better, but also more sustainably," he said.
"This is a live case study for Australian designers, innovators, manufacturers and entrepreneurs of what is possible when we rethink end of life materials as the start of the next product."
Acciona's 'Turbine Made' initiative seeks new ways to recycle decommissioned blades as Australia's first wave of wind farms approach the end of their lifespan. While many turbine components can be recycled with relative ease, the blades present a particular challenge as they are typically made of fibreglass or carbon fibre reinforced with resin, which makes material separation difficult. Crafted in Sydney by Bolero Surf, the 'Turbine Made' fins are the vision of 26-year-old designer Banjo Hunt. According to Bolero Surf, a high-performance flex and strength is required to make surfboard fins – both attributes of the decommissioned turbine blades. Bolero Surf says the Turbine Made surfboard fins are now commercially available.
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Louisa Hearn
Louisa Hearn
Louisa Hearn
