Not only is Hawaii home to some of the best waves in the world, it is also home to some of the worlds best surfboard shapers. Unlike almost every other piece of sports equipment, surfboards are still handcrafted and made to order. Surfers in a developed surf local can even visit a shaper and have a board created to their exact specifics for no more than they would pay for a board off the rack at the store.
In preparation for the remainder of my trip I visited local shaper Jon Pyzel. Jon is one of the best shapers in the world and his team members include 2011 Vans Triple Crown winner John John Florence and big wave hell man Mark Healey. (I actually got to meet Mark, who popped by Jon's shop to pick up a new gun - a board for surfing giant waves.) Jon showed me around his shaping bay and glass shop and explained to me some different design features that make a board work well in certain waves. The end of our conversation concluded with the dimensions for a board that we hope will work really well in Fiji, Indonesia and on bigger days in New Zealand.
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