Greg Martz would skim board at Belmont Shores as a child until he saw surfers for the first time on a south swell breaking on the inside of Long Beach Harbor Jetties. After seeing people surf, he was done with skimboarding and asked his parents for a surfboard, to which they replied, "too expensive." After months of begging, his father agreed to split the cost of a surfboard kit for $90. Greg jumped at the opportunity and started making his first board in his garage in La Mirada, CA, in 1962.

When he was 20, he worked for Sonny Vardeman, where he learned how to laminate, hot coat, and sand at Sonny's shop. Eventually, Greg moved on to work at Russell Surfboards, Gordie, Wind n' Sea, Plastic Fantastic, Surfglas, Pure Joy, Hobie, Bruce Jones & Infinity Surfboards. Greg soon developed the desire to open his own shop where he could do things his way and make boards to his extremely high standards, so he opened the Waterman's Guild in 1983. Greg would own and laminate at Waterman's Guild until his retirement in 2017.

-The Guild

Slick is a noseriding legend with over 22,000 handshapes under his belt.

Born in 1936, Del Cannon grew up in Long Beach, California.  An avid waterman, he excelled in swimming and water polo in high school and college.  After catching his first wave at Doheny State Beach on a borrowed surfboard, Del was hooked on surfing.  His first shaping job came at Burland Surfboards in the San Diego area, and before Del opened his first shop in San Clemente in 1965, he had graduated from Cal State Fullerton and had shaped for such well-known brands as Ole, Gordie and Hobie.  In 1969, Cannon was the U.S judge at the World Surfing Contest in Australia and was the head judge at the “Duke” contest at Waimea in 1972.

Cannon made his first trip to Hawaii in 1957 and was among the band of audacious surfers credited with riding Waimea Bay for the first time.  Others in that group included Bing Copeland, Pat Curren, Mickey Munoz, Greg Noll and Mike Stange.  In 1970, Del and his wife Alice moved to Maui and called the Hawaiian Islands home ever since.  While on Maui, he made surfboards, worked as a substitute teacher and occasionally flew to Oahu to shape for Lightning Bolt.  In 1974, the Cannons moved to the Big Island, where Del built his own boat and for more than two decades was a charter fishing boat captain.

Remember a couple of early Bruce Brown surf films, Slippery When Wet (1958) and Barefoot Adventure (1960)?  Del Cannon appeared in both.  Brown once said, “Del was a good surfer and a great swimmer, but he was really a great actor!  He had screen presence. He could get a lot done with just the slightest expression. And he’d do anything you asked.”

On November 27, 2021, Del Cannon passed away peacefully at the age of 85.  We honor all that he accomplished as one of the true pioneers of modern surfing.

-Last Wave

From his shaping bay in Dana Point, Terry Martin recalls the first time he paddled out on a board he shaped by hand, a 10-foot balsa log. A pack of Ocean Beach regulars sat nearby, and a local lifeguard demanded a go. After two waves, he was hooked, and Martin had his first customer. “He paddled back to me and told me he wouldn’t be giving the board back. He told me, ‘I’ll tell you what, I’ll give you your board back when you make me one.’ One by one, these local guys came over and ordered one of my boards. So that’s how I got started. I was 14, you know. It was 1952.”

The demand for a Terry Martin surfboard started on that day, and now, six decades later, it’s still is going strong. Martin has since shaped more than 80,000 surfboards.

“What I try to do is make a board that when you want to do a certain thing on a wave, you don’t have to subtract energy into trying to make the board do it,” he says. “I make the board so that it will just do it. So that’s what I’m after in shaping. And it’s a challenge. And I love it. If they leave the water smiling, they’ll go surfing more often. That’s what I’m after in my shaping.”

The humble Martin considers his work nothing more than a service, and thinks himself to be just a means to an end. He believes his work simply connects a surfer to a wave, and through this philosophy he relives his youth in each board he makes. “Even recently, I’ll wake up before 4 o’clock in the morning and I’ll be thinking about an idea for a shape, a design. And I can’t go back to sleep. I get up and go to the shop, at 4:30 in the morning, and start shaping. And you know what, it never gets old. I’m as stoked today as I was then.”

-Josh T Saunders/Surfer Magazine

Garth Day was a legend of the industry, is perhaps best known for G.DAY Surfboards, where the shaper allowed people the experience of designing their boards from start to finish. Day shaped, glassed, and finished each board specific to the individual who would be riding it, and surfers continue to rave about Day’s hand-shaped boards to this day. While Day has a relatively underground online presence, he is credited for contributing to the success of the modern-day shaping culture and practicing shapers, including Josh Constable. An industry veteran, Day passed away in 2015, but he is survived by his wife and two sons. 

- Picket Fence Media

Timmy Patterson is a renowned surfboard shaper who has made an indelible mark on the world of surfing. With a passion for crafting exceptional boards, Timmy's dedication to his craft has propelled him to the forefront of the industry. Born and raised in a coastal town, Timmy developed an early love for the ocean and its waves.

Fueled by a desire to create the perfect surfboard, Timmy embarked on a lifelong journey of honing his skills and pushing the boundaries of design. With meticulous attention to detail and an unwavering commitment to quality, his boards have become sought after by surfers of all levels, from amateurs to world champions.

Timmy's shaping process is a harmonious blend of artistry and technical expertise. He possesses an innate ability to translate a surfer's vision and style into a board that delivers exceptional performance on the waves. Each board is meticulously handcrafted, ensuring that every curve, contour, and rail is precisely tailored to optimize speed, maneuverability, and control.

Over the years, Timmy Patterson has collaborated with some of the most influential surfers in the world, constantly refining his designs and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the water. His innovative approach and commitment to experimentation have led to the creation of groundbreaking board models that have revolutionized the sport.

Beyond his remarkable shaping abilities, Timmy is known for his humility and down-to-earth demeanor. He remains deeply connected to the surfing community and takes pride in sharing his knowledge and expertise with aspiring shapers and surfers. Timmy's workshops and mentorship have inspired a new generation of craftsmen, ensuring that his legacy extends well beyond his own creations.

As a testament to his skill and contribution to the surfing world, Timmy Patterson's boards can be found under the feet of countless surfers who trust in his craftsmanship to enhance their surfing experience. With an unwavering commitment to excellence, Timmy continues to shape the future of surfboard design, leaving an indelible mark on the waves and the hearts of surfers worldwide.

Cole Simler shapes for the love of it, but the success has followed. Simler’s bio on the Cole Surfboard website explains that Simler has been “fortunate enough to have shaped for and surfed with some of the most progressive and innovative surfers in the world.” Simler says he is inspired by (and has collaborated with) Bruce Irons, Andy Irons, Nathan Fletcher, Matt Archbold, and Chris Ward over the decades. Simler defines his goal as a shaper “to make the imagination the only limit to what is possible in surfing, not the equipment.” Simler has collaborated with iconic shaping label Lightning Bolt, and his boards have been ridden by Dane Reynolds for the surfboard video test Stab in the Dark. 

- Ella Boyd/Picket Fence Media

Rick Rock of Rick Rock Surfboards in San Clemente was a competitor in the 2023 Icons of Foam contest at the Boardroom Show in California. Rock began surfing in the mid ’70s at Seal Beach, and over the years has shaped for Hobie Surfboards, BC surfing designs, McElroy surfboards, Christian Fletcher Surfboards, Steve Boysen Surfboards, Mark Richards (MR), and, for more than 25 years, has been shaping for Mayhem of …Lost Surfboards. Rock has built surfboards for iconic surfers including Nathan Fletcher, Christian Fletcher, Noah Budroe, David Nuuhiwa, and Joe Crimo, to name a few. 

-Ella Boyd/Picket Fence Media

Jerry O’Keefe, who works out of the Surf Ghetto in San Clemente, has been hand-shaping for many renowned brands and surfers for over two decades. His surf label, Soul Stix, has become well-respected within surfing. O’Keefe learned to surf from his father in 1968, and initially gained insight into the world of surfboard shaping through Gordon Clark. By the time O’Keefe had a solid following of loyal customers, Brad Basham allowed O’Keefe to use a shaping bay in his shop as long as O’Keefe let Basham do his glassing work. Jerry O’Keefe has cut boards for brands and names including Hurley, Dewey Weber, Hamish Graham (Super Stix), Michael Barron (Byrne Surfboards), Moss Research, Tommy Moore, Rick Rock, Greg and Jed Noll, Cole,  …Lost, Garth Day, and his own label, Soul Stix.

-Ella Boyd/Picket Fence Media

Matt “Mayhem” Biolos, the founder and co-owner of ...Lost Surfboards by Mayhem in San Clemente, has been surfing and traveling for over 30 years, and shaping for decades. In 1987, Biolos began sanding surfboards after high school graduation. After designing boards for Christian Fletcher and Matt Archbold, Biolos began working with some renowned shapers including Timmy Patterson, Jim Fuller, Terry Senate, and Randy Sleigh, all while getting real-time feedback from professional surfers. Nowadays, ...Lost is one of the most iconic surf brands in the world, and Biolos continues to design his once simple passion project, now a big-time success: ...Lost Surfboards.

- Ella Boyd/Picket Fence Media

Jean-Pierre “The Fly” Van Swae of Fly Surfboards was born in Belgium and grew up in Southern California. By 1961, Van Swae was employed at Wardy Surfboards, quickly establishing himself as a surfboard craftsman. Van Swae excelled, especially, at making fins and glassing boards. Throughout his career, Van Swae worked for many surfboard labels, including Dale Velzy and Hobie Alter, among others. Importantly, Van Swae glassed Flippy Hoffman’s iconic, and now historic, big-wave “Awhoo” board. Nowadays, Van Swae can be found creating his Fly Surfboards, as well as woodworking. 

-Ella Boyd/Picket Fence Media

Danny Brawner was born and raised on Orange County’s beaches, building his first board in 1952. Cutting his board manufacturing teeth with master shaper and surf legend Dale Velzy during the late 1950’s, Danny also played the drums for the Sandells’ whose music became the soundtrack for Bruce Brown’s seminal film The Endless Summer. While honing his craft over that decade, he was soon drafted by Hobie Alter to serve as the lynchpin craftsman for Hobie’s new Dana Point factory which was supplying the exploding demand for the new fiberglass surfboards of the 1960’s. As the factory manager at Hobie, he made surfboards for thousands of young surfers for more than 4 decades.

-Jim Kempton