In a Year Riddled With Uncertainty, We Bought More Boards Than Ever
Months after COVID-19 crippled the global economy, shapers are struggling to keep up with new demand.
Ryan Burch. Photo: Billy Watts
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By: Matt Faludi
Jason Bennett can’t remember the last time he’s seen so many new surfers in the water.
“I go down on the weekends and see soft-top after soft-top on top of cars,” said Jason, co-owner and head shaper at Chemistry Surfboards in Oceanside, CA. “I haven’t seen a rush like this since I’ve been surfing.”
Back in March, Jason couldn’t have predicted the hardgoods boom the surfing world would experience throughout 2020. No one could’ve. Retailers around the world shuttered their doors while following shelter-in-place orders, forcing them to cancel new orders and making it harder to sell any existing stock they had. Record unemployment and beach closures and/or restrictions around the country certainly didn’t offer any peace
Shaper s Bay: Dan Mann, Anatomy of a Surfboard
San Diego shaper breaks down the fundamentals of board design
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Shaper’s Bay is a new Premium Originals series, included in your Premium membership, where the world’s best shapers dive into the innermost workings the most important piece of surf gear you own – your surfboard. Check out Episode One with Jon Pyzel right here, Episode Two with Eric Arakawa right here and stay tuned for Matt Parker from Album Surfboards, dropping next month. If you’re not already Premium, sign up for a free trial here. The following content is available exclusively to premium members