Californian shaping rests on a rigorous transmission, master to apprentice. Three makers embody its continuity, distributed in Europe within our shapers network.
Barrett Miller, the heir
From Capistrano Beach, Barrett Miller started shaping at 14 under the mentorship of legendary figures — Joel Tudor, Timmy Patterson, Rich Pavel, Ryan Burch, Wayne Rich, Hank Byzak. His models built for Europe reflect that lineage: the Swallow draws on 1970s single fins with generous nose volume; the Pinot is a smooth pintail made for travel; the Springfield, developed with Wayne Rich and Hank Byzak, extends the purity of style on a rail.
Mitsven and Tanner, the keepers
Bob Mitsven guards the historic lines of San Diego — the eggs and smooth transition boards. Tanner Prairie, under his Tanner Surfboards label, carries on the tradition of large Californian gliders: fixed fibreglass fins, heavy tinted-resin laminations, incomparable glide inertia.
A purity that endures
What links these three shapers is a shared conception of the longboard: heavy, stable, made for trim and noseriding, the opposite of nervous performance. A glide you earn and savour.
These boards are shaped for Europe within the Shapers Club, extending to Angoulins the spirit of a Californian coast where style always outweighs display.