Loading ...Custom Surfboards Featuring Mark Ellis
As the founder of Killer Dana Surf Shop, one of my favorite things has been helping customers with custom surfboard orders, and I am still as stoked today as I was way back in 1991 when we opened our first shop. After all, surfboards are the foundation of what we do…GW
Mark has shaped thousands of boards and is a master with his planer.
A custom built surfboard is one of the few things you can still get to order that is truly hand-crafted to your exact specifications. We thought it would be fun and interesting to show you how a custom surfboard is created, from the order form through the finished product. Master shaper Mark Ellis has been making surfboards for Killer Dana since we opened in 1991, and he has shaped literally thousands of custom surfboards for our customers. I asked Mark to build a quad fin for us, and the photos below show how the entire process is done, from start to finish. Enjoy.
-GDub
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- A blank custom surfboard order form from Killer Dana Surf Shop.
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- The order form filled out and ready for a custom Mark Ellis 4-fin surfboard.
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- Master shaper Mark Ellis selecting the proper foam surfboard blank to match the custom order form.
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- The foam blank is taken to the shaping room to begin the process.
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- Mark Ellis begins with a series of measurements for length, width and fin placement.
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- This is a wooden surfboard template designed by Ellis specifically for a Killer Dana Quad custom board.
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- Mark is now drawing the outline of the custom board, using his template
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- Using a hand-saw, Ellis cuts the rough outline of the board from the raw blank.
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- These are some of the tools of the surfboard shapers trade
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- A power planer is used to shape the blank and remove excess foam
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- Mark has shaped thousands of boards and is a master with his planer.
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- Various hand tools are used for fine tuning the rails and overall shape of the board.
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- Mark uses old fashioned woodworking tools to thin the wooden center stringer.
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- This is the completed outline and shape of the surfboard, now ready for fine tuning.
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- Mark uses wooden calipers to measure the thickness of the surfboard
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- This is a soft foam pad power sander used to fine tune the deck and bottom of the blank
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- A wooden foam block is used to hand sand the final touches. This is an art form much like sculpting.
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- A soft wire mesh screen is used to finish the perfect foil on the rails
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- A specialized level designed by Mark is used to check for exact perfection on the finished shape.
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- Mark Ellis signs his custom shaped surfboard blank, which is now ready for fiber glassing.
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- This is polyester fiberglass cloth laid on top of the shaped blank, ready for resin application.
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- The glasser mixes polyurethane resin with a hardening catalyst prior to glassing
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- Excess resin is taken from the blank using a squeegie to keep the surfboard light yet strong.
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- The glasser first starts with the Ellis logo…
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- The glasser is applying resin to the cloth, which will harden to form a strong outer shell.
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- The fin slots are later cut into the surfboard when the fiber glassing is complete.
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- Surfboard shaper Mark Ellis is holding one of his custom built creations. Each surfboard Mark builds is hand-crafted from start to finish.
One Response to “Custom Surfboards Featuring Mark Ellis”
Ross Hamilton, on November 9th, 2009 at 12:12 am
I still keep track of you guys and the surfing industry, from out here, in the Midwest (St. Louis). Anyway, Bravo Mark Ellis for hand-craftsmanship! I understand why shapers have gone the way of computers. After all, if Donald Takayama, with all of the dues that guy has paid, swears by it, it’s okay. However, I am still impressed Mark. Go for it!
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