Head Shaper:

Marcio Zouvi

Behind the Brand: Marcio Zouvi founded Sharp Eye Surfboards in the 1993 in San Diego, CA, with the vision of creating a company that would gain a reputation not only for its excellence in quality, but also for providing the best customer service possible. Today, Sharp Eye has achieved those goals. Partnered exclusively with top sellers in the market to obtain the best materials possible, Sharp Eye is constantly investing in the development and testing of new construction methods in order to give their customers cutting-edge surfboards. “Customer service is very important to us,” says Zouvi. “We want to make sure the surfers who come to us get exactly what they need to improve their abilities.” Zouvi, who credits the work of Al Merrick and Rusty Preisendorfer for his early inspiration, says he also places an emphasis on the fact that Sharp Eye surfboards are manufactured domestically. “All our surfboards are made in the U.S.A,” he says. “We’re proud of that fact and it will never change. We’ve got a team of expert craftsmen with over 100 years of experience in the industry between them. It has been the combination of service, skill, and innovation that’s made Sharp Eye what it is today. And we’ll remain committed to that forever.”

About Sharp Eye's Most Popular Models: “My most popular design with my team riders is the SB1,” says Zouvi. “Guys like Fisher Heverly, and Cody and Evan Thompson, have been riding them with good feedback. It’s a high-performance thruster designed for good waves and most of my team really seems to like it.”“My most popular design with my team riders is the SB1,” says Zouvi. “Guys like Fisher Heverly, and Cody and Evan Thompson, have been riding them with good feedback. It’s a high-performance thruster designed for good waves and most of my team really seems to like it.”

Shop Talk: “Feedback is crucial—especially when it regards the bad boards you’ve built for people. Hearing about the mistakes you’ve made is really the only way to learn and move forward and improve.”

SHAPER Q & A

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? “The first questions are about the surfer’s experience. A lot of surfers are too embarrassed to admit that they’re still learning. We’re all still learning, in a sense, but in order to design the right board for every customer, we need to truthfully know where they are with their surfing and where they want to go. We also ask about their previous boards. We get their feedback about designs we’ve made them, or find out what they liked and didn’t like about others boards they’ve ridden. That helps a lot.”

What makes your brand different from the others out there? “The ‘Made in the U.S.A’ label is a big difference. We’re proud of that.”

What project are you and your customers having the most fun with at the moment and why? “The Disco, which is a new model we’re developing for 2010. It is what it sounds like: a good time.”

What’s one trend out there that you’d like to see go away? “It would be nice to see boards from China disappear. The Chinese don’t surf.”