shaper Archives - New Zealand Surf Journal

Verdure Surf: The Future Of Flex

Taira BlakelyNov 1, 20240

Jack Candlish and team at Verdure Surf just might be the future of surfboard manufacturing. Operating on the cutting edge of sustainable surfboard development, they seem to have found accessible solutions to the environmental flaws plaguing the surf manufacturing industry. They’ve already won over top surfers and shapers, and they...

Seer Surfcraft: The White Pointer Must Die!

Taira BlakelyJul 31, 2024August 15, 20240

“I never wanted to make surfboards for other people,” says Homa Mattingly, founder of Seer Surfcraft. As we walk through his backyard shaping bay, it becomes clear to me that he’s failed – at least on that front. The contents of his shaping area have invaded his living space, and...

Carsey: The Enigmatic Legend

Mark "Curly" ThomasNov 3, 2022November 8, 20220

Dunedin surfer Jimi Crooks remembers the day well. There was a powerful swell at the Black Head quarry break. The waves were hollow and intimidating. Heavy. So heavy a lot of the young gun surfers from the area chose not to go out. It was about nine years ago. Veteran...

Board Review: Have We Found The Missing Link?

Derek SearanckeNov 11, 2020July 25, 20240

Hughes Surfboards, Link model, is the result of multi-generational shaping minds, but is this the board that’s been missing in your surfing journey? We send the 40-something-year-old Derek Searancke out on one to find out. My scenario is not uncommon among a generation of surfers entering their late 40s. Given...

Shaper Walkthrough: The Link With Luke Hughes

Derek MorrisonOct 14, 2020July 25, 20240

Shaper Luke Hughes, of Hughes Surfboards, walks us through the Link model. Designed by his father the late great, Craig Hughes, with tweaks by Luke, the Link is designed to take intermediate surfers from fun boards into the performance realm. The Link is also the ideal model for those heavier...

Shaper Profile: Pete Anderson

Derek MorrisonApr 24, 2020July 25, 20240

With more than 36 years experience shaping surfboards out of Whangamata, Pete Anderson is one of the most humble and well-respected surfboard manufacturers in New Zealand. In this film he shares his journey from growing up in the heyday of Whangamata’s board-building industry to his insights, his hopes and most...

Iconic Kiwi Surfboard Shaper To Close Factory, Move To Japan

Grant DysonDec 19, 2019July 25, 20240

Renowned Mount Maunganui-based shaper Andy Jordan will soon bow to a strong call from the Land of the Rising Sun and move to a “forgotten” Japanese island to live. The veteran shaper has crafted an extraordinary 7330-plus “AJ” boards – short, long, twin fins and all the rest, over about...

A Daily Practice: The Philosophy Driving Sadhana Surfboards

Derek MorrisonSep 24, 2019September 25, 20190

I knew it was Jay standing there in the parking lot. It wasn’t because he wore the hair of a rocker, or that he stood in dusty jeans with a plain, unbranded mushroom-coloured jersey. It was the fine gradient of foam dust on his fingers that gave him away. Since...

Watch: How Epoxy Has Changed The Shaping Game

Derek MorrisonApr 17, 2019April 17, 20190

Surfboard shaper Luke Hughes tells us about the difference between epoxy and PU boards as he walks us through his popular Zorkn model. He shows us how epoxy construction has opened up a slew of options when it comes to flex management and design. Epoxy surfboard construction has been around...