SURFBOARDS
The Boardroom Show, Del Mar USA
Imagine the sound of a crusty surfer chewing the ear off a surfboard shaper at his local factory. Talking designs, fins, and that one wave he scored 30 years ago down the coast.
Now times that by a thousand, and you’re at The Boardroom Show in Del Mar, CA
Imagine the sound of a crusty surfer chewing the ear off a surfboard shaper at his local factory. Talking designs, fins, and that one wave he scored 30 years ago down the coast.
Now times that by a thousand.
The first thing you notice about The Boardroom Show in Del Mar is the noise. Noisier than any tradeshow we’ve ever been to. Throw in the sound of an electric planer buzzing foam off a blank during their shaper battles and it’s as iconic as the riffs of a Dick Dale guitar solo.
This event is like woodstock for surfboard lovers. Open to the public, it showcases a whole bunch of incredible shapers, from underground So-Cal legends, to global superbrands like Channel Islands (who had Dane Reynolds and Mikey Feb throwing high fives in the booth).
There were airbrush sprays, wild channel bottoms, step decks, vintage cars, camping set ups, fin makers, bat tails, pin tails, stingers, and even a machine that 3D-prints fully shaped blanks. Legends like Gerry Lopez and Maurice Cole were in attendance, while both Eric Arakawa and John Pyzel made the journey from Hawaii to walk around.
All in all, it was a feast for the senses with a solid helping of salt and foam dust. If you’re into this sort of thing, put it in your calendar for next year. Definitely worth a look.
Stay tuned for an upcoming post on some interesting innovations in surfboard tech we saw uncovered too (including that 3D printing machine).
Read up more about The Boardroom Show, here
