I am new to shaping and have yet to have a board shaped for me, but I think that it is important to recognize those shapers that have put their dues in and have gotten to where they are now by pure, hard work. It is not easy, I’m sure, to be a shaper, especially when no one knows who you are. I am, hopefully, having my friend Deeb shape me a board because I really like his shapes, but I am still going to ride my 7’6 LC-3 Series Becker. I know that Becker owns many shops and that he probably doesn’t really shape a whole lot of boards anymore, but just imagine how many he has had to shape, probably for free, just to be able to reap the benefits of being a shaper whose name is recognized. Don’t get me wrong, I am totally for the BY shaper, especially since I am friends with one and have never met a well-known shaper like AM or Becker, but I think that saying that well-known shapers are sell-out’s is totally immature and uncalled for as they are just trying to make a living like I am when I go to work. Now, having said all that, knowing what I know now, I would much rather ride a board of some unknown shaper rather than that of a well-known shaper purely based on the fact that I am more than willing to help a shaper get their name in the water especially since they are, in fact, more in tune with listening to you as a surfer and listening to your needs. They are also more inclined to allow you to be present while shaping your board so that you may have input as to how you feel the board is being shaped. Now that I have bored you all, you are free to rip me a new one if you disagree and you are more than welcome to agree with me and hopefully some day I may see those of you that do agree with me out in the water. Sorry for such a long message, but this is a touchy subject for all of us as we do not want to see any decent unknown shapers go down because of the lack interest do to “super-shapers”.