Surfing
Surfing
The 5 best surfer/shapers of the past 10 years
Meet the men behind the masks behind the planers behind the best boards in the world. And they rip.
Al Merrick and Kelly Slater, shape shifters
© Aroyan/A-Frame
While ‘boardsmith’ would work, the artisans of the surf world are called shapers for a reason. Not only do they chisel away foam to make a surfboard sing, but they truly shape the sport.
Think Gerry Lopez designing single fins in the '70s to tame Pipeline. Remember Mark Richards winning four world titles on boards he had taken to with the planer? Or what about Simon Anderson redefining the game, winning huge Bells in 1981 on a three-finned board he called thruster, and that these days we call the norm.
In 2015 surfer/shapers are less common. Sure, every shaper puts in their time in the water, but those who exist at the upper end of both games are a rarity. Here are the double threats of the last decade, who are improving the way we all take to the waves.
Kelly Slater
Kelly knows his crafts
© Ryan Miller
"Kelly's not a shaper!" I hear you roar. "Wrong!" I counter. The 11-time world champ has spent more time investigating the craft of his crafts than you'd suspect. Mere mortals can't relate, but when surfing is too easy, why wouldn't you tinker with your magic carpets? Hours in the bay with Al Merrick have lead to Kelly riding boards half a foot shorter than he started on, and you and I dropping a few inches along the way as well. For his next trick? Allow us to introduce Firewire and Daniel Thomson
Julian Wilson takes a Tomo to the sky
© Tom Carey
Daniel Thomson
You may not have heard of Lennox Head ripper Dan Thomson, but he doesn't mind a bit. Plenty of folk are more than aware of the man who slays waves as well as he mows foam, and with a move to California to focus on his progressive ways, that's only going to increase. Thomson is the brains behind the Tomo Surfboards range of rectangular blades, and is a keen student of hull shapes.
Thomson's work in reducing length while maintaining volume has attracted the eye of Firewire, with whom he has entered into a partnership. Since then Kelly Slater himself has bought into the company, with their environmentally-sound manufacturing practices and the appeal of working alongside Thomson cited as the two main attractions.
Mick Fanning, Darren Handley, and a quiver of DHD's finest blades
© Ryan Miller
Darren Handley
Despite being a born-and-bred Gold Coaster who has travelled the world in search of waves, it is nine world titles won on his boards in the past decade that earn Darrren Handley his place amongst the pantheon of shaping greats. There is perhaps no greater surfer-shaper partnership than Mick Fanning and DH, and the same can be said for Handley and Stephanie Gilmore. A fleet-footed and powerful natural footer himself, Handley can relate and react to his charges' feedback, and the results speak for themselves.
Dylan Longbottom
Want a quiver that can handle everything from 10-foot drainers at Apocalypse to tow bombs at Teahupo'o, yet will still let you slay onshore Duranbah and punt all over the place at Canggu? You need to go and see Dylan Longbottom, the ultimate surfer/shaper. A New South Wales native who was a founding member of Billabong's Adventure Division, Dylan was one of the stars of Tahiti's Code Red swell, and will be seen on silver screens next year stunt doubling for Johnny Utah in Point Break II. What more could you want from a shaper?
John John Florence floors his Pyzel and flies
© Ryan Miller
Jon Pyzel
A native of Santa Barbara, a young Jon Pyzel took his boat-building knowhow to the North Shore of Hawaii seeking work, as he just couldn't surf enough hours in the day in California. A job sweeping floors and fixing dings led to the foot in the door that finally saw Pyzel turning blanks into blades. Think the guy can shape a board or two that works? John John Florence has never ridden anything else, and things seem to be working out alright for him.
