Surfboard design is at its highest point in history. Surfers around the world are open to try everything and anything that shapers are putting out. Whether it is hand shaped or designed by computer all angles of surfboard design are being explored. In general surfers are not worried about peoples opinions on what they have tucked under their arm.
For shapers all of this is super positive and opens the door to exploration and application of ideas that have been floating around in our minds. All progress in surfboard design is based on all of us both surfers and shapers working together and being curious enough to push the limits and being open minded enough to try our wildest ideas.
For us at Semente Surfboards it has always been a pendulum, going back in the history of surfboards and finding the logic of what worked and mixing it up with modern day design to enhance a solid or proven old theory. We have been fortunate enough to have guys like Gony Zubizarreta and Nicolau Von Rupp to push and pester us enough to try some wild things, and they have worked !! New ideas and long time shaping experience makes magic
Things have changed, no doubt. Internet, social media and sites have all made this a different world for board builders. Big surfboard labels have what is almost an obligation to introduce a couple new models every year to promote sales and to keep people interested in their product.
Our personal feelings on the introduction of any new design have always been based on inspiration or a need in the market for a different type of surfboard. Whether it is for the older generation, groms or high performance comp boards, there has to be a reason for a new model. Surfboard building is a one of a kind art, where as every board is slightly different, no other sport has that variable or the base for “magic” that we find in surfboards.
All of this is just to express our thoughts on the surfboard industry as it is today. Our hopes are that all shapers whether you do your thing by hand or machine, make sure that you keep your heart and creative progressive mind intact, we are all involved in a very special ever changing industry and boredom and “over social media” cannot play a part in our future.
Keep shaping and surfing.
Semente Surfboards
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