Longboard, 9'3

I started shaping surfboards when I was 19. I was not a really good surfer, and still am not :), but I have always loved making things, and the idea of making my own surfboard was just super exciting. 

At the time, in France, it was not as popular as right now, but you could still find information quite easily. I remember browsing a super old school website called chevauchonde. As old school as it gets, it was, and still is super interesting. Then I found a forum called shaperoom, where very good pro french shapers and amateur shapers were exchanging information, and being super helpful. So I learned most of it from there. And later on from Swaylocks, when my english got better!

My first board was made from insulation construction foam. I stacked two layers, then cut the rocker with a hot wire, and then handshaped everything. I made it in my parents garage, but at the time I was studying a good 7h drive away, so it took me a full year to finish it! It was not great, or maybe pretty bad, but it caught waves, so I was happy!

Since then, I shaped an average of 1 board a year, which brings me to 10 now. Shaping 10 surfboards takes about 1 or 2 days for a pro shaper, and an urban legend says that you are a nobody if you have not shaped 1000 boards. So I won't call myself a shaper, and I don't even surf that well, but I have a lot of fun doing both. Although I am not surfing anymore, waiting to get my shoulder fixed (disclocated it 5 times, and when I paddle a bit hard it just pops out and back in again, leaving me in a pretty uncomfortable pain!).

Back to this build. A very good friend of mine wanted to shape a surfboard, so asked me to help him for the first one, and show him how it was done. Again, I am nowhere near being a good shaper, but I think I know enough theory to get someone started!

This board is massive. Simon is almost 2m tall and a pretty solid guy, so he needed a big board. He wanted to surf small summer waves, and improve his surfing. We went for a 9'2 x 22"3/4, 3"1/4, which is pretty big. A single fin cause it looks good, flat bottom to vee because it is easy for a first shape, and works for a beginner surfer as well.

The shape turned out pretty good, the glassing went alright as well. First time I was using UV polyester resin, and the weird color put asside, it was very easy to use, and super fast to cure.

If you want to see what great shapers do, not mass producing boards but keeping it real, check out MereMade Surfboards and Swop Surfboards. Both french, their work is quite amazing and genuine. 
Some of the pictures in this article are from Simon's intagram.