SHAPER DIRECTORY

Banks Surfboards

Interview with Jim Banks

Whats your main motivation for shaping surf crafts at the moment?

The never ending obsession to make a better surfboard. There's a part of me that is completely obsessed with understanding, developing and fine tuning the various elements that go into making a surfboard perform on a wave. If my board's going well then i'll be surfing better and feeling good. I imagine that this is probably the case for most surfers.

Is there anything you are doing differently now as opposed to 12 months ago?

12 months agoI wasn't making the twin keel fishes...but now that they've turned out to be such a fun board I'm spending a lot of time and energy tweaking them for higher and higher performance. It's also got me having another look at twinny's as well. As for my other models they're continually being refined - the never ending process!

How have board designs changed in the last five years?

There's also a move towards wider and thicker boards for easier high performance but apart from that, not a great deal visibly. However at the same time the subtle fine tuning and tweaking that's been going on has resulted in the standard off the rack board being a pretty nice piece of equipment. I think as long as the punter is choosing a major brand or an 'on it' shaper that it's pretty difficult to buy a poor performance board these days.

How long have you been shaping?

Since 1971.It’s been a lifetime of commitment to get to the level of precision and understanding that I'm now at.

Approximately how many boards have you shaped in your lifetime?

Way too many!

What design innovations are you currently working on at the moment?

On my concave boards I'm really focusing some drive into the concave between the fins while making the board softer and looser in front of and behind the fins. On my vee bottoms it's back to lengthening the vee again while tweaking the under foot area so that the board feels loose and free while maintaining it's speed and drive. With the twin keel fish it's getting a little snappier performance from them without losing that great swoop and glide feel that everyone loves.

What do you think the current surfboards designs could improve upon?

The main limitation to current surfboards is the reluctance of surfers to pay fair money for their boards. Surfboards are massively underpriced and under valued. The end result of this is that we are still using 50's style manufacturing technology. With more $$ in the industry we could be developing surfboard technology for superior performance as well as greater durability.

What advice would you give the average punter when ordering a board for the first time?

Choose a shaper who's got a good rep and who cares about your own personal surfing experience. Be honest about your ability and try to let your shaper know how you want the board to feel in the water. Volumes a key, making sure there is enough paddling power to catch waves. Catching waves equals more fun.

Who is on your surf team?

Everyone who rides my boards.

What is your advice on fins considering the options available today?

I'm finding the Future Fins to have the best combination of performance, structural integrity and ease of use. The Future Fins vector series are amazing - so much speed and drive. I'm really impressed with them, especially the model with the hatchet style rear fin.

Apart from yourself, what other shapers do you think are leading the way at the moment?

There are so many...

Anything else you would like to get off your chest?

Work out your daily cost of having a surfboard...it's usually less than a dollar a day