Above—starting from the top right, moving clockwise—are the 2nd, 4th, 1st, and 5th surfboards I shaped. Of these, Number 1 got only a handful of session due to its severe lack of volume, Number 5 went to my buddy Kenny, Number 4 went South and went pretty good for a Number 4 (I don’t know why I stopped riding it,) and Number 2 went all over the globe when I studied abroad in Spain. All of these boards have been made start to finish. And all have been test ridden (a-la your Dad thinks your food could be poisoned logic) before, if not after, delivery.
Thank you Big Daddy Mike for the tools, Mark Mehran for the fins and more, and Dave Johnson for letting me rent out his shaping bay and lending his skills when needed.
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Board Files
Number 2: 7’9 Single-fin.
Fin: 8″ HotRodSurf Psychedelic Blue
Number 2 is the board I brought when I studied abroad in Spain. This puppy is fun from ankle high slop to double overhead points. It has a bit of a hull bottom which, although I did not mean to shape, taught me a good deal about reading waves and staying in the pocket. After surfing only this board for three months, I went back home and began shaping shorter, harder-railed boards for myself. I hop on it here and there and, regardless of the conditions, it is always fun to ride. It also seems to be ding proof and I hope I do not jinx it by acknowledging that.
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Number 3: 9’4 Single-fin Longboard
Fin: 10″ Hot Rod Surf Woody Flex Fin
Longboard I sold to Scott Marino of the “ArtOffical” band. We traded this board for his guitar and some cash: he was new to surfing and I am still new to playing the guitar. I should probably play the guitar.
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Number 4: 6’1 Quad-fin Shortboard
Fins: So far I have only tried my Hot Rod thruster side fin set with custom trailers
This board has been dubbed “Skinny Nips,” as my little cousin Cameron so lovingly calls me, because of it’s thinned out tail and nose and because of my skinny nips. This was the first of the ‘groovesurfboards’ label I had going for a little bit.
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Number 5: 6’10 Single Fin Square Tail
Fin: 7′ Hot Rod Surf (I forgot the name, or if it even had one)
This guy was the first board I made that I hopped on and it just went exactly how I was expecting it to. I got some fun waves on it before I sold it to my dear pal Kenny. Sorry Kenny, that the glass was not as strong in that one spot as it should’ve been. These things are a work in progress and I appreciate your understanding. Nothin but love and lots of it.
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Number 6: 6’5 Diamond Tail Single w/ Side bite option
Fin: I want to say I started out with a HotRod, but now use a 6.5″ True Ames Power Fin with custom HotRod side-bites if need be.
This is the board I made after traveling around and scoring pumping waves on Hand-shape Number 2. I’ve brought this board all over and have had some of the most memorable sessions and gotten some of the best waves of my life on it. I surfed it mostly as a 2+1 but I do wonder from time to time how it would go as a single fin. I still have it and would like to get it in some head-high+ bowls.
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Number 7: 9’4 Chickee Log
Fin: 10′ True Ames Greenough 4a
Custom for Francesca. She was very stoked on how the colors came out. She still surfs it all the time but should really put a tarp on it if it’s going to be living outside under the sun. If you are surfing at sunset and it is glassy but there are some bumps in the water, I swear you can see the color shades that inspired this board when you look at the low, glassy spots in between the bumps in the water. That could just be me though.
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Number 8: 7’8 long twin for Kalvin
Fin: True Ames upright twins
7’8 custom for Kalvin. This board goes very fast. Works better in down the line stuff than pitchy, dumpy, short beachbreak as I found out. He wanted a Kookapinto but those were much more expensive than what I charged him. So any inspiration for design goes to Mr. Corey.
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Number 9: 7’1 Mini-gun Moike
Fins: Futures balanced 5-fin set
7’1 tube-shooter/biggish wave board. When I first made this thing, and for the first 6 months that I rode it, I thought it would be impossible to turn. This past winter I figured it out more but am yet to get it into as much juice as she is meant for. Got the best barrel of my life so far on it.
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Number 10: 6’3 Step-up Shortboard
Fins: Normal thrusters
I made this guy for my trip to Indonesia this past Summer. Thank you to Ryan and the Love family for bringing me. That was the trip of a lifetime and those were by far the best, heaviest waves I have ever seen. This board I think goes better at points than critical reefs due to the amounts of foam in the nose and tail.
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Number 11: 7’10 Single-fin
Fin: 8′ Liddle fin by Hobie
Custom midlength for Aidan. Very, very flat meant for softer, down the line points but hauls ass in critical sections. Bladey for what it is. Aidan, can you surf it more this winter please? I would like more feedback.
This was the last board I shaped under the ‘groovesurfboards’ Label
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Number’s 12 and 13:
I don’t have a picture of the two boards apart I don’t think.
#12: The thruster on the right is a 6’5 Step-up I made this past winter. Have gotten it in some solid waves and it goes good in bigger point break surf.
#13: The twin fin on the left is a 6’3 performanc-ey custom for my buddy Shane. Shane likes the Lakers!
Shoutout my sister Carly in the photo on the right. She is studying at cosmetology school so stay tuned for ‘clawsbycarly’!!!
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Number 14: Bellyboard
Fins: Dafin
Red Rocket Approved! I made this bellyboard out of Aidan Cockler’s old green glass-on log I fixed for him time and time again. This thing goes fast but I have not put much time on it since I finished her up this summer. Art by Sam Winner (@seekjoy on the instagrams).
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Number 15: 5’6 Rocket Pop Thruster
Fins: Normal Thrusters
This board took Gibby and I a little while to figure out where to put our feet. Once I got my feet in the right spot, this board became my favorite handshape ever. I can grovel it when it’s knee-high and can get it in the tube when it’s a little overhead and below. I don’t want to jinx it but I would say this is the first proper magic board I have made for myself. Although I sprained my MCL riding it, we are still friends.
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Number 16: 9’8 Single-Fin Big Boy Log
Fin: 11″ Hot Rod Eliminator Fin
Steven and I started surfing together the summer before junior year of high school. We’d get dropped off every other day at Scripps in the morning and wouldn’t get picked up until dark. We started out on Wavestorms and eventually worked our way up to real boards. Steven had this Rasta foamie that was as waterlogged as it could be. I think he rode it as a twin fin most of the time. When he reached out saying he was in the market for a longboard, I knew exactly what I was going to make him. Unlike Steven’s rear end, this board is flat as can be and was my best attempt at making him, per request, a ‘fat boy longboard’–glassed in memory of the OG Rasta Storm. Thanks for letting me make you a board steven, I hope it goes good up in Santa Cruz.
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Number 17: 6’7 Thruster
Fin: Normal Thruster fins
Custom board for my good buddy Jared up in SB. Said he wanted a board for 2ft bowls to 6 ft Rincon. Really good paddle power but still somewhat pulled in around the nose and tail so he can hopefully do a crack or two when it’s not too heavy. Jared surfs good and I hope he surfs this board good too.
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Number 18: 7’6 Midlength Single fin
Fin: I think he has a True Ames 4a
Custom middie for Mr. Connor. He said he wanted a pretty traditional 7’6 single fin mid-length that can be fun in waist high bowls up to well over head, more down the line, loggy waves. I got to get a wave on it and it’s pretty dang fast. Pick a line and go. Mr. Connor is a rambling man and is taking this board all over.
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Number 19: 5’10 Thruster
Fin: Normal Thruster fins
Custom board for myself. I had a gap in my quiver for when waves were shoulder high and top-to-bottom until a few feet over head and still punchy. I tried to blade this one out the best I could while keeping good enough paddle power to fight currents at a lot of waves I’ll be surfing it at. Very pleased with the glass job on the bottom, I wish I didn’t mess up the initials and that the orange on the deck was more yellow, but it’s all grown on me since. 5’10.5″ x 18 7/8″ x 2 5/8″
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Number 20: 6’4 Quad (thruster option)
Fin: Normal Futures Quad/Thruster fins
Custom board for myself, made before my trip to NZ and South America. I wanted something that paddled well, could knife drops on big and heavy waves but also had enough foam so it could also be fun to just mess around with on head high crowded days. Hoping it goes fast and goes good in the Barrel. FYI, if you use colored resin for ding repair and then hotcoat over it, the color does not blend in as well.
Order a Board
If you would like to order a board from me, you can contact me via my work email–[email protected]–and we can talk details, about our favorite colors, and see the feasibility of doing so.
Thanks,
MRZ