Shapeshifting – The art of hand-making surfboards
The shape of the future...
Industries come and go. After all, the tannery building where Jay works used to be part of one of New Zealand's largest export industries. While hand-shaping has much to recommend it, can it possibly survive in today's globalised economy? Or will it go the way of other crafts such as cabinet and furniture making? Jay is quietly confident shop-front operations like his will survive for a number of reasons.
"The sort of people that come in here want something particular. And they want that connection between the craftsman and the sea. They want to talk to somebody knowledgeable and not just somebody who wants to sell them something."
The economics of the market may shift in favour of the handmade, he reckons.
"It wouldn't surprise me if eventually it's cheaper to deal directly with your local shaper than deal with a big commercial operation through a whole lot of middlemen."
And as the realisation grows that the environmental and social costs of industrial mass production may be too much to bear, tradition-based more sustainable alternatives such as the handmade may become more attractive. Evolving lifestyles may also help, as people start to value 'unproductive' diversions like surfing for its own sake. Demographics suggest this will be the case. Surfers are getting older.
Jay believes that while shaping will survive, change is inevitable. "Design has ruled for the past 40 or 50 years but I think things are moving along now in a different way. I think materials are going to play a big part in developments in the foreseeable future."
References
The following sources were used for the writing of this article:
- Natural Curves Surfboards. (2004). Surfboard design: Shaper's journal (one shaper's perspective). Retrieved 30 June 2009 from http://kmps.hd1.com.br/surfdesign.htm.
- Warshaw, M. (2005). Encyclopedia of surfing. Boston, US: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
- Willis, M. Discover the art of surfboard shaping. Retrieved 30 June 2009 from
http://www.wbsurfing.com/willis/surfboardConstruction.html. - Webber, D. (2006). Surfboard design. Retrieved 30 June 2009 from
http://www.the-door.info/surfboard_design.htm.
