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Dream Shaping
Let there be light! Sam Hawk eclectic North Shore shaper
exclaimed. With a flick of a switch the eight by sixteen
foot enclosed room lit up. Inside was a raw foam blank
resting on a pair of carpeted metal racks waiting to
be shaped. The top half of the room's walls including
the ceiling were painted Martinique ocean blue. The
bottom half of the walls and entire floor were deep
forest green. Along the sides were eight-foot double
neon lights covered by an eight inch shelf running the
length of the lights. Further over, hanging on the wall
were stacked wooden surfboard patterns of various shapes
known as templates. Assorted hand tools lined both sides
of the shelves. Another magic surfboard was scheduled
to be delivered, and with a flick of another switch
the loud whine of the electric planner begin eating
up the foam.
Very few people have ever made their
way to the inside of a shaping room (a place where surfboards
are designed and crafted). Fewer still have ever shaped
their own surfboard. Of those only a handful have gone
on to be considered masters of shaping. Those who are
really into their surfing depend on the masters to design
and carve out the shapes surfers call magic. Having
a custom surfboard created by a master, right in front
of you, is a mystical experience. The right materials
and tools along with a clear vision, applied knowledge,
and skill translate into a dream surfboard right before
your eyes.
There are no schools that offer shaping
therefore many of today's leading shapers learned a
great deal on their own through nature, trial and error
or by borrowing inspiration and ideas from others.
Great shapers have always been held
in high esteem by the surfing community, ever since
the very beginning. In the early days of modern surfing
Bob Simmons achieved lasting recognition as an accomplished
surfboard designer/builder. An avid surfer Simmons helped
to develop and popularize surfing with the innovative
and highly advanced wooden surfboards he constructed
decades ago. Simmons unfortunately passed away during
a surfing accident close to Wind and Sea beach in La
Jolla. The shallow breaking waves where he perished
is now respectively known by surfers as Simmons reef.
It is interesting to note that many
top shapers of important merit have spawned from California.
California shapers have made a tremendous impact locally
and internationally helping to determine to a large
degree what surfing is today and how we do it. .
Sometime after Simmons came men like
Hobie Alter and Grubby Clark who were responsible for
new advanced materials such as polyurethane foam that
would forever change what surfboards are made out of.
Pat Curren helped foster further advancement by pioneering
big waves and big wave surfboards with this new technology.
Curren was one of the first people involved in building
surfboards specifically engineered for riding giant
waves. Later Mike Hynson of San Diego co star of the
original Endless Summer surfing movie would shape and
create surfboards that influenced surfing globally.
Notably amongst his numerous accepted contributions
is the down shaped rail, revolutionary for it's time.
Arguably the two most eminent shapers
of the modern surfing era are from California. Dick
Brewer and Mike Diffenderfer two of shaping's icons.
These master craftsmen are credited with with more design
breakthroughs than there are stars in the night sky.
It's said all surfboards built today have been influenced
one way or another by "Diff" or Brewer. Their
names are synonymous with shaping. Together they have
both inspired generations of shapers and surfers alike.
Master shapers use vision to to see
the shapes they want to create ahead of time, before
ever starting. After attaining a clear vision or direct
goal of a desired shape, plans are drawn up in the form
of outline and bottom curve templates. Expert shapers
don't rely on luck in the shaping room hoping that things
will work out. Sometimes several different outlines
or plan shapes will have to be drawn up before deciding
on the optimum lines and then proceeding. The old adage
that still rings true is you can take foam off but you
can't add it back once it's gone.
The same formula for shaping great surfboards
can be applied to shaping a great life, .The chances
of successfully shaping a dream life are substantially
higher when one comes to terms with and defines clearly
ones goals and aspirations ahead of time. Just like
the best shapers the best way to implement one's vision
is to draw up workable plans that can be adjusted or
revised as the goal takes form. Never rely on luck.
Once goals are established and plans for attaining desired
results are in place the shaping starts. This is where
the fun begins by seeing the shape of your vision or
goals materializing right in front of you. Put magic
in your life by having the foresight to visualize what
you want, the insight to put together a plan for success,
and the faith to follow it through. Inevitably just
like a master shaper the goals and desires that shape
your dreams will be realized. See you in the surf.
The Willis Bros. are surfing experts
recognized for surfing the worlds largest waves and
teaching thousands in Hawaii and California to surf.
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