Shapeshifting – The art of hand-making surfboards
Client consultation
Designing a board requires a shaper to make many precise and arcane design choices. Some apparently simple decisions, such as length and width, are more complicated than they appear. The length and width of a board both affect its volume and therefore its flotation. The better a board floats, the faster it will paddle; and the faster it paddles, the better it will catch waves. But at higher speeds, extra bulk will make the board plane on top of the water rather than carve through it, compromising control. Other choices such as rail shape (where and to what degree the curve of the board's edge becomes a hard angle near the tail), the location of the board's widest point, and the extent of its lengthwise flat spot, are critical. As is tail shape: a stiletto pin tail will keep the centre point of the board close to the wave and allow it to hold a high, fast line on a steep wave; a wide, flat-bottomed tail will give the board a loose, broad pivot for skateboard-like turns. Still finer distinctions lie in the contours of the board's underside – distinctions that can be difficult to make out visually.
Before any decisions can be made, a shaper interviews the customer to gain a good understanding of his or her wants and needs. A well-designed surfboard must be functionally relevant to the surfer and their particular surfing environment. The only way a shaper can achieve this is to meet the customer and take stock of their size, skill, technique, and goals; and the specific conditions – the size, power, and shape of the waves they ride.
Jay asks what sort of waves his customer likes to surf – mellow or heavy, critical ones? Where do they surf most of the time? Do they travel? Are they an aggressive surfer, or do they have a subtle, gentler style?
"Most people play themselves down a bit. I don't judge anyone. I get them to bring their boards in and say let's work around what you are using now and maybe modify things. Or if they are happy with what they've got, we can work along those lines and apply a few subtle ideas. That's where a shaper can add an extra element to make someone surf even better."
