It’s estimated that Phil Becker shaped well over 100K surfboards over the course of his career, all by hand. It’s the kind of number that brings to mind stats from superstar athletes who dominated in distant eras — like hearing about how Wilt Chamberlain once scored 100 points in a single basketball game….
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Donald Takayama boasts one of the great careers in surfing history, from his early days riding for the legendary Jacobs team in the 60s, to his role in reviving traditional longboarding in the 90s and 2000s with his Hawaiian Pro Designs label. I’ve catalogued many of Takayama’s different models over the years here…
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Kelly Slater’s wave pool is the single most astonishing invention in the history of surfing. Jack O’Neill created the wetsuit, Greenough pioneered the modern fin, and Tom Morey gave us the Boogie Board; but in terms of sheer jaw dropping impact, that first vision of Kelly’s wave was like witnessing alien technology emerge…
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If nothing else, Shred Sledz is here to document classic longboards when they appear on the internet. Pictured here is a 9’6″ Bing Surfboards David Nuuhiwa Lightweight Model shaped in 1967 that was listed on Craigslist. There is no shortage of beautiful and significant surfboards in the 60s, and even in that crowded…
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If it involves Da Rubberman, I’m in. Here’s an ad from the June 1980 issue of Surfer Magazine (Vol 21, No 6) featuring Bertlemann laying down an insane bottom turn. The part of this photo I keep returning to is that glassy bit of wake off the tail, which helps give an idea…
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Sometimes it seems that style and substance might not be compatible with one another. Whether it’s surfboards, designer handbags or any other consumer product, there are times when the hype cycle threatens to overshadow everything else in its path; when people focus on price and prestige above all. Thankfully, the things that matter…
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If you haven’t yet had the chance to check out “For Pleasure Only“, the second original Shred Sledz film, you can watch it in full here. I’m biased, of course, but I’m thrilled with the film, and my hope is “For Pleasure Only” serves as a tribute to Doug Haut’s legendary shaping career….
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Greetings, Shredderz! As I am sometimes wont to do, I thought I’d point you all in the direction of a couple of sweet sleds that are currently listed for sale. Bonzer aficionado Tim Orr is selling an original 1977 Campbell Brothers Bonzer and a 1968 Bing Surfboards Minigun model. Both boards are located…
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Greetings, Shredderz! There’s a cool Greg Noll longboard with the so-called “atomic logo” currently listed for sale on Craigslist. You can find the original listing here. I don’t like dwelling on price too much, but I don’t think there’s any chance the seller gets even close to the $20K asking price. I’m not…
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Greetings, Shredderz! Every once in a while, you stumble across the occasional needle in the depressing haystack that is the internet: something sharp and glittering that immediately catches your eye and makes you sit up a little straighter. Fallin’, a sick little edit from Shyama Buttonshaw Designs, featuring the surfer / shaper behind…
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