- March 28, 2025
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Ian Macledo stands by his waveskis at his shop in the Marvin Gardens Business Center in Bunnell. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Ian Macleod speaks at a fundraiser for Macski Surfing United at the Palm Coast Community Center. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Ian Macleod shreds a wave. Courtesy photo by Rory Taylor Photography.
Ian Macleod rides a wave on a Macski waveski. Courtesy photo by Rory Taylor Photography.
Ian Macleod stands behind his tandem waveski for adaptive riders and a trainer. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Ian Macleod with a block a foam, the first step toward shaping a new tandem adaptive waveski. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Waveski templates at Ian Macleod's shop in the Marvin Gardens Business Center in Bunnell. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Ian Macleod is a member of one of the most famous families of waveski surfing. His father, John Macleod, began shaping the sit-down paddle-ski boards in South Africa in 1979. About four years later, manufacturing waveski boards became a full-time business.
The family is just as famous for competing and winning waveski titles. Ian Macleod became the third member of his family to win a world championship. He did it in his ninth attempt, winning the world masters division title in 2014. His father won world titles in 1984, 1986 and 1996. His older brother, Alistair, won a world title in 1989.
Ian took over the family business, Macski Surf Gear, in 1990.
“I took over my dad’s passion,” Ian Macleod says.
He moved to the United States about 11 years ago. He churns out about 70 to 80 waveskis a year out of his Bunnell shop in the Marvin Gardens Business Center. They’re all handmade. He shapes, glasses, sands and sprays the boards. They range in price from $2,000 to $2,500, about three times the cost of a good surfboard.
Macski is one of only four waveski manufacturers in the United States. Top competitors in the world ride Macleod’s boards in competition. Macski has about 32 manufacturer’s world titles, Macleod said.
But now Macleod is transitioning to another passion. He wants to help people with disabilities who can’t stand up to be able to enjoy the thrill of riding ocean waves with a specially-made adaptive waveski.
Macleod started the nonprofit, Waveski Surfing United, about 13 months ago. The aim of the organization, he said, is to spread the word to non-profits that support adaptive sports that seated surfing is an option and to provide custom boards and training for people with disabilities.
Stewart Diesel Reynolds is the president of Waveski Surfing United’s board of directors. Reynolds, who is the president of the East Coast Waveski Association and the vice president of the U.S. Waveski Association, has known Macleod for many years.
“When he told me what he was doing and whether I’d want to be involved. I said sure,” said Reynolds, who is also from South Africa. “I think it’s a great thing he’s doing. He’s always been involved with helping the adaptive surfers ever since I’ve known him, so it’s just a natural progression.”
Macleod is in the process of transitioning his business. He has 15 of his designs in Shape3d software. A local board manufacturer has started producing the waveskis from Macleod’s designs.
“Until six months ago, Macski has never had a machine shaped board,” MacLeod said.
Instead of hand-making his for-profit boards he wants to put all his energies into the nonprofit.
“I'm Christian and this is God-inspired,” he said. "Everything I've done in the last 35 years has been to benefit Ian Macleod. This is to benefit other people.”
Waveski surfing is not well known in America. Macleod was reminded of that at adaptive surfing event he attended.
“I went down to a Wounded Warrior Project surf day down in New Smyrna. It was run by the Oceans of Hope Foundation,” Macleod said. “I was there as an observer to see what was happening. They didn’t really include people who couldn’t stand up. They made people lie down on surfboards, which are made to stand on, not lie on. There were no kayak options. There were no options for seated surfing.”
Macleod is creating an alternative. He is crurently designing three waveskis for adaptive use. The first is a tandem waveski in which a trainer sits in the back and paddles the board, while the adaptive surfer sits in the front.
“It’s very unique,” Macleod said. “There are’ three other manufacturers in the world that make tandem waveskis. But they make them for two operators. So this one is for people that cannot ride waves by themselves.”
The second is a trainer waveski where the trainer lies in a pone position on the back of board and can kick the rider into a wave or hold onto the rider and steer them back to shore. The third waveski is for riders who can paddle out and catch the waves by themselves but may not have use of their legs. For that board he has to get the balances right for each individual rider depending on their needs.
“I've got to travel to Christopher up in South Carolina, who’s a single-leg amputee, put him in the trainer board and let him use it. I have to test it, come back, rework it, go back and test it again,” MacLeod said.
Macleod has been actively working on the project for about 19 months, and during that time it has been self-funded. Right now he is looking for private donors to buy into his vision. He’s raised some money through donors and corporations but not enough yet to get the project moving.
“It’s going to cost over $100,000 for the three boards that I'm going to make,” he said. “We’re looking for grants. But grants will only come to a non-profit that is proving that they are doing what they said they would do. I’m looking for people to buy into my passion to serve people in the adaptive world.”
“It’s an upward struggle,” Reynolds said. “People want to see results before they donate. Wounded Warriors, goes there. Trying to get exposure that way. It’s going to take time. the more he can show what he’s done, the easier it’s going to be for the whole program.”
Macleod's goal is to go to foundations, such as One More Wave, which provides customized surfing equipment for wounded veterans. He would make a deal to donate three customized waveskis at one of their events, train the riders and leave the boards, and then go to another foundation and do the same.
“I do not want to waste this summer,” Macleod said. “I’m asking the community to help us change people’s lives.”
To learn more about Waveski Surfing United or to donate, go to https://waveskisurfingunited.org.
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