What do you need to be a shaper in this age? As a good friend said to me once, all you need is a shed, some tools and a the right frame of mind to get started. To make a board is all about the process and understanding it.
Shaping and surfing can go hand in hand, some shapers find that feedback comes from surfing their own creations, some rely on others for the fine tuning. 'Toots' is a Philippine born surfer that shapes his own boards, he surfs well and loves both mowing foam and riding it. Now residing in Honolulu he holds down a day job to feed his habits.
Perhaps this is the real soul of surfing? Building a board, surfing it and learning from the experience. 'Toots' sights that the two go hand-in-hand for him, each process complimenting the other perfectly.
Having had a long, steamy passion to build our own boards here at Surf Bunker HQ for a while now, I can announce we are going to give it a go. It's the natural evolution, you only live once and we are all keener than a 'racing ferret' to get our hands on a planner. In the meantime enjoy this footage of someone who had been there, done that.
Toots is a shaper and surfer.