A handful of local shapers make a living along California’s coast hand crafting surfboards for the thousands of thrill seekers that are willing to spend their downtime surfing in the pacific ocean and beyond. We take a deeper dive into the introverted mind of local shaper Joseph Yee who has been handcrafting state of the art hybrid surfboards with influences from the 70’s and 80’s styles.
“It’s kinda like functional art, People actually use it. It’s different than a painting that’s just going to be hung on a wall. Someone is actually going to ride this.”
“When 805 asked me to shape 40 boards for them, I realized that I got a chance to do 40 boards of one or two shapes. I can take the time to progress with those shapes and perfect them.”
“I feel like once I start shaping I kind of just get in the zone because I am by myself, I’ll just be playing music and no one’s around. It’s kind of like the same thing as surfing and why I like it, you forget about other things.”
“The connection I get with the people, building something that they love and hearing the feedback I get after they surf it.”
“I am surrounded by a bunch of other surfboard shapers that come and go here, so I get to see different boards shaped in the different ways people do them.”
“Growing up in Goleta was amazing. It’s a very special place going to a surf spot, hiking through the woods to get there. The spots here definitely influence the boards I make, from high-performance shortboards to logs and gliders.”
