I bought my first board the other day and made my own stick for about $8.

I've cut some beautiful yellow and green striped bamboo from the backyard that will match my board, but while I wait for it to dry out, I got a bamboo garden stake from the hardware. Also got a couple of packets of different sized rubber "leg tips" - designed for table and chair legs - and put one on each end of the bamboo stake. It looks a bit like a long double-ended walking stick, but it's quite light and when the rubber tips wear out I've got plenty more to replace them with.

The stake cost $3 and the rubber tips were $2-3 for a packet of 4. The tips come in black or white rubber and they've stayed on without any glue or screws/nails.

Has anyone else found their stick useful for fending off swooping magpies?!