is that any different to whats been happening for the last 40 years …
joes come in and ask for certain curves and styles , board makers build them …
even if technology got to the point that a complete board came out of an automated production , where a design was punched in and a finished board poped out , one important thing still remains the same , the designer …
that person , who discusses , where you surf , the size range , what specific waves you favour , the problems and limitations with your last board , if there is any manouvers you would like to focus on , or waves you would like to surf better , the guy who presents you with a variety of different surfing scenarios until hes confident he has a clear picture of the ability of his customer …
then based on all the information and his years of experience , he designs a board to suit that person …
you could be the finest craftsmen , but if the board doesnt perform , no guarantee your customer will return …
like wise i know a guy who i would say does shocking work , rough shapes , the worst glassing and sanding youve ever seen , but his shapes and designs are real good , and the boards work real well …
the secret to a good board is good design tailored to the surfer , so whether it was carved by handtools , a planer , or even a fully automated machine in which no human made contact with the board till finished …
custom boards will always need designers , and regardless of the technology , the shaper/designer will be the most important element …
a big percentage of people who make there own boards , gain a lot of respect for board designers once they realise how hard it is …
if joe designs a board and its a dog , chances are he will seek out a qualified designer for the next one …
of the thousands of boards ive built no two have been the same , because my customers arent clones and all have different tastes and needs …
so the concept of the surftech clone is about as far removed from progressive board design as you can get …
on the other hand if the technology is available to machine a design and finish it like a surftech and its locally produced and quality …
sign me up … sounds like a great idea …
that is just what ive been looking for …
the chance to have more people ride my designs and the ability to be able to produce enough boards …
is this a real thing ?? or an idea someone is playing with ??
im more than interested if its the real thing …
regards
SHAPER JOE …
BERT