Before synthetic foams and petrochemical resins, wood was the only material for surfboards. A growing number of makers are returning to it — for aesthetics, ecology and durability.
Wood, a living material
Its strength runs along its growth axis: excellent tensile and compressive hold, vibration absorption in powerful waves. Valuable properties, worth comparing with the other materials.
Three keepers of a craft
Josh Martin, under Martin Shapes (Dana Point), carries on the legacy of his father Terry Martin, legendary Hobie shaper for half a century. He builds masterpieces in chambered wood, using redwood from sustainable forests and white oak for stringers and fins.
Tom Wegener is the world specialist of traditional alaias in paulownia — the finless boards inherited from ancient Hawaiians. And Todd Pinder, a Honolulu craftsman, brings high-end finishes of classic Hawaiian inspiration.
A revival distributed in Europe
These three signatures, gathered among our shapers, form a rare offering of excellence: boards that are as much gliding objects as pieces of craft art. Wood is not nostalgia — it’s another way of thinking about glide and its footprint.