local shapers vs big names..

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Carpark King
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local shapers vs big names..

Post by Carpark King » Mon Jan 15, 2007 5:53 pm

95% of my surfboards have been from local shapers, who's clientele mostly involve people from the surrounding area and boardriding clubs etc..
Im thinking of getting a 'big name' next time i get a board, ie a chilli or JS or something similar, maybe even off the rack.

What are your guys thoughts on this? should you stick to the $450 local shaper boards, or ride boards that are ridden by some of the top pro's...

?

cheers

bro
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Post by bro » Mon Jan 15, 2007 6:58 pm

My local shapers are Chilli, Simon, Webber and Warner etc there is a reason why these guys boards are under the best feet in the world, get one and find out but get a custom

brendo
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Post by brendo » Mon Jan 15, 2007 7:50 pm

its the old saying, horses for courses..

if your on a good thing stick to it. why change if your happy with your current boards?

iggy has gunther on his list, and i rode 3 of his boards about 13yrs ago. 2 were ok, the third was the worst board i ever owned looking back. at the time i just thought i was having off days often, but one surf i jumped on a mates board (shaped by mark plater) and was instantly surfing better. i went in, went straight to the shop, and they gave me a board cheap off the rack. after a couple of months i went and saw mark for a custom and still ride his boards today. out of 30+ boards i have honestly only ever had 2-3 ordinary ones. im not bagging gunther, i just dont think his boards suited my surfing.

ive thought of gettin a big name board, then i think why???

if you have a good relationship with your shaper, and he knows how you surf and what you want in a board, why go back to scratch?

hence ill ride marks boards till he retires, or my body packs it in.... :(

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matt...
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Post by matt... » Mon Jan 15, 2007 8:57 pm

the last Gunther Rohn board i had was a T&C from 1985 !!
Great board, went like a rocket and was very loose. It was a good board in the years when I was spreading my wings, surfing more spots and a turning point in my ability.

These days...
i've just aquired a Chilli - awesome board, great glass job.
that replaced a Sam Egan - great shape & went unreal, but i snapped it in the winter solid swells...
in between i was surfing an old Gary Harrison custom from a few years ago - another great board, then & now. Unfortunatley i creased it in 2 places a month ago.
i have a Flying High Indo semi-gun, Rod Rose shape from Taree, which goes great in indo & solid point waves
i have a 7'0" Aloha GRC shape from quite a few years ago, but it works in the big stuff and has never let me down...
and a mal (wave signature) from John Sojoski...
i've had shapes from NEV, Chris Goulding, Tony Serf, Stuart D'Arcy, The Buzz which have all worked well for me in years gone by...

so, in summary a mixture of big names and locals - but a common theme - whatever works for you...

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Mr_momo_32
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Post by Mr_momo_32 » Mon Jan 15, 2007 10:50 pm

if you can get a big shaper to do it himself then i would all the way,
im not so sure greg webber shapps all his boards seeing as you see so many around including epoxy boards...

are his boards shapped by other shapers ? / mass produced

and i would like to say one of the nicest guys i met from the surf.
helped me out alot and all round
great guy

longbum
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Post by longbum » Tue Jan 16, 2007 8:07 am

iggy wrote: Not a big name shaper, but very impressive... and has been shaping since 1980
Ok, this is the problem with local shapers. Without having quality guys riding your boards you can not progress at the rate at which surfing itself is progressing, I know the above mentioned shaper personally and have for over 20 years, (i used to ride his boards when I was a grommet) and without ragging on him he suits a totally different surfer. Impressive ???? Don't know about that for me.....
This is the question you need to ask yourself......Do you want to progress with your surfing and try stuff what the pros are doing and keep pushing yourself ??
If the answer is yes, you will need to get a "big name" shaper as these guys are always getting feedback from the pros and better surfers and are always tweaking their designs to have a better performance level because they have to..(there's plenty of local big names)
Answer No, then keep getting your local shaper to do you boards at a cheaper price but just remember that they won't go as good as the top boards.....

And before anyone says, "but they don't even touch the boards", well yes some don't but your paying for their designs these days, not their hands....

Think of it like cars, do you want a Hyundai, Holden, Subaru, Audi or Porsche ????

fong

Post by fong » Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:50 am

:) i got totally agree with the dahlberg statements :wink:

yet too ride a dog one......even off the rack :shock:

but....i'm pretty stoked with my local shaper........his got a design that just works perfectly for me and lot other guys. when u happy with u boards and surfing....the last thing i wanna do is change :?:

sometimes i'll go a inch longer or shorter....but the board basiclly remains the same and works unreal 8)

i think it's invaluable actualy surfin with u shaper :!:

p.s and bro.....the MAIN reason the worlds best ride big names is CAUSE there PAID too :roll: product endoresement =sponsorship=$$$$$$

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Post by Beanpole » Tue Jan 16, 2007 11:40 am

Plenty of local, as in major surfing areas, surfboard manufacturers out there. Especially on the east coast.
A mate of mine hangs down south and is always singing the praises of the local carpenter who knocks out a few boards on the side. I reckon they look ordinary and they're holding his surfing back big time. There also happens to be a highly regarded shaper in the area that the "crew" thinks is up himself so they wont buy his boards.

I do and they go great plus I've found the guy to be really good to deal with.
This seems to annoy my mate a bit but I don't go down there that often and I'm not trying to cement relations with the locals. :?

Definitely support local shapers but go for the best. Charity begins at home. In my experience the difference between an okay board and a great board shows itself at the most critical moments.

swift
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Post by swift » Tue Jan 16, 2007 12:26 pm

Do yourself a favour!!!
Get a Chilli.
I got a custom recently and it is deadset the best board I've ever had ( and I've had shitloads).
I'm not sure why everyone is so worried about glass jobs. The last 8 boards I've had the usual 4x4 top & 4 bottom. This time I just ordered the 4top 4 bottom and the difference is huge.
Wicked board.

Chong
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Post by Chong » Tue Jan 16, 2007 12:54 pm

I got a Murray Bourton just before Christmas www.basesurfboards.com/bourton-shapes-home.htm through my local surf shop and have been really happy with the way the board turned out and also impressed with Murrays customer service. I was pleasantly surprised to get the file re-confirming the dimensions e-mailed through to me before he shaped it with a few questions - as an average punter you tend not to expect much communication from busy shapers . I'll definitley be getting more customs off Murray.....

longbum
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Post by longbum » Tue Jan 16, 2007 1:04 pm

swift wrote: I'm not sure why everyone is so worried about glass jobs. The last 8 boards I've had the usual 4x4 top & 4 bottom. This time I just ordered the 4top 4 bottom and the difference is huge.
Wicked board.
Becaue there is a massive difference in the cloth and resin that the top guys are using compared to what the $400 gang are using.
You get what you pay for

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ric_vidal
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Post by ric_vidal » Tue Jan 16, 2007 1:21 pm

longbum wrote: Becaue there is a massive difference in the cloth and resin that the top guys are using compared to what the $400 gang are using.
Bit of a generalisation don’t you think longbum, but I can’t speak for others. You talkin’ brands or grades like S vs E. Aerialite, Porscha, White Shark with FGI derived resin and have used Silmar.

Natho
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Post by Natho » Tue Jan 16, 2007 1:32 pm

Chong,

Im not riding any of Bourton's boards, however I had a good look at all his models recently. I was very impressed with his shapes and finishes on the boards. Now while the proof is in how they surf, I could tell just by looking at them they are a great product. Muz is a great shaper and knows his stuff.

Mr Momo,

It is rare that Greg Webber touches any boards these days, unless it is a board for Taj or the like. Greg is one of the great shapers, and if you can get your hands on a board shaped by Greg himself, then you will have a quality product. The issue is Greg seems to have 'removed' himself from the day to day shaping of boards ( thats his decision and he is entitled to do what he wants). In my opinion the average Webber (now made in Thailand) has gone down hill. While the basic Webber Rockers and curves are all there, it is the subtle blending of all the components that seems to have gone down hill. This was something Greg was a master at.

I have a mate who recently purchased a Webber from a store. The board had Gregs initials signed on it, and so he assumed like many customers that it was shaped by Greg. The store he purchased the board from said nothing. My mate got it home and then realised there was a tiny 'Made In Thailand' sticker on the board. Obviously he was very pssd off. He has also since concluded that the board goes like a dog.

Then again there are others here that are very happy with their Thai made Webbers.

I guess the same can be said for other shapers too. I have had Al Mericks shaped by Al himself that have been great. I have also had the same model Mericks out of the factory here in Sydney (finished by Ghost shapers) and they have been dogs. I here other people raving about their Australian made Mericks.
One board that may be a dog to me, may be great for you. We are all different.

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ric_vidal
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Post by ric_vidal » Tue Jan 16, 2007 1:50 pm

Natho wrote:I have a mate who recently purchased a Webber from a store. The board had Gregs initials signed on it, and so he assumed like many customers that it was shaped by Greg. The store he purchased the board from said nothing. My mate got it home and then realised there was a tiny 'Made In Thailand' sticker on the board. Obviously he was very pssd off. He has also since concluded that the board goes like a dog.
Wonder what he would have thought if he had never seen the 'Made In Thailand' :?

It is the law that ANY boards made overseas and imported must have clearly marked (well 7pt type) their country of origin.

lovenutz
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Post by lovenutz » Tue Jan 16, 2007 2:28 pm

last 6 boards I have are all Simons off the rack from base, all $500-$550 too. Some shipment problems with Japan was the reason. None of which he has touched but the rockers and rails are insane. they plane so well on a wave and then are so responsive under the back foot. def the best boards going around at present in my books. have seen some nice 6stars, team JS and chilli's, and a couple of gunthers. these are pretty much the only boards I would ride.

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Post by 2nd Reef » Tue Jan 16, 2007 3:01 pm

Might get a bit of heat from Longbum and co. but I reckon that many people are swallowing a lie that local shapers cant shape good boards. People think that just cause it hasn't got JS, Chili, Simon, Channel Is. on it the board is no good. To tell you the truth I think many of these guys just have better marketing and the masses lap it up.

I've ridden boards by almost all the big names you could think of and the difference between them and my local shaper (30 years exp.) is miniscule. And sometimes they are worse. Obviously I'm not saying all local shapers are great but look past the hype. Not many people surf like Kelly (in fact no-one else does) so why would a Channel Is. (for example) be better for you? You may say that Al Merrick is getting feedback from the best surfers on the planet for the best surfing being done, but this just isn't relevant to the average punter. I would say that someone more in tune with that average punter would be a better choice.

The flip side is that the chance of getting a bad board off a big name is smaller than if you order local. However, if your hooked in with a shaper and know each other well then that relationship is irreplaceable. Work on it.

Guess what I'm trying to say is, like so many other consumer decisions, look past the logo and marketing and know that quality products are still being produced by people without big marketing budgets. Some of them at your local beach.

On another note, have you noticed that just about everyone reckons that they are riding the best boards and everyone else should try them?

Natho
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Post by Natho » Tue Jan 16, 2007 3:50 pm

Well its not hard for a 'local' shaper to get a Chilli rocker, or a Webber outline etc.

If you wanted a Merick rocker, you could just go down to the computer/ machine in Mona Vale and have it spit you one out as an example.

I think where the top shapers are ahead of the game, is in being able to blend all the components. ie concaves, rockers, outlines, deck contours so that they compliment each other. This is where experience comes in.

That said just coz its got Al Merick on it, and Kelly surfs well on one doesn't mean the board is going to be right for you. Its all trial and error.

Some shapers are focused on making boards that work well for the average joe, others are focused on what works for the most elite surfers in the world. Then there are those that do both. There is a happy medium somewhere.

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