In my twenty years of shaping surfboards professionally, one particular question has continually surfaced from customers: "I would love to shape my own board, can you show me how?"
I hear you; It's the same feeling I had inside me that led me to shape my own board the first time, to seek out Shapers I respected and learn from them and eventually to make my life and career around building surfboards.
There is magic in surfboards, something alive and intangible, and we can all sense it. Certain boards speak to us and its different than any other product you can buy. Something the maker did, or perhaps something within them that translates into the surfboard, but its there. So we're attracted and amazed by surfboards, we want to know them more intimately, and the understanding of them and how they work seems to hold the secret to improving our whole experience of surfing.
But how to touch it? The entire industry seems shrouded in secrecy. Most Shapers aren't talking about design specifics publicly, archaic attitudes toward competition and protecting one's intellectual property abound, and there isn't any trade schools out there teaching the information. If you ask around at most of the factories to learn or observe, the guys will grumble something about not having enough time or just say nah.
In a misguided attempt at protecting their business, most shapers and craftsmen have shielded and protected their information and techniques, leading to the lack of information on the subject.
What happens when someone learns about and has a go at shaping their own board is surprising, however. Without fail, everyone walks away with a greater respect and admiration of the skills, talent and depth of knowledge that it takes to make surfboards, and of the people who do. Their perspective shifts and suddenly they see surfboards as alarmingly cheap given the amount of personal attention, time and skill involved. This has an incredibly positive effect on the industry as a whole, and also serves to delineate the wideness of the gap between a handmade surfboard and one made overseas. It gives greater value to the trade and craft, and also changes a person's way of looking at surfboards permanently. They can then see with perfect clarity the reason surfboards have that intangible attraction: because they are subjective, personal and unique, that each one is a reflection of the maker and the rider in unison and a balance of form and function.
We'll also take the hard work out of acquiring the right tools and materials by having everything you'll need, from block planes to blanks, right here on hand.
To understand why the knowledge about making surfboards has not been made readily available, let's quickly look at it: In the past, (and how I learned) a person learned from a master craftsman, one who was willing to educate you, but the process was clumsy. You had to prove your abilities before anyone would give you a chance, but the chance was rarely given because one mistake on a board was too costly for the maker to replace. So you watched, quietly, in the corner and learned. You swept up the foam dust and bought the beers, and if you were patient, little crumbs of information would start to come. You had a go on your own, got laughed at, but also some of that criticism came with advice and help. Steadily you were given more to do, and more in depth knowledge. In time, you had a mentor and their pride in your work was palpable. Every Master Shaper and Craftsman learned this way, and as a member of the fraternity of surfboard makers we pride ourselves in this old school process, that the knowledge is passed man to man.
At the Shaping Academy, we understand that your interest in making surfboards is as a hobby, perhaps to have a go, or to just feel what its like to ride a board you made yourself. We know that you aren't looking to become a professional surfboard maker.
In a misguided attempt at protecting their business, most shapers and craftsmen have shielded and protected their information and techniques, leading to the lack of information on the subject.
What happens when someone learns about and has a go at shaping their own board is surprising, however. Without fail, everyone walks away with a greater respect and admiration of the skills, talent and depth of knowledge that it takes to make surfboards, and of the people who do. Their perspective shifts and suddenly they see surfboards as alarmingly cheap given the amount of personal attention, time and skill involved. This has an incredibly positive effect on the industry as a whole, and also serves to delineate the wideness of the gap between a handmade surfboard and one made overseas. It gives greater value to the trade and craft, and also changes a person's way of looking at surfboards permanently. They can then see with perfect clarity the reason surfboards have that intangible attraction: because they are subjective, personal and unique, that each one is a reflection of the maker and the rider in unison and a balance of form and function.