Head Shaper:

Robert Weiner

Behind the Brand: Robert Weiner founded Roberts Surfboards in 1994 in Ventura, CA. “I shaped my first board at age 12 in my parent's garage,” he says. “I started working at McCyrstal Surfboards in Oxnard in 1990, then I went on my own.” Since then, Weiner has focused on making high-performance designs. He says the main goal at Roberts is to push surfing to its highest level by creating surfboards that can keep up with surfers who are pushing the ever-expanding boundaries of the sport. “The last two surfers that broke the NSSA record for most wins in one season were Cory Arrambide, with 21 wins, and Kanoa Igarashi, with 28 wins,” says Weiner. “Both were riding for me when they accomplished this. Dillon Perillo also made five Pro Junior finals in a row this year—also a new record—on my boards.”

About WRV'S Most Popular Models: “My most popular models are the White Diamond and Black Diamond,” says Weiner, “which are high-speed performance shortboards for small-to-average waves. Surfers are loving these things because they’re super fast and fun to ride.”

Shop Talk: “The most important feedback you can get as a shaper is negative feedback. That way, I can figure out what’s wrong, not make the same mistake twice, and move forward with a concentration on the positives.”

What makes your label different from the other surfboards in the market? “Our boards are only made in the U.S.A.”

Tell us about the changes you’ve seen in recent years in the shaping realm, and how it has affected your craft. “Shaping machines have made shaping more accurate. They’re just great tools! I’m always changing proven designs to make them better and these CAD tools help me do this. My boards are becoming more and more refined each year and that’s what performance is all about.”

When a new customer comes to you for a custom shape, what kind of questions do you ask to ensure you’ll make them what they’re looking for? “I ask how well they surf, where they surf, and what they’re looking to achieve with this board.”

How do you think surfboards and shaping/glassing boards will change in the next decade? “I think we’ll see more EPS and epoxy boards. We’re doing about 40 percent of our boards this way now, so it seems to be increasing in popularity. The boards are stronger and lighter and the materials are getting better all the time. In 10 years, boards will be better.”