Head Shaper:

Steve Walden

Behind the Brand: Known by many as the “Father of the Modern Longboard,” Steve Walden shaped his first surfboard in 1961, at age 13. Eight years later, the native Southern Californian opened his first board factory and store in Huntington Beach. Then, in 1972, he moved to the North Shore of Oahu, where he made a name for himself as a prolific longboard shaper. While the rest of the surfing world was fixated on short single-fins, Walden continued to faithfully hone his longboard designs. Over the years, he shaped for prestigious labels like Lightning Bolt, Local Motion, HIC, and Channel Islands, but it was always his own boards that set him apart. By the early-’80s, Walden returned to California, where he unveiled his wildly successful Magic Model with its radical rocker, down-turned rails, and super-fast Turbo Hull bottom contour. With arguably the most advanced and high-performance longboard on the market, Walden was uniquely positioned to capitalize on the resurgence of longboarding in the late-’80s and ’90s. To date, Walden estimates he’s personally shaped more than 25,000 boards, and in 2004, he teamed up with Global Surf Industries to distribute his shapes and expand the Walden Surfboards brand worldwide. These days, when he’s not mowing foam, Walden is surfing. Though he competed as a teenager, he returned to contest surfing at the age of 30 and has been a regular on the winner’s podium ever since.

About Walden's Most Popular Models: “The Magic Model is always integrated in all my designs. The Strato-Flex is also part of my Magic Model series, and that’s a favorite now as well. Our range of boards is not as broad as other brands, and I think that’s because the Magic Model fills so many needs and is tried and true—whether it’s in our short CD or turbo-charged Magic 3.”

Shop Talk: “Longevity is something we take pride in here. We’re celebrating our 45th anniversary in 2010. We’re a heritage brand that still innovates with the newest technologies and designs.”

What is the most important feedback you’ve received from team riders or customers regarding your boards? “That my boards work and they make surfing easier. My team guys can ride anything, but the average guy is a bigger challenge to shape for, and the best feedback I get is that my boards perform—and not just for team guys, but for all surfers.”

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? “Everyone who comes in looking for a surfboard is analyzed with an eye for their height, weight, and needs. We also ask them about their current board style, where they surf, how many/type of fins they want. We’re here to give them the board that’s going to take their surfing to the next level.”

What project are you and your customers having the most fun with? “My new Strato-flex. I developed it this spring and had my team guys and top dealers test it out, and the response has been phenomenal. I developed the Strato-flex to work with the new EPS foam. EPS is lighter and stronger and what I use for team boards, however, EPS is also very flexible. The Strato-flex controls and isolates the flex where I want it most in the nose and tail. The 5-stringer Strato-flex is out there, but it works.”