Shapers don’t talk to each other much. It’s a curious thing, and it seems to be a hangover from the dark ages of surfing (the late 1980s and 90s). Everybody made and rode a very small range of surfboards and the issue was cost more than quality. All boards were made from the same stuff, and the only real difference between them was the label.
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I’ve just come to the end of a pretty fun experience that hopefully marks the start of many more surfing adventures.
In this latest instalment, the riddle of the Tuna’s phenomenal speed is revealed and we return to foam…
Second -and last- part of the interview with Alexander Lobstein, shaper of Barrel Surfboards and winner of the 2009 Irish Fish Fry. Go HERE to read the first part.
Meet Alexandre Lobstein; architect, surfer and shaper. 39 years old, originally from Paris and now living in Bordeaux. Husband, father of two, winner of the 2009 Irish Fish Fry and… Monsieur Barrel Surfboards.
In the commercial and industrialised operation that global surfboard production has become, the value of people and community have largely been lost. Recently we had the opportunity to chat to Malcolm Campbell, the creator of the Bonzer (a Drift feature is on its way), about his views on the globalisation of the surfboard industry. Words: Steve Croft & Mark Sankey, photos: Alexa Poppe.
From the Bahamas, by way of Florida, California and Brazil, Royal’s Rob Lion has settled in England’s chilly north-east, much to the delight of Tyneside’s surfers.
It’s always difficult to factor the problems of global market economies, or to give accountable and workable alternatives to mass consumerism fed by unsustainable production methods.
(words Mark Dickinson photos Ollie Banks)
I’m bombing down the A38 at 7am, not a car in sight and the hoards of grockle traffic heading our way probably delayed by the inevitable tailback around Brizzle.
It’s stupidly early and I am NOT a morning person.
Gulf Stream has been hand-crafting surfboards out of Woolacombe, Devon, since the company was started by shaper Julian Matthews back in 1993.
Al-Jazira Al-Arabiya
Mat Arney hooks up with old friends on the Arabian Peninsula.
Homeblown talent
An encounter with a British company doing something special with surfboards.
Still So Numb: Iceland
Ian Battrick and Tim Nunn take a journey around the North Atlantic isle.
The Hebrides: A photo essay
James Bowden experiences life in the slow lane on the far shores of the British Isles.
Local Hero
Jimmy Newitt pays homage to one of South Devon's treasures - not a break but a surfer who stands tall in the crowd.
Post-modern punk
Chris Preston chats to Neil Randall of if6was9 about his radical take on traditional board design.
