TIM STAMPS SURFBOARD SHAPER PROFILE

As for fins: glass-ons or fin systems?

I’m a fin systems guy, for sure. You can change the template and it changes everything. You can adjust your fins in the back, and a lot of times the fin will break, but you come in and - boom - you’re surfing again. Glass ons definitely have their place, and a lot of the pros go that way. I guess it gives them one less thing to worry about when they come up against Slater they don’t have to ask, “What kind of fins am I using?”

Can you speak to the effect of the overseas market on domestic shapers?

I think it’s affected everyone domestically. The numbers are down with what we do, and a lot of boards are coming in from overseas, and if you’re doing a lot of boards, that’s something you have to wrestle with in your own mind. If that’s the way your going to go or not.

I’m more of a custom guy. I still have a good following of people who want their stuff fine-tuned, but beginners go pick up their board and it’s super cheap and they’re happy. The shops are happy since they’re making their margins, and they care a lot less about the shaper down the street. They used to rely on us to keep to keep their racks stocked, but now the board comes in a plastic box, and it’s not even a phone call away and there you go. But it has its place, and I think that its kind of running its course and things are starting to settle down. The industry probably needs a good cleaning out anyway

How do you get inspired?

Through surfing. You go surfing and ride something and figure, “Hey, I can change this.” And then you look at surfing fashion, take this design and combine that design, and listen to riders’ feedback. Were always mixing and matching, but surfing always tends to move in different directions

Have you seen many young shapers coming up?

I think all the kids want to be pro surfers. I think they're out there for sure. I think that when the shops were “shops” they might have been more interested because everything was done in house, and there aren’t but a handful around anymore. If you’re not exposed to it, and haven’t been through it, you go to the surf shops and see the boards from all the big name guys and a few local shapers and you have no idea how they got here. You don’t smell the resin or know how it’s made. I’m sure there’s an interest, and I think it’s a good hobby but it’s a very hard business, but if you just get experience and work hard you can do it

Could you give any advice to aspiring shapers?

Stay in school...(He laughs). I think the best way to do it is to learn from the bottom up. Everyone wants to just become the best shaper out there, but you need to know what you’re doing and know what you’re looking at and have a natural progression. But really you should just grab a blank, cut into, and shape it. Make a mess of it, and then you’ll realize surfboards sure are cheap for how much labor goes into it.

What are some of your goals as a shaper?

Keep the door rolled up. Just keep making a good product at a reasonable price with good delivery and keep evolving. You can always buy last year’s board or the ten years ago model, but I just want to keep it fresh everyday, stay stoked and keep it going.