Michael February on a Nathan Fletcher Shape. Photo: Sam Moody

DUCT TAPE FESTIVAL: SELF-SHAPED BOARDS

“The last guy on tour who made his own boards was Richie Collins” Nathan Fletcher

That might be true. We’ve seen Conner Coffin and Josh Kerr in the shaping bay, but they probably aren’t riding those boards in competition. The truth is, gone are the days of the dual Pro Shaper &  Pro Surfer. The quality level of both professions has risen so staggeringly high, it’d be near impossible to do both expertly. The good news is, there’s enough professional guidance and access to materials for anyone to get into the shaping bay and make a surfable shape.

Vans got their team (the Gudauskas bros, Nathan Fletcher, Alex Knost, Wade Goodall, Mikey February, Dylan Graves, Tomas Hermes) together to experiment with shaping and then held an event to showcase the fun. Whether a self-shaped board works or not, going through the process will ensure a deeper appreciation for the work and skill that goes into the core of our surf experience. Bravo, Vans.