Head Shapers:

Rich Harbour & Tim Stamps

Behind the Brand: Rich Harbour shaped the first Harbour Surfboard in 1959. After occupying several garages, he opened his first shop on 5th and Marine Drive in Seal Beach on March 7, 1962, then moved—after doing swift business that first summer in operation—to 329 Main Street, Seal Beach, CA, which has been the location of the main shaping room ever since. Completely self-taught, Harbour is a surfboard assembly line personified: a designer, shaper, air sprayer, laminator, hot coater, fin applier, sander, glosser, and polisher all rolled into one. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t embraced every wave of advancement his craft has encountered during the course of his 50-year career. “Surfboards designed on the computer have gone through a refinement unattainable by the human hand and eye,” says Harbour. “All of our boards are designed on the computer, roughed on the CNC machine, and hand-finished to the closest to tolerances that I know how. If a technology comes along that provides an even better way, I’ll be the first to employ it. For now, there’s no way that hand-shaped boards can match a board done on a computer for accuracy and/or consistency. Period. I want my customers to get the best ride I can provide.”

About Harbour's Most Popular Models: “My most popular models are The Rapier, the San-O, and the Banana Model,” says Harbour. “They’re also soon to be joined by the Merlin. All are cruiser boards designed for knee- to head-high surf. People seem drawn to these boards, because that’s their daily bread.”

Shop Talk: “A customer should be realistic about their age, where they surf on a daily basis, and how often they surf before placing their hard-earned money on a board order, be it short or long.”

How do you think surfboards will change in the next decade? “Fashions come and go, like other trends, so I see us refining things in the future. We all await a logical approach to manufacturing a better board that is as easily produced as our current techniques.”

What’s the most important quality to have in your surfboard? “That’s a question for someone who is not a perfectionist. The entire surfboard must meet my standards of perfection. There is no one segment that should stand above the rest.”

What makes your label different from the other surfboards in the market? “I’ve never stopped making surfboards. During the early ’70s, when the going got tough, and other shapers quit and went fishing, or opened gas stations or van and storage companies, or made catamarans and model airplanes, or passed away, I just made surfboards—for more than a decade. Then the longboard revolution hit and a lot of guys jumped back in by selling their name. But I never quit and I never will.”

What’s the most important piece of feedback you’ve received regarding your boards? “It is so important to have multiple sources of feedback when designing. I’ve been working with many of my riders for decades and they analyze not just one facet of their boards, but the entire concept.”