Master of the Shaping World - Xanadu

In the tradition of honouring people who have dedicated their lives to shaping equipment for the best surfers in the world I could not pass up the chance to ask another of my heroes. Xanadu has been at the fore-front of surfboard design since before Kelly was on tour and sure knows how to carve up a blank.

Just how does someone stay at the top of the game for so long? How do they keep having fresh new ideas that keep them that head in front? Well yes, that’s right you guessed it we are going to ask the man himself.

SB: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us at Surf Bunker Xanadu, how are the waves with you at the moment?

Xanadu: This morning I surfed about 500 yards south from Oceanside Pier and the waves were really fun.

SB: Where did you grow up surfing and when did you know you were going to build boards?

Xanadu: I was born in Brazil, and I grew up there as a teenager, but I’ve been living in California most of my life. I was travelling a lot by the time I was 15, which is also when I started shaping boards. Probably 2 years into it I knew I was going to be building boards for a living.

Tanner Hendrickson showcasing some current Xanadu Gems

SB: How much have seen board design and construction change since you started out?

Xanadu: The last 5-10 years people have been trying different stuff. The other methods have been around for a long time. Surfboard factories started as wind surf factories, and eventually evolved into what they mostly are today.

SB: How can I get hold of a custom built Xanadu board?

Xanadu: The only way I sell boards direct to the public is through my shops in the San Diego area. If you’re in that area and you’re interested in getting one of my boards, you can come into the shop and see them for yourself. If you have any questions for me about my boards, I answer questions via email and phone. If there are no shops in your area that offer my boards, you can order them directly through me.

SB: Lisa Anderson won a couple of world titles on your boards, how did that feel to be part of it?

Xanadu: It was great, I was happy for Lisa. Me and Lisa had more of a business relationship. Some people that ride my boards end up being my friends like Nathan Webster, but with Lisa and I it was simply a surfer/shaper relationship. We were both living in Huntington at the time. One day she told me she was moving onto a new shaper, and it surprised me but she had her reasons.

SB: Which is your favourite Xanadu board to surf?

Xanadu: I don’t have one favorite. I have a bunch of magic boards that I’ve developed over the years. I have 6-7 boards in my car for any given session. The only board I can kind of say sticks out to me is the one that Brad Gerlach first tried. I was using more concave and rocker at the time, which no one else was really doing, and he didn’t like them at first, because they had to be surfed differently. With that said, here we are 20 years later and I’m still selling that model. So something about it obviously stuck.

SB: When you first started was there any other shaper that you would draw inspiration from?

Xanadu: No, I don’t have a hero. I’m my own hero. I surf to get better for myself. Design works the same way for me. Surfboards are pieces of art. I love to look at boards because I appreciate the art of a surfboard. It’s all about finding out what feels good for you.

SB: What do you think about the eco board movement?

Xanadu: Ya I’m working with Markofoam. They have a really good thing going right now, currently using blanks made up of 40% recycled foam. Hopefully we can get up to 50-70% recycled foam at some point. He called me up to get involved with Xanadu, and since then I use his blanks and he glasses my boards.

SB: Can you remember the first board you shaped? Have you still got it?

Xanadu: Ya I remember. I did it in my parents back yard. I shaped it and glassed it myself, and it was a mess, so I threw it away.

SB: Again huge thanks to Xanadu for the insight into his world, a little bit about how he makes his craft and how to remain one of the best shapers for a generation.