Where do you see the direction of high performance surfboard design going?
It's going in more directions than ever. It's pretty exciting for everyone in surfing. The high performance boards are getting extremely high performance...and those boards are becoming boards that only extremely talented surfers can even ride. It's great because its giving them what they need...speed, mobility, and a vehicle that will match what they can do on a wave.
At the same time we are doing all kinds of fish and small wave boards, quads...boards for mortals which match what they can do and what's making it easy for them to perform at their top level. Surfboard design in general is branching out in different ways all at the same time. It's good because there's more of a variety of surfers out there now.
How are the top pros approaching design?
I think that there are so many nuances in boards now that shapers and surfers are tuned into. Things are much more technical and personalized now. So we are designing more to ability, where they surf, and how someone surfs.
The pros are all really different. Some are really into 1/16" here or there or on the other hand someone might just say I like the way this board surfs which leaves it more up to the shaper to figure it out. Sometimes we will make a few boards and see which one someone likes out of that batch then for the next batch do variations off of the one that was chosen...it's an ongoing continual process.
You have lots of new models out for 2008...which one(s) are most exciting for you?
For the high performance boards I have the PX model. It stands for Performance Extreme" and it's the most technical model in my pro line. It's got a lot of tail rocker...a bit more nose rocker than my Pro II model but a lot more tail rocker and a deep concave that's really accentuated in the fin area. The deep concave and the extreme rocker work together that make the board super technical...really hard to ride but if you are on top of it, super rewarding...fast, super free, and easy to throw the tail over the lip...most of my pro riders are using it now.
Tell us a little about foam in a post Clark world?
The foam we are using now is stronger and lighter and as far as availability there is more good foam available from different sources...so it's a really a healthy situation. The boards now, post Clark, are stronger, lighter, and there are more options...and as far as the companies out there. They've got it pretty wired.
Are your top riders using standard poly boards or EPS?
My top guys are getting maybe 9 poly boards and one EPS board per 10...maybe 2 epoxy boards out of 10 and we've been mostly making those for smaller waves. So a lot of team guys will get one and really like it but not for everything. I personally see that as where things are going (for smaller surf) where you can benefit from a stronger, lighter board.
So where do you see custom surfboard shaping and design going?
It's "strange times" in the surfboard building world. For sure there are a lot more options as far as boards being made out of the country...molded boards, its kind of really all over the place but I think its going to gel and come back to the great shapers making a great product...a handmade product and its going be valued. I see this happening and I think sooner rather than later too.
There are more options now but as people progress more in their surfing. The elite shapers have been doing it forever and really know what they are doing. They have put in their years and really developed their skills through the time honored process of doing board after boards ....and gaining knowledge by doing it. Shapers like this are going to be even more important in the future.
check out all of Doc's new boards including the 2008 models here:
http://www.surfboardbuilders.com/BrowseBoard.aspx?ShaperID=27
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