In 2026, Australian surfer Banjo Hunt transformed a retired wind turbine blade into surfboard fins. Years later, the experiment shows how old composites can find new uses

In 2026, an unusual connection between renewable energy and Australian surfing offered a striking example of how materials designed for one purpose can acquire a second life. Sydney surfer and Bolero Surf founder Banjo Hunt began turning sections of a retired wind turbine blade from Victoria’s Waubra Wind Farm into surfboard fins. The project attracted attention because turbine blades are among the most difficult components of a wind turbine to recycle, despite the broader structure of a turbine containing many materials that can be recovered. Hunt used a six-metre section of a blade and a computer-controlled cutting process to shape the material into fins designed for surfing. The result was more than an unusual experiment: it demonstrated how durable composite materials from decommissioned renewable-energy infrastructure could potentially become useful products instead of being treated simply as waste.

The choice of a wind turbine blade was closely connected to the qualities that make these enormous structures challenging at the end of their working lives. Turbine blades need to withstand powerful forces, repeated loading and demanding weather conditions, so they are engineered from strong composite materials that typically combine fibreglass with resin.

That durability is extremely valuable while a turbine is operating, but it creates a problem when the blade reaches retirement. Unlike metals such as steel, composite blade materials cannot simply be melted down and remade through conventional recycling systems. ABC News reported that around 90 percent of a wind turbine can be recycled, while the blades represent a much more difficult portion of the waste stream. Hunt recognized that the same strength and rigidity that complicate recycling could make the material suitable for surfboard fins, where stiffness, durability and consistent performance are important.


The material came from the Waubra Wind Farm near Ballarat in Victoria, where the turbines have been operating for more than a decade. According to ABC News, the particular blade used for Hunt’s project was 40 metres long before sections were repurposed. Acciona reported that the blade had generated approximately 14,773 megawatt-hours of electricity during its operational life, while avoiding an estimated 19,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

Its transformation into surfboard fins therefore created an interesting second chapter for a component that had already spent years contributing to renewable electricity generation. Rather than ending its usefulness when it was removed from the turbine, part of the blade was redirected into a product used in a completely different environment: the ocean. The concept illustrates the broader principle of a circular economy, in which materials are kept in productive use for as long as practical.

Hunt’s approach also differed from traditional recycling because the blade material could be reshaped mechanically rather than chemically processed into an entirely new substance. Acciona’s account of the project says the fins were produced by cutting and reshaping sections of the original composite while preserving its structural characteristics. This approach is significant because conventional blade recycling can involve complex processes designed to separate or recover constituent materials.

Direct reuse, by contrast, attempts to retain more of the value already embedded in the original engineered component. For Hunt, the approach also addressed the economics and environmental footprint of fin manufacturing. He told ABC News that traditional materials could be expensive and difficult to trace, while the retired blade offered an abundant local resource that could be manufactured into fins in Australia.

The idea moved beyond a workshop experiment when professional surfer Darcy Crump tested the turbine-blade fins during the 2026 Australian Boardriders Battle on Queensland’s Gold Coast. Crump described the fins as somewhat stiffer than some commercially manufactured alternatives but said their performance was comparable with established fin brands. That real-world test was important because sustainability claims become more meaningful when recycled materials can meet the functional requirements of the products they replace. A surfboard fin must perform under rapidly changing forces as a surfer turns, accelerates and moves through powerful water. The successful competition test therefore provided an early indication that a retired wind-turbine composite could have a practical application beyond decorative reuse or low-demand products.

The Australian project also arrives at an important moment for the wind industry. Early generations of wind turbines are increasingly reaching the end of their operating lives, while repowering projects can replace older machines with newer and more efficient technology. Acciona says Australia has 31 wind farms with turbines more than 15 years old, creating a growing need for practical strategies to handle retired components.

ABC News reported that the Clean Energy Council estimated decommissioned wind farms could generate about 15,000 tonnes of blade-composite waste by 2034. These figures illustrate why finding second-life applications is becoming more urgent. A blade may be too large and structurally complex for conventional recycling infrastructure, but sections of that same material can potentially be cut, transported and incorporated into new products.

Surfboard fins are only one example of how the wind industry is beginning to rethink the end of a turbine’s life. Acciona’s Turbine Made initiative is exploring other applications for retired blade materials, including surfboards and footwear, while overseas projects have investigated uses ranging from furniture and playground equipment to infrastructure components.

European research is also examining ways to recover valuable fibres and resin components from old blades through mechanical and chemical recycling technologies. These approaches show that there is unlikely to be one universal solution for every retired blade. Some materials may be best suited to direct reuse, while others could require advanced recycling processes. The larger objective is to reduce disposal and preserve as much of the material’s embedded value as possible.

Banjo Hunt’s turbine-blade surfboard fins tell a larger story about the next stage of the renewable-energy transition. Wind power can reduce emissions during operation, but the infrastructure supporting renewable energy also has a physical life cycle that must be managed responsibly. The Waubra project demonstrates one creative response: instead of viewing a retired composite blade only as difficult waste, designers can ask what its existing strength, shape and material properties make possible.

The answer, unexpectedly, can be a surfboard fin cutting through an Australian wave. The experiment does not solve the enormous challenge of wind-turbine blade waste by itself, but it offers a compelling demonstration of circular design in action. As more turbines reach retirement, ideas that preserve, reuse and re-engineer their materials could help turn an end-of-life challenge into a source of new products, innovation and economic opportunity.