Personally, its been dead but that just makes me more informed than the average guy. Based on others comments it appears as if it is quite alive. OTOH, there are the Asian imports. Design has been near full development for quite a while now…so what do you guys think?
Seeing as my first was a reshape and my second I shaped myself, I didn’t get caught up in the mystique/legend/guru shaper thing because I made most of my own boards. Maybe I had an attititude, but I knew I could make a better board for myself than they could. Yes it took some practice, but I got there.
There were, and are, guys that shape really good boards, and lots of surfers to glorify them. All I saw them as were experienced. And even some of the experienced made dogs. And some of them were arseholes, mystical not.
It’s generally the uninformed consumers attitude, combined with the shapers boardmaking knowledge and experience that creates the mystique. The shapers ego plays a big part in the equation also, wanting to be mystical, wanting to protect the exclusivity of his experience and craft.
Luckily most here are over that, and can make a good board for themselves. As seen here also, some make better boards than many pros.
I think one of the big advantages of the Swaylocks niche of board builders is their ability and desire to build a truly custom surfboard. One thing I’ve noticed about the manufacturers, whether it’s Stewart, McTavish, or any of the others is that they have to standardize production in order to increase efficiency so they can make a viable profit. I have absolutely nothing against that. It’s just a fact of manufacturing. In the process, though, the “shaper mystique” gets lost in the hustle and bustle of the factory.
One exception I can think of is Skip Frye. He hand shapes every board. But he’s also a case in point. I’ve heard he’s not taking orders at the moment, because of his huge backlog. But he does have that mystique. When you see a board by Skip, you know exactly where it came from.
But back to us “low production” guys. We do have the luxury of being able to take more time with the details, and make something that nobody has seen before just because we want to, regardless of the time factor. I think that’s pretty cool.
Being a former cabinetmaker / carpenter, this is my take on it: A house is just a big box, and a cabinet is just a little box. The WOW factor comes from the details. I think it’s the same with surfboards. We can build in a lot of WOW by paying attention to the details. Paul Jensen comes to mind.
Shaper mystique. Oh yea, it’s there…in our hands. Doug
Just wondering: how many of us woodworkers (cabinet makers, carpenters, boat builders…) are in here?
C’mon, raise your hand, don’t be shy…
Im a wood worker, wood and plaster pattern maker, boat builder and automotive clay sculptor, and composites fabricator…and a daddy.
Dave - don’t sell yourself short, you have massive amounts of mystique!!
too taboo?