How many surfboard shapers are there in the world?

Maybe a couple thousand. And among surfboard shapers are there in the world?

Maybe a couple thousand.

And among those, how many can you name?

Maybe a couple dozen?

Certainly those couple dozen have earned their notoriety.

But it's also true that the media, myself included, just keep regurgitating those names

because it's easier and they are known

quantities. It's also true that there are world-class shapers in communities around the world

making the best boards for the local waves and the local surfers and whose names you will never know,

quietly toiling away, refining their craft, not spending any energy nor

money on marketing, and maybe not even paying attention to the quote industry.

Well, the same is even more true for every other aspect of surfboard building.

And it's with that in mind that I want to introduce to you today, Laminator, Ninoa, Spire.

So if it's true that you can only name a couple dozen shapers, I wonder how many laminators you can actually name.

Maybe half dozen, and certainly the name that you most frequently hear is the Superwolf, Alex Villalobos.

Well, here's what Alex himself had to say about

Ninoa. He said, quote, I spent years critiquing his stuff, and now he's the one critiquing me.

He's one of the few who always gives 120%. Here's what Chris Christensen said of Ninoa. He said, quote, he's one of the best in my

opinion, and he works incredibly hard. Superwolf is very creative, but nobody matches Nye's working

hours, end quote. I also asked Eden Saul of dead cooks about Nye, and he said, quote, I've worked

with the best laminators in

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