My name is Chet Thornberry and I run FergalSmith.com. My goal is to provide info for new surfers, skimboarders, paddle boarders and some recommended gear. I live in Cocoa Beach (hometown of the late great Kelly Slater) with my wife and 2 year old daughter:

Hi there! I’m a Digital Marketer by day, ex-kook by evening, night and occasionally skip out on work if it’s barreling (news flash: Cocoa Beach usually isn’t), and this is my website.

FergalSmith.com is a website built around the beach. I love water sports quite a bit more then your typical Joe Shmoe and I created this blog as an excuse to obsess over surfing without my wife having ammo to tell me not to.

This blog is mainly a resource for new surfers, or water sports enthusiasts using YouTube videos, articles, and guides/how-to’s.

When I was younger I started surfing with my cousin in Long Beach Island (NJ). This experience as a kid was both terrifying and liberating at the same time. My first experience was on a 9 ft long board after years of a mix of normal and stand-up body boarding. Over the years I’ve gotten hurt, I’ve dealt with health issues, and learned quite a bit before sticking to consistent surfing.

Like I said earlier, I started Fergal Smith Surfboards out of a love for the master himself- Fergal Smith. He was an amazing surfer and now moved on to a different path in life, luckily enough I chose this domain as Fergal Smith is an idol of mine (as strange as that may sound).