The other day, I got a phone call from my friend Daniel (Daniel’s Longboards in Biarritz), saying that Dick Brewer was in France and that he would be shaping a board in his shop the following day. Would I like to be there and have a look?
What would you have answered?
That’s how the next morning I got to watch Dick Brewer actually shape a tow-in board for french big-wave rider Peïo Lizarazu, from templating to screening the rails. I would never have believed it if someone had told me that a week ago.
Well, during one hour and a half I stood in Daniel’s glassing room, watching from a small window into the shaping room and frantically shooting photos. Being a nice guy, I thought you might like to have a look, too; So here they are:
Clearly shows him using a sureform to clean up the rails. I was fortunate enough to be able to sit in with him in his shaping room and observe him shaping about 20 years ago. He does use a sureform extensively. I watched him clean up his perimeter cut, blend in the nose and the tail both, top and bottom, clean up rail bands and tuck the rail under with a sureform. Then moving to sanding blocks,dragon skin and sanding screen. This man has the most experience and to date has hand shaped more surfboards than any shaper in the world today. He is truly a living legend in the surfboard production industry. He does use a sureform. And he doesn’t use a planer to true up the perimeter outline.
He and Rawson are masters at big wave boards. I worked in Hawaii in the 70’s and used to pinline and gloss Brewer boards. He was all over the place. Traveling and shaping. Glad to see he can still do it.
When Jim Phillips and I were in High School we were building backyard boards and doing ding repair. We would catch a ride out to the North Shore where Dick had his surfboards Hawaii factory. He was very cool and gave us foam and glass scraps. We were always wide eyed when we went there.
No, that’s not true. There are several high volume production guys that have way more experience, and board numbers. There are many myths about Mr. Brewer. You’ve just voiced one of them.
I think Terry Martin’s numbers would dwarf Brewer’s output. I recall speaking to a guy in the early 80s who told me Brewer had stopped shaping. He said any board with a Bewer label was ghost shaped. I know Dick was in a bad car accident around that time, and was unable to shape due to injury. I wonder how many years he laid off?
I think your right about that Speed. Here’s another cool video I came across when looking for the Brewer video. Another great guy who let me sit in with him and watch him shape back in the early 80’s. Gave me a lot of great tips and filled me in on the Bonzer concept. I’ve been hooked on double concaves and the Bonzer concept ever since.
