San Diego, California is a major surf center, for surfers and surfboard shapers alike. There are a number of prominent San Diego shapers, and many of them have influenced the sport of surfing and are recognized around the globe for their ability to make surfboards.
With this post I hope to shed some light on what a surfboard shaper truly is and recognize some of the custom surfboard shapers that live and work in San Diego.
Surfboard Shapers Fight Against Chinese Pop Outs
Ever since the fall of Clark Foam a few years back, local shapers have been fighting to keep the art of handcrafted surfboards alive, some because their livelihood depends on it and others because of what they believe surfing is and should be.
The shortage and lack of quality foam gave the opportunity for Chinese surfboard “pop outs” to compete, if only for an instant, with the traditional and widely accepted polyurethane foam surfboards. While these foreign-made surfboards presented another option they truly were never a viable option for surfers who knew or understood the benefits of having a custom surfboard.
Surfboard Making is a Craft
Anyone that has ever watched a surfboard shaper work (if you haven’t then check out this shaping video) understands that shaping a surfboard is a craft, or even an art form. Like a pottery maker or an artist, a surfboard shaper starts with an idea, takes a surfboard blank which is really just a rectangular piece of foam, and with his tools begins to mold and shape that piece of foam into what we recognize as a surfboard.
Shapers must be creative to make surfboards work for each individual surfer. Matching surfer size and weight, with ability level, riding style and wave conditions is a challenge. Once a shaper has the “idea” of what could work best for a particular rider, he or she must be precise in the shaping of the board. Not only is the length, width, and thickness of any given point on the board important, but angles, curves, and edges are also critical factors in the way a surfboard rides.
As with any craftsman, being able to transform an idea into an actual product is quite a feat, and surfboard shaping is no exception. Next time you’re thinking about buying a new surfboard take a minute to think about how a surfboard is made, where that board was made, and what would work best for you.
Local San Diego Surfboard Shapers
The following is a list of some notable custom surfboard shapers in the San Diego area:
Tom Nesbit – Nezzy Surfboards
Jeff Batisti – Rat Surfbords
Larry Mabile – Third World Exotic Surfboards
Mike Richardson – Electric Duck Surfboards
Tim Townsley – TNT Surfboards
Gary Linden – Linden Surfboards
George Gall – Plus One Surfboards
Steve Boysen – Boysen Surfboards
San Diego has a huge number of surfboard shapers, this is obviously a short list but please feel free to mention other shapers in the San Diego area who you would like to recognize for their efforts and contributions to all us surfers.
Tags: Custom Surfboard Shapers, Custom Surfboards, San Diego Shapers, San Diego Surfboard Shapers
