Surfboard ShapersBy: Brenna Hardy

Surf board Shapers

Surf board shapers throughout the coast use drafting as a way to create a variety of models for each board.

It is common to find local surfers throughout the eastern coast deciding to own there own shops where they are free to build their personal series of surfboards for the community.

Surfboard Shapers

The evolution of this art originated through a technique of hand shaping each board out of a buoyant wood, using sand paper and polyurethane. It has been only recently that drafting and CAD was introduced into the process.

Educational OpportunitiesThere aren’t many schools that specialize in the art of shaping boards; however, it is recommended for students to take classes involving design and mechanical design.

There are also many costal schools that provide opportunities to have an internship or employment at surf shops due to location.

Including:UNCW UCLA USC

SalaryA typical yearly salary for a board shaper can range from 30K to 50k.This also depends on how they price each individual board and how popular they are.

The average short board can range from $500 to $900 while a long board can be sold for $800 to well over $1,000.

Any costal towns or areas supporting the sport of surfing will most likely have a connection to a surfboard shaper.

Wilmington North Carolina is home to Will Allison, creator of Allison surfboards. His shop is well known nation wide and gives attention to the NC surfing community.

Job Availability

Other local shapers:Tim Nolte- Outer Banks, NCJimmy Keith- Wilmington, NC

Drafting UsedIt is common for shapers

to use CAD/Cam software then create the board using a CNC Machine. Although some surfers still choose to hand shape each surfboard.

Sourceshttp://student.uncw.edu/org/ocfhttp://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/ucla//http://www-scf.usc.edu/~kante/images/USC_Trojans5.jpghttp://www.surfboardshapingmachine.com/Web%20Fe1.jpg http://hawaiipacificnews.com/online/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Jason-Shaping-NL.jpgUCLA:www.hammer.ucla.edu/programs/detail/programEast Coast Wahines:www.eastcoastwahines.com/archives/allison.html