Head Shaper:

Randy French

Behind the Brand:Founder and “in-house” shaper Randy French began his shaping career in 1968 in Santa Cruz with the beginning of the shortboard revolution. “Growing up, Santa Cruz was a very small, isolated surf environment with only a few shapers,” says French of his formative years. “But we had world-class waves to test and push our equipment. Doug Haut was our preeminent shaper-craftsman, and the shop down the street from my mom’s house carried Channin-Diffenderfers, and both of these shapers had an impact on me as I learned to shape. I also took my first trip to Hawaii in 1969 and that summer, the movie Evolution came to Hawaii and I had the opportunity to meet Bob McTavish, Nat Young, and Wayne Lynch. I saw their wider, shorter boards—which I was already shaping—break into the surf scene and that resonated.”

French—always motivated by the pursuit of building a lighter, yet stronger surfboard—pushed into the world of aerospace composites utilizing different foams, glasses, and epoxy resins in the early-’80s. Surftech was founded in 1990 with the concept of engineering an advance technology for the surfboard industry in order to offer shapers and the surfing community an alternative to conventional, “disposable” surfboards. The result was a far more durable, high-performance surfboard with, what French calls, “a reasonable lifespan.” In 2006, Surftech was honored by the surf industry as the “Surfboard Manufacturer of the Year,” and the Australia Surfing Museum named Surftech most innovative product in 2005. More recently, Surftech-built boards have been featured on the covers of numerous surf magazines and under the feet of some of the world’s top professional surfers. “Surftech is a company known for its innovation in surfboard materials and construction,” says French. “The company’s sole purpose is to continually develop methods of building better surfboards through technology and design.

About Surftech's Most Popular Models: “My most popular models are the H2O SK8Rs and my Fish models,” says French. “They’re both great small to medium boards. They were designed for the type of waves that most surfers ride everyday.”

Shop Talk: “Before Surftech, basically all boards were made the same, and flexed the same. Now that we’ve pioneered new technology, a lot of our shapers are learning the impact and value of being able to control the flex component, which drives the power and feel you get out of the board.”

What’s the most important feature to look for in a surfboard? “Performance and durability are the most important qualities to have in your surfboard. If your board is durable, but the shape is a piece of crap, what good does it do you? Conversely, if you have a sick shape that has a super-light glass job, it will most likely only last through one season, at best, and end up in your local landfill.”

Which project are you and your customers having the most fun with at the moment? “Ultraflx. We’ve been experimenting with our new biaxial cloth and hi-density rails to adjust the flex of our boards. The Ultraflx feels almost exactly like a new poly board for it’s entire life. Imagine having a sick board that has that ‘new board feel’ everyday.”