SHAPER DIRECTORY

Vanda Shapes

Interview with Michael van der Klooster

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

My main motivation for shaping is that I love making surfboards and seeing people have fun on them. Plus, I have to pay for my new downhill bike so I need money.

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

I'm just blending my boards a lot better now and concentrating on getting a smoother flow of water into the tail area. Also I'm adding more tail rocker because of the additional stiffness of the carbon fiber cloth I've been using. The extra tail rocker counteracts the board's not flexing while doing a roundhouse.

How have board designs changed in the last five years?

In the last five years, I have seen boards get a lot more refined in terms of thinner noses, tails and rails. A lot of people are trying to construct boards out of materials that make boards last. This is what I am trying to do.

How long have you been shaping?

5 years.

Approximately how many boards have you shaped in your lifetime?

A lot - too many but not enough.

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

I've have been working with carbon fiber cloth to construct a more durable board that is still able to be custom shaped for individual surfers. There are a few small things to get your head around from shaping a conventional fiberglass board. I've found the carbon boards are lasting a lot longer - up to twelve months whereas riders were destroying fiberglass boards in 3 months.

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

I think they are pretty good at the present but you've always got to get better. I think fin design is going in the right direction, and people getting boards shaped which are right for them and will help them have a more enjoyable time in the surf.

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

Talk to your mates, talk to a shaper that you trust or your mates have already got boards off, or you can just call me. Try to surf as many different boards as you can, and be honest about your own abilities, both to yourself and your shaper. (Your mates will be brutally honest about your abilities)

Who is on your surf team? (Give me the dimensions of your best team riders short board)

I consider whoever is riding on of my boards to be on my team.

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

If you don't need removable fins for traveling, don't get them because glassed on are very good. But, having said that, I've been surfing with speed fins and absolutely loving them because I found that the speedfins made me go a lot faster off my first turn of the bottom which helps me make those critical sections. They also hold in a high barrel really well. FCS with high quality fiberglass fins is a great option as well. My boards are available with all these fin options.

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

I am always partial to Michael Anthony but I think JS and Greg Webber are making really good boards at the moment.

Anything else you would like to get off your chest?

I'd like to thank my mates who bought my boards when I first started shaping.