Founder Profile.

Who are you, where are you located?

Chris Chong and Dave Howell of MISFIT SHAPES. We are based between the Northern Beaches of Sydney and the Northern Rivers of NSW.

What makes Misfit unique in the world of surf brand normalcy?

Let us refer you to our company mantra shall we - “Misfit Shapes represents an authentic response to an era of change, a ‘surf’ stemmed movement that allows art, design and individuality to co-exist within a realm more commonly dominated by conformity and observation. We are not bound by a single leader or manifesto, but rather a bold commitment to pushing the limits of this well-oiled machinery of surf. The result is a rare collective of mildly deranged but high-powered misfits, potentially dangerous cultural agitators, and just about every other kind of MAD MIND.”

How did you guys decide to partner up?

The time just felt right... we’d been concepting a greater release of the brand for a few years, we believed there was a gap in the market for what we were hoping to do, so in late 2009 we had to take the leap of faith and go all in..

How have you put your team together?

It’s all relationship based. We can honestly say we’ve never signed or aligned with anyone we didn’t know, support or believe in. This is a big family, so we are protective of the dynamic and culture within the fold.

While of course you are interested in making great surfboards, it seems like as a company, you have a lot of other interests? Art, Fashion, etc.

Yeah, the core of this biz is surfboards, that will never change, but our interests, and subsequently what we produce is far greater. We love art; from high design to wild lo-fi graphics, and we believe that surfboards, clothing should be an expression of one’s creative interests, not just a vessel to get tubbed on or a tee to cover your nips..

What is the best thing that has come out starting Misfit for you to personally?

The people. We love the products we make, you won’t anyone more passionate about what they produce, but the people that we have met, be it from our loyal customers that order our boards, to the media, retailers, industry we are a part of. Our lives are far richer as a result of the relationships we have formed along the way.

D o you think surfboards will make you rich? Or are you already rich because you spend everyday working in an industry you love?

I don’t think you go into the surfboard biz to become rich, you do it because you have a passion for board building. For me, being a shaper is about the challenge to find the perfect balance between speed and maneuverability, performance and fun, and the millions variables that surfboard design has in it. If that makes you rich along the way, then power to you, we just want to stay passionate, excited and satisfied with what we do...

If you could put anything on the bottom of a surfboard what would it be?

Are we referring to fin configuration, or concave, or artwork? If fins; we are still loving twins, but all setups have their day, if concave and curve; then it’s designing the perfect balance, if it’s art; then something big, bold and irreverent!

What’s next for surfboards and surfing?

It appears that the movement of artificial waves is growing, and although that can feel a touch “artificial” or impure, it is exciting because there is an element of design that does want to work with more controlled variables. Testing and development can become a more efficient process when you’re surfing the same wave over and over again. The differences in the water (salt vs chlorine) and the wave itself, is also an exciting space for development of new shapes and constructions.

Is it the surfer, the board or the wave?

Yeah, good question... I want to give you some philosophical answer about our own expectations and perspective on finding enjoyment in surfing, but it’s simply about all three elements right... I’m yet to see anyone surf without a board or waves, but boards and waves dont ride themselves. I will say this, good boards, or the right board for the conditions is king, but a perfect wave can be ridden on almost anything, so maybe it is about the individual after all?! Ha, who knows, I’ve got myself confused now...

“ESCAPE THE ROTATING DOOR OF NORMALITY”

Neo Speed Egg Twin

TWIN-FIN OPTION/ DIAMOND TAIL

Similar to other eggs, but the Neo Speed Egg is a bit smaller, a bit nastier, and she loves Gaga – confidence and fun exude from this wild child. The Neo Speed Egg is an allround design with a relaxed entry rocker for ease of paddle plus a slight lift and a snubbed off nose to reduce catching in critical parts of the wave. The clean “eggy” outline has an accented forward placed wide point for effortless paddle and trim. The diamond tail provides fluidy and control, while the points of the diamond accent the rail line, giving it more drive when combined with the twin fin configuration. Effortless release and masses of speed are guarenteed. The bottom shape is the same subtle roll vee to double vee combination, which paired with the twin fin, diamond tail + shortening of overall length, create an even livelier all-rounder that flows, glides, and positions in a wide range of locations and conditions. This board suits your transitioning surfer, through to your experienced short/ small board rider that wants a fast, flowing, dynamic mid-length. This spicy little board will have you feeling naughty with every wave.

Whether you’re a primitivist á la Gauguin or a minimalist like Mies Van der Rohe we know you believe the essence of a thing is it’s true value and that kitsch accoutrement is for the birds. You know that real creative expression happens on the wave and what you need is great design and purist performance.

Bienvenu à Primitek.

By keeping the construction simple we’ve found our boards built in Primatek perform as an extension of surfers’ instincts. Intuitively connecting your imagination and ability in a creative collision of a primal past and an ethereal future, Primitek is the blank slate and firm foundation for you to build your masterpiece.

HIGH DENSITY EPS CORE

// Lively response that distributes vibration equally for predictability

CLEAR HD-EPOXY RESIN

// Premium resin with emphasis on high durability and liveliness

1 X LAYER OF E-GLASS

// Strong and resistant to denting

1 X LAYER OF BIAX GLASS

// Gives multi-direction strength while maintaining a lively feel.

What It Does How It Feels

“ESCAPE THE ROTATING DOOR OF NORMALITY”

Beach Cloud

TWIN-FIN/ SWALLOW TAIL

If you live your life in a haze of nostalgia, always searching for that electricity of times past, the Beach Cloud is for you. As the name suggests, it has the same gaseous qualities as early evening Chanel perfume, late-night sea fog, and loud sneezes at dusk. Like traditional twinnys, the board has a fuller nose and outline but is curvier in the tail, especially behind the fins. This board is designed with modern surfy surf in mind. It has other more contemporary elements in rail shape, rocker, and foil, but stays true to the speed, flow, and highline attributes of the classic twin fin approach. An overall design emphasis on free-flowing progression, the Beach Cloud is a modern take on the classic twin fin feel that channels the past as you remember it – which is probably better than it actuallly was.

Whether you’re a primitivist á la Gauguin or a minimalist like Mies Van der Rohe we know you believe the essence of a thing is it’s true value and that kitsch accoutrement is for the birds. You know that real creative expression happens on the wave and what you need is great design and purist performance.

Bienvenu à Primitek.

By keeping the construction simple we’ve found our boards built in Primatek perform as an extension of surfers’ instincts. Intuitively connecting your imagination and ability in a creative collision of a primal past and an ethereal future, Primitek is the blank slate and firm foundation for you to build your masterpiece.

HIGH DENSITY EPS CORE

// Lively response that distributes vibration equally for predictability

CLEAR HD-EPOXY RESIN

// Epoxy resin system with high thermo-mechanical performances

1 X LAYER OF E-GLASS

// Strong and resistant to denting

1 X LAYER OF BIAX GLASS

// Gives multi-direction strength while maintaining a lively feel.

What It Does

“ESCAPE THE ROTATING DOOR OF NORMALITY”

Yandina Speedway

3-FIN/ DOMED SWALLOW TAIL

OG M/SF/T family JAKE VINCENT’s signature model, the Yandina Speedway is Queensland engine culture and hellman spirit all packaged into one musclly beast of a surfboard. For those who desire to surf like Vin; animated, untamed, progressive, and unpredictable look no further than the Yandina Speedway. The model bears a lot of similarities to Vin’s previous chariots of choice, with a similar wide nose and tail that draw the rail line out, making it more parallel to create maximum speed + drive. Lismore levels of speed + lift are also derived from a quad channel bottom which projects water out the tail. The tail also harnesses another previously proven element, the domed swallow, which in short, promotes speed and release, while maintaining control, especially in a reversed position. Most of this board’s big Vin energy is in its deck and rails. The deck is fully flat, in fact it goes beyond into a subtle concave, which creates a more sensitive surfing feel; as one’s feet are almost closer to the water and fin area. Toward the tail this then moves into a slight double concave for comfort and grip while shuvving and revving. This is all finished off with chimed rails to propel water off the deck and create shapely rails that penetrate the wall of the wave without biting. The last element, which is oh so important, is the 13 hand-drawn decals by the iconic Australian punk artist BEN BROWN that are guaranteed to make this board un-noticeable to none. As one can see she is wild beyond belief, but on a technical level this board is the evolution and next generation of the MK/ DD series, which has been years of design and research in planning hulls, channels, parallel outlines, water displacement and timeless surfboard design.

If you believe the essence of a thing is it’s true value, that kitsch accoutrement is for the birds, and that real creative expression happens on the wave what you need is great design and purist performance. Tou need Primitek.

HIGH DENSITY EPS CORE

// Lively response that distributes vibration equally for predictability

CLEAR HD-EPOXY RESIN

// Epoxy resin system with high thermo-mechanical performances

1 X LAYER OF E-GLASS

// Strong and resistant to denting

1 X LAYER OF BIAX GLASS

// Gives multi-direction strength while maintaining a lively feel.

“ESCAPE THE ROTATING DOOR OF NORMALITY”

Premium performance “soft” boards! Constructed from handfinished EPS blanks, glassed in epoxy resin 2x layers of 6oz fiberglass on the bottom. Reinforced with a vertical fiberglass flex column down the center of the board, then molded in a high density IXPE foam deck + HDPE slick bottom. Longer models come with an extra stringer for strength. All models are equipped with the Futures fin system and come with a set of composite fins.

HAND FINISHED EPS CORE

// Same attention to detail as our hard epoxy boards

CLEAR HD-EPOXY RESIN

// Epoxy resin system with high thermo-mechanical performances

2 X LAYER OF 60Z GLASS ON TOP + BOTTOM

// Strong and resistant to denting

1 X VERTICAL FIBERGLASS FLEX COLUMN

// Adds strength and torsional stiffness

1 X IXPE FOAM DECK

// Soft and durable + feel nice on the feetsies

1 X HDPE SLICK BOTTOM

// Super fast across the water

Neo Speed Egg Black

Neo Speed Egg Glam

Neo Speed Egg White

Dope Machine White

Dope Machine Grey

Beach Cloud

Yandina Speedway

Roger Hinds shaping career has spawned four decades and encompassed the multi-faceted evolution of the short board. From his early days of stripped down long boards during the transition era, to refining his skills under the tutelage of the likes of Ed Angulo, Jeff Edwards and Kent Smith. 70’s North Shore soul with Country Surfboards and Lightning Bolt and team riders spanning the era’s and all disciplines from Jock Sutherland and Mike Armstrong to Long board World Champions Rusty Keaulana and Taylor Jensen. Production shaping for the likes of Blue Hawaii, Russ K, Harbour, Hobie and Weber, as well as head shaper for Bear USA.

His attention to detail has lead to some of the most popular plugs for Clark Foam and US Blanks. He won of The Icons of Foam shape-off back to back in 2014 & 2015 at The Boardroom Show first honoring Ben Aipa then Rusty Preisendorfer. He came in second at the Ultimate Craftsman Project at the same show losing by only one tenth of a point. That same detail is reflected in start to finish shape, glass, color and polish of impeccable quality. Roger Hinds lives the art of surfboard construction. – Randy Rarick

“ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND IMPECCABLE QUALITY”

Dream Fish

5-FIN OPTION/ SWALLOW TAIL

As the name implies, the Dream Fish is a Fish that performs beyond expectations. The curve of the outline allows you to get more vertical than the traditional Fish, while the width in the tail gets you through the flatter or slower sections. Expect fast, loose, carving possibilities that are only limited by your imagination, the “Dream Fish” is a perfect choice for versatility and overall performance surfing.

Due to Roger’s unique fin box placements and when combined with his custom NVS fins The Dream Fish can be ridden with the characteristics of a Fish, Twin Fin or Thruster depending on the fin setup you choose. Run it as a quad or a twin and draw long lines and fly down the line, run it as a thruster and carve tight arcs in the pocket and off the lip. The “Dream Fish” will take your surfing to a new level, while giving you the versatile options of Thruster, Twin Fin or Quad.

Surftech’s version of a standard EPS and epoxy surfboard construction. A closed cell EPS core containing a wood stringer is layered with E-glass and biax glass for a light weight performance board with a lively feel. All Fusion HD boards are hand finished.

FUSED CELL EPS CORE

// Closed-cell EPS core provides more response + flotation

CLEAR HD-EPOXY RESIN

// Epoxy resin system with high thermo-mechanical performances

HIGH-QUALITY E-GLASS FIBERGLASS

// E-glass has the highest strength-to-weight ratio available

FULL BIAX DECK PATCH (45° / -45°)

// The Biax fiberglass distributes power + protects from dings

WOOD STRINGER

// Distributes power + adds pop + adds break strength

FUTURES FIN BOXES

// Takes just seconds to insert and remove the fins

HAND-FINISHED

// Machine-shaped, hand-laminated, and hand-finishe d

Size:

What It Does How It Feels

“ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND IMPECCABLE QUALITY”

Nomad

5-FIN OPTION/ DIAMOND TAIL

A FUNctional shortboard that makes riding a small board more approachable. The Nomad has a shortboard high performance rocker combined with a larger planning surface and a thinner overall foil, which creates a more responsive, versatile surfboard. The added fullness and width of the outline allows you catch waves like a longboard, turn like a shortboard and surf fast and loose, it puts the fun back in surfing.

Like the Dream Fish, due to Roger’s unique fin box placements and when combined with his custom NVS fins The Nomad can be ridden as a Thruster, Twin Fin or Quad depending on the fin setup you choose. Run it as a quad and it really loosens up, as a twin fin it’s a speed demon that will fly down the line, as a thruster it will allow you to carve tight arcs in the pocket and under the lip. The “Nomad” will improve your surfing while giving you the versatile options of Thruster, Twin Fin or Quad.

Surftech’s version of a standard EPS and epoxy surfboard construction. A closed cell EPS core containing a wood stringer is layered with E-glass and biax glass for a light weight performance board with a lively feel. All Fusion HD boards are hand finished.

FUSED CELL EPS CORE

// Closed-cell EPS core provides more response + flotation

CLEAR HD-EPOXY RESIN

// Epoxy resin system with high thermo-mechanical performances

HIGH-QUALITY E-GLASS FIBERGLASS

// E-glass has the highest strength-to-weight ratio available

FULL BIAX DECK PATCH (45° / -45°)

// The Biax fiberglass distributes power + protects from dings

WOOD STRINGER

// Distributes power + adds pop + adds break strength

FUTURES FIN BOXES

// Takes just seconds to insert and remove the fins

HAND-FINISHED

// Machine-shaped, hand-laminated, and hand-finishe d

What It Does How It Feels