this is our story...
“We do not always insist on duplication, or symmetry, or evenness of section, or fairness of a curve, or repetition of a unit...� david pye, Quality in Workmanship
“We’re as intense about surfing as we are about making surfboards,” says Tyler Jorgenson, co-founder along with Michael Farley of the Brooklyn-based custom surfboard brand Wax/Surf Co. Using that metric, you could say their focus on craft is near epic. - Alex Redgrave for Kaufmann Mercantile
Of course, as architect and custom fabricator respectively, Tyler and Mike decided the best way to teach themselves to surf was to hand build themselves their very own boards...from scratch. What better way to find an excuse to test out each new board they developed than a trip out in the Rockaways? These guys will go for any excuse they can get. If the waves are calling them at 3:30 in the morning, Wax/Surf Co. will be the few guys out out there mid January catching a wave before work.
Our process is extremely holistic from shaping to glassing and finishing. Without any preconception of what a board might be a customer will come to us and we talk about surfing, life, waves and so much more. Then we begin to discuss more specifically the shape and the form that will best serve their needs. We like to converse about their riding style and attitude to help us understand what shape the board needs to be. We also like to experiment with our work with everything from a set of fins to board modifications to some crazy experimental boards. These personal projects are usually inspired by different surfing styles and just our desire to have fun and try new things.
Without formal training in surfing or shaping, learning to make and understand such complex shapes as surfboards was a completely new endeavor for us. We learned from our mistakes as we relentlessly tried to perfect our craft night after night. But we managed to dial it in fast as we did more and more boards. The shapes became more specific for both the waves and the people riding them. It is really interesting for us to go from working on a 1 million square foot building in NYC or 3D printing a model for a design competition to getting off of work, going to the shop and hand shaping foam. The analog process is so fulfilling since working with your hand is so human.
The notion of shaping something so complex with your hands and eyes is really inspiring to us. In an age of technology, surfing is so true to its roots. Yes there are a lot of makers and shapers mass producing boards, but the community of shapers who do this by hand is still really strong. In most other industries this hand touch seems to be fading away, but with surfboards it adds so much to the surfing experience to have a conversation with the person who made your board.
Our boards have definitely evolved over time as we have become better at surfing and more aware of the details that contribute to the shape. But more than anything, the more feedback we get and the more informed we are on how a certain shapes perform, the better the boards get. Our work simply responds to the conversations and time spent with our customers and are becoming more specific because of that.
thanks for reading!