SITIS Surfboards

The surfboard making industry is a tough one to get into and even tougher to stay in. To actually contemplate making enough money to survive and feed a family is almost a ridiculous thought. The working conditions are, lets face it, not that great. It cannot be much fun working with fibre glass, foam and chemicals that are constantly but slowly trying to make your life shorter.

In that case why do it? What sort of person desires this above all other things. The answer is guys that want to surf, guys that want to understand what different shapes do, to see the enjoyment of their hard work translating into someone else's stoke. In other words Legends.

It is one such legend that I now have the opportunity to quiz about how he came to be making some of the most sumptuous yet practical surfboards I have seen to date. Alan Murphy who shapes out of Donegal in Ireland under the name of Sitis surfboards spends his time contributing to the stoke of others in the most old fashioned way possible. Thanks for sparing us all the time Al.

SB: Hey Alan,  where where you born/grow up?

Alan: I was born in N. Donegal, about 20 mins from my nearest break which is where I am based and work out of at the moment. I grew up in a town with very little to no surf exposure and I only became aware of surfing at the age of 14 through a friend who had bodyboarded at some of the more well known surf spots in S. Donegal. I remember I had to save for a long time to buy my first board which was a repaired Dahlberg semi gun which had been snapped. I used to skip school and jump on buses to my nearest beach on my own, much to the amusement of other passengers who had probably never seen a surfboard before.

SB: How is it surfing in Donegal? Are there more than just big wave spots?

Alan: Donegal is great when its on but it can be very temperamental. Most of our spots depend on the elements coming together so patience plays a major role here. We can go weeks on end without surf but when its on its well worth the wait. Donegal has it all from reefs, points, rivermouths, beachies and of course the big wave spots, and if you put in the time and effort to search for spots the only company you will have will be dolphins and seals. Its a very soulful experience for sure!!

SB: When did you first start shaping boards and why?

Alan: As soon as I got into surfing I was interested in boards and at the age of 17 I tried to get an apprenticeship with a shaper but was told it was only available to team riders. So I tried to learn what I could through surf mags etc but it wasn't until I went to Cornwall in 2003 to study surf science (building your own board was what drew me to the course) that I met Mark "Hilzee" Hills and he helped me shape my first board.

I remember quizzing Mark on how he got into shaping etc. and he told me he went and got his carpentry apprenticeship and took it from there, so when I came back to Donegal the first thing I did was buy little shed and transformed it into a shaping bay where I made 1 board before I became a carpenters apprentice. I think it was a lack of confidence and not enough knowledge about design that kept me from shaping anymore boards until 2013. I was teaching surfing in North Coast NSW and was doing odd repairs on foamies etc for the school but I noticed the old foamies had PU cores so I stripped a board down and started shaping using only a handsaw and a sanding block. It took me all day but I was totally captivated by the experience and was surprised how well it turned out, the carpentry experience definitely helped!!

That was the turning point for me, I decided to come home (before I was kicked out) and start from scratch and start building boards!

SB: What was you first board like? Have you still got it?

Alan:It was a 6'3 pintail thruster built for S. Donegal reefs. I sold the board (to afford a plane ticket home after running out of money for college) to a good friend of mine who has since passed away and it's in his families possession.

SB: Is shaping boards your main job? if not do you want it to be?

Alan: I'm trying to build a business from it but as with anything it takes time and you have to build a reputation which takes time, but its starting to come together. Patience is key, I've realised through not selling boards for the first 18 months why I'm doing it and that is simply for the love of it! If my boards never took off I'd still be doing it, shaping for myself! Its opened up a whole new appreciation for surfing and especially the history of surfing for me which I'm really grateful for!

Id love to do this full time, building boards is all I think about now apart from surfing them!! I would love to move to California/Hawaii and learn as much as possible from the best. I'd love to see how far I can take it!

SB: Do you take inspiration for anyone in the shaping or surfing world?

Alan: Most of my inspiration comes from the 60's and 70's surfers that built their own equipment and then tested it, Wayne Lynch, Steve Lis, Geoff McCoy and Ben Aipa. A lot of what I know I'v learned through watching vids or clips of these guys talking design or shaping! The underground surf/shaping scene that I follow on instagram is a real source of inspiration and guys like Matt from Kazuma Surfboards who endlessly share their knowledge on boardbuilding are priceless for guys like me that are self taught, especially in an industry that has a very closed door policy.

SB: What is your favourite SITIS model to surf?

Alan: My favorite model would be the Bliss fish a Steve Lis inspired fish that I never leave home without! My boards are designed for early wave entry and good paddle ability. They are geared towards the average surfer who wants to increase wave count! A big problem with weekend warriors etc is the frustration encountered when you get back in the water after a period of not surfing and feeling like you have regressed in your surfing, I'm trying to fix that problem with larger volumed boards but designs that still orientate towards performance. Twins and single fins bring out a more aesthetic style too which can only be good for your surfing!

SB: How much would one of your boards set me back and what is the wait like?

Alan: Anything from 500 upwards depending on finish, I like to do a lot of resin work, tints, cutlaps, glass on fins, hand foiled fins, resin pinlines etc. Lots of detail to make them unique boards and the turn around is usually between 4 to 6 weeks dependent on supplier.

SB: So is the most addictive thing in life the stoke? or is it watching others getting stoked on something that you made? well I guess that depends on who you talk to but one thing is for certain, it takes a special kind of person to build amazing boards and we at Surf Bunker think that Alan should keep doing it.