Hey, my name is Ellizabeth, I am 15, I live in Newport Beach Ca.
And, I just started to really get into surfing. I am going to try to shape my own board, I can’t wait. Do you think i can do it? Are there any other girls out there that are shaping boards?
It is a well known fact that females cannot shape, or surf.
I KID! Yeah, you can definately do it - just have at it and shape away. You are just as capable as anyone else. I’m sure many females have shaped - although I cannot think of any personal experiences I’ve had firsthand.
Aloha
Bryan
Hey back at ya Ellizabeth. I would think that with the help of Swaylock’s and your extremely tall dark and handsome, talented, intelligent, loving, loyal, and HUMBLE father you will definately be able to do it. So when do we start?
p.s. Brace yourself for the Aussie’s! Especially Ben “Dundee”, the rubber crocodile hunter.
Hey Elizabeth,
You should do everything you can to make this happen.
I’m behind you 100%. There’s no reason why you can’t become a competent shaper but you need to learn the ropes before you start your project and know that it’s not going to take months. It’s going to take years.
I think the best place to start is to find an professional local shaper who will let you watch him work. It’s natural to want to ask a lot of questions but only ask them when your shaping mentor isn’t working. You need to make notes and review them each time you watch the process until you understand why things are done the way they are.
Watching John Carper and Jim Phillips shaping tapes will help you learning curve enourmously but there’s nothing like watching a pro and consuling with him before you start.
When you do start on the project if you can get your mentor to look over you shoulder while your working that will help a lot as long as it’s not intimidating for you.
For starters get yourself a throw away board and strip the glass off it. Then cut yourself a board about 3 feet long out of it and shape it as best you can with a sureform, block plane and sanding block. This way you get a real feel for what the process will be like with a full sized board.
Good luck, Rich
Hey Elizabeth, you can do it, you can do anything you want to.
Excellent advice from Halcyon, the points made cover it all, especially getting the feel of your hands on tools and foam.
You are going to have so much fun, and your surfing will improve by the sheer stoke factor of riding your own board.
i dont know if i heard this here or some where else but it was a story about how a woman shaper passed along a board through her label and it got into the hands of a top 44 wct, he loved it passed it onto a buddy who loved it as well and then word got out that the board was shaped by a woman and the board suddenly was dropped from the rotation.
this whole concept of women not being able to shape is stupid what makes a man better then a women with a planer or a surform.
everything that has been said on this thread is exactly correct anybody can a shape a surfboard if they have the determination to learn. i think the best thing you can do is spend time on the site and ask a lot of questions.
good luck
yeah tuck your hair under your hat and pretend to be a boy is bull ship get some girl friends who take ceramix and sculpture seriously and make a shop for surfboaARD WORK AT GRANDMOM’S house,the one that surfs! go into production ,give your reshape cast-offs to athletic enthusiastic 8 year old little girls and boys they will be your greatest supporters forget the grug machismo influence that group will lash out once they feel threatened in any and all ways they can in hopes of maintaining their edge and bloated self esteem ambrose…just ride the boards you make and be guarded about who you show them to for critique…as the critiques can be cruel and discouraging
I just got out of the water, the waves were very small but surfable. I was surfing with my son and two of his friends that I had never surfed with before, a guy and a girl. The girl was riding a nice 9’ rounded pin tail, concave on both sides of the stringer, about 12 inches up from the fin. Nice board and she surfed it well for what little surf there was. She shaped it herself and it was her first board that she shaped for her self. She had a friend help her and had someone else glass it. Nice board and nice girl. Yes girls can shape boards. Go for it. and good luck.
My younger Sister used to finish off my shapes.She did a heck of a job…lot better than me.I had to cut her loose when she asked for money. RB
Hi Elizabeth, I have a daughter that is very interested and has been involved in making 2 boards. I have made 8 boards so far and can’t wait for my next project. something about riding my own stuff. Some have been great some not so good. Take in every aspect,find some old foam and get used to the tools.
Take your time. Wear your safety stuff
And I don’t think the tools have a preference to whether your a girl or boy.
Good luck
Of course you can do it!
Thats Cool, its about time theres some girl shapers!!!
Good Luck,
Josh.
Go lilsurfergirl, I think Swaylock’s is behind you…
Yes, you can do it.
Of course, you can. You have already began by finding this web site. Read, read, read. Watch the language my friends. Mike and father of two girls.
I think Miranda Pitts (now Pitts-Guzman) has shaped boards with Johnny Rice. Contact them through this link:
Maybe you could reach Sylvia Sanders… she has some nice boards in the archives.
…if it wasn’t for Hicksy’s 6y.o. daughters, and his wife’s , [and his sister’s] artwork on his wooden board[s]…his boards would almost look as bad as mine. [ I DID say ‘almost’ , Grant…you’ve got a LONG way to go to scrape the bottom of the “chip” barrel at the moment ! ]And, I AM joking…kinda! Now, if I even ATTEMPTED to make one of your complex hollow wooden surfgizmos, THEN the rock bottom standard precedent would be set, for sure !! And hours of ‘roflmao’ howling laughter for the swaylockians, too ! [ Hmmmm… maybe I should !]
Girls can paint, they can sculpt, they can surf, they have depth perception, and fine motor, and gross motor skills, they can retain information, they can spend money…
heck, they’re at least a few of the skills that we " blokey blokes" share in common…so why DON’T more girls get publicity for shaping boards ?? [male dominated magazines and movies…what other reasons I wonder ??]
… The short answer to your question, Elisabeth, is , of course…yep, sure you can !
GO FOR IT !
ben
p.s. - I hope you like the smell of resin in the morning…
hey ellizabeth watch here [url]http://www.feraldave.com/Teena.asp?Image=1
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Ellizabeth, to answer your questions, YES, there are girls shaping their own boards, and YES, you can shape your own board if you want to. Living in Southern California provides you with all kinds of wonderful resources to make this happen. Keep surfing and feeling stoked, and when you have the opportunity, browse the Swaylocks archives for answers to the many questions which will arise during the process. Remember, have fun!