Head Shapers:

The Boehne Bros.

Behind the Brand:The Boehne Bros. are the shaping/design duo of Infinity Surfboards, which was founded by their father and master craftsman Steve Boehne in 1970. Dan and Dave split the duties: Dan brings reputable shaping skills, and Dave brings his designing skills and creative direction, along with the “face” of the label. “We are using the ‘two heads is better than one’ theory!” laughs Dave. “We combine both of our design interests into our range of surfboards.”

After learning to shape throughout the 1960s, Steve taught both of his sons to shape as teenagers and now the brothers have married the skills they developed during pro and competitive surf careers to their craftsmanship. “We didn’t have to look too far for inspiration,” says Dave. “My influences range from craftsmen like my dad, who can shape absolutely anything by hand, to innovators like Bob Simmons, to progressive types like Matt Biolos and Barry Vandermuelen.”

“I’d add Terry Senate to that list,” says Dan, “Plus Pat Rawson and Timmy Patterson.” Still a family operated business located in California, Infinity prides itself on its ability to build a variety of surf craft for its customers, all in one facility. “Infinity has been around for 40 years,” says Dave. “You can’t just create roots like that. We’ve been building boards for a long time and do it under one roof so quality is a guarantee. At one time or another we’ve built every type of surfboard imaginable and we still apply this experience to our new designs.”

“Each shaper has a specialty,” adds Dan. “Dad is good with classic longboards, SUPs, tandem boards and can hand shape anything from tandem wave-skis to kite boards. I’m really into high-performance shortboards, guns, and fishes and Dave’s really in to retro/hull stuff and alternative surfboard designs.”

About Infinity's Most Popular Models: “My riders who like thumbtails have been digging The Blurr,” says Dave. “There are always fans of the Automatic, plus the 5F is everyone’s small-wave secret weapon. Can’t keep it in stock.”

Shop Talk: “For the average person,” says Dan, “buoyancy is really important. You can’t surf if you can’t catch waves and you can’t go fast and you can’t turn if you’re sinking. For good surfers, responsiveness is the key to a good board.”

How do you think surfboards and shaping/glassing boards will change in the next decade? Dan: “Robotics will finish boards to the point where they barely have to be touched by hand. The emphasis has already changed from being able to shape to being able to design. The best shapers in the world today are really the best designers. Some modern shapers never learned how to use a planer. Dave is a good example, he is a really good surfboard ‘designer’ and never has to touch a planer. He creates a design and I finish it by hand.”

Which project are you having the most fun with? Dave: “I’ve always been a fan of what most people would call ‘weird’ surf-craft and trying different ways to approach wave-riding. We’ve been fooling around with a finless fish-type shape we’ve coined ‘The Pirate Plank.’”

Tell us about the changes you’ve seen in recent years in the shaping realm. Dave: “People are more open-minded than in the past. You can design the weirdest shape ever and there will be someone who will be stoked to give it a go. Making surfboards is so much fun. I can talk surfboard theory all day long, I love it!”