This week's Spotlight Series features shaper and bodyboard pioneer, Mr. Jarrod Gibson! Every week we bring you a new person to Spotlight, but on those weeks when we are able to Spotlight a Shaper it becomes extra special. We love to hear the different stories of what goes into Shaping boards, how and where to gain inspiration. So if you are one of those wave riders that are on the verge of getting into shaping boards or have already been shaping boards, please take a moment and enjoy the Spotlight Series featuring, Jarrod Gibson.
Name?
Jarrod Gibson (Instagram: @jarrodgibson )
Where are you from?
Newcastle, N.S.W Australia.
Name of your brand or who you shape for (website/Instagram/Facebook)?
I actually work on many different board programs for a lot of the industries brands as product manager for AGIT Global. We’re one of the only manufacturers in the World who produce our own raw materials so it’s great to have the opportunity to be creative with many of the top guys riding for the brands we produce for.
We are actually in the process of completing a new line for USA brand, No.6 which I’m super amped about & will launch over the coming months.
How long have you been shaping?
Over 16 years now.
What got you into shaping?
I was competing on the Pro Junior Tour in Australia for a few years & was fascinated by board shaping & how they were made. I’d experiment with many different templates, tails etc & wanted to learn everything I could about my boards. It kind of became a natural progression where I could combine my love of art & design & put it into something I loved, bodyboarding. I was riding for Toobs Australia at the time & an opportunity came up to pursue a career in shaping which also allowed me to continue competing & surfing all over the World.
Who taught you to shape?
I started working for Nick Mesritz in 1999 at his Central Coast Mez Boards / Toobs Australia factory. Nick taught me the basics of core preparation & shaping methods that were passed down to him through Buzz & the Toobs US team. I spent the majority of my early years working alongside Todd Quigley & learning fabrication techniques that we’d spend the next few years refining.
It takes years of dedication to learn & create finishing techniques that you see on the boards today so Im forever grateful to be part of a select few to have worked with the highly esteemed shapers before me. There’s only so much you can learn from someone else’s methodologies before you start creating your own so Im stoked to have learnt from the best & create my own way of shaping along the way to where I am today.
What types of boards do you shape?
My time is divided between bodyboard & surf design. Predominantly shaping & designing our bodyboard lines which consist of many various templates for prone & DK riders while also developing prototype surf & hybrid boards. I love the Research & Development projects I get to undertake because it’s basically a blank canvas with minimal parameters. I have the best shaping bay in the World to play with so it’s exciting to grab a blank & get creative & come up with new products & methods to make them work in production.
Favorite Color Combo for a board?
Cannot go past Mustard Yellow deck / double Black rails & White bottom. Spencer Skipper. Enough said.
Any words of advice for those individuals getting into shaping boards?
Don’t be scared to try something different. Curves & tail shapes have such a huge effect on the lines you choose when you surf & you need to feel what those differences do to your surfing. It’s amazing what you learn from experience. Im still learning & it keeps your shaping evolving by trying new things. Some work & some don’t however that’s the best part of innovation. Learning through experience!
Shout outs?
Anyone I’ve shaped or designed a board for over the past 16+ years. Elite riders to guys just starting out. It’s been a hell of a ride & Im looking forward to many more years to come. Thanks for the support from every corner of the globe.
Photo Credits: Mark Dale (shaping) Blake Chaney (surf)