The South Bay has produced more legendary shapers than any other region. Rick Stoner, Dewey Weber, Greg Noll, Hap Jacob, Bing Copeland, Dale Velzy, and Phil Becker are just a few that come to mind. Like most skilled artists, many of these legends have passed their craft along to today’s most talented shapers and soon-to-be […]

Wayne Okamoto of Oak Foils has worked a lot of 14 hour days shaping boards in a quiet industrial park just off Manhattan Beach Blvd. Over the past 13 years, Wayne has coupled hand shaping mastery with true 3-D computer shaping machines to design and produce a broad range of highly coveted shapes. Wayne has […]

[ Javascript required to view QuickTime movie, please turn it on and refresh this page ] I grew up in a small town just south of Durban, South Africa, I had decided to head for Southern California. Partly to visit an old girlfriend of mine and partly to test my board making skills out in […]

Zippi Facts Where and when born: Los Angeles 1945 Marital status: Single How many years have you been surfing: 46 Contusions, abrasions or other surfing related injuries? Major neck problems from going over the falls in sizeable surf (El Porto and Hermosa) and hitting the sand bar. Also some reocurring knee problems. Years shaping: Since […]

By Bob Visty El Porto parking lot, South end… 8 a.m. the dawn patrol has already been out and is now headed for work, school, elsewhere. Parking spaces are opening up. Cars and trucks face the line-up, their decaled ass-ends stake claim to surf turf… ‘O’Neil’, ‘Heal the Bay’, a ‘Tyler’ decal on one, two, […]

Stoked. That’s the best word to describe Mark Brog. As soon as you walk through the door of his surf shop, Soul Performance, in Redondo Beach, he is all smiles and instantly strikes up an enthusiastic conversation. With the energy of a grommet and the devotion of a monk, Mark has been crafting surfboards for […]