Welcome everyone to this week's Spotlight Series and for this week we are featuring Shaper: Jeff Pollack of Spindrift Surfboards! We here at OkShoots are always stoked when we are able to feature Shapers, mainly because of the fact that these are guys that are helping each of us as wave riders dial our set-ups down so we can go out and have the most fun. Jeff is definitely one of these guys. He is helping keep that Third Coast of the mainland US in the mix that they are a surfing coast and that there is a surfing community that should not be forgotten. Enjoy the Q and A segment with Jeff Pollack of Spindrift Surfboards.
Name of your brand or who you shape for (website/Instagram/Facebook)? Spindrift Surfboards :: www.SpindriftSurfboards.com :: @SpindriftSurfboards (Instagram)
How long have you been shaping? Since 2003 . . . 12 years
What got you into shaping? Originally I was just really interested in riding alternative shapes--single fin shortboards, variations of traditional fish-- and I didn't want to pay someone else to make them, in part because even the best shapers in the region didn't really seem to deviate much from the standard performance thruster formula. I had also always really enjoyed pottery and sculpture, and shaping seemed like a natural extension of that. I was really attracted to the form meets function dimension of shaping.
Who taught you to shape? I never had a proper apprenticeship or anything like that . . . so much of it was trial and error. While I was based in South Carolina, I was taking boards to Dynamic Glass, and every time I dropped one off, I'd ask the owner Jamie Tuttle, who also shapes Maya Surfboards, for no-holds-barred feedback. Regis Jupinko was around the factory for part of each year, and Jamie glassed for Kelly Richards (Perfection Surfboards), so I'd hit Regis and Kelly up for advice whenever I could.
What types of boards do you shape? I shape everything, but I'd like to think that I specialize in performance boards for prevailing East and Third Coast conditions, which is to say flatter rockers, fuller outlines, volume hidden in the right places. I like shaping the ultra-performance stuff for far off dream waves, too, but I think my niche is in helping guys make the most of sub-optimal conditions.
Favorite Color Combo for a board? Right now I'm really into different shades of grey in combination with something that pops, lime green, light blue, fuchsia. Pink is the new black, right?? Lately I've been doing a lot of asymmetric color panels, playing with space and different color combinations. It's a super simple approach artistically, but it's sort of a minimalist, modern aesthetic that I really like.
Any words of advice for those individuals getting into shaping boards? Don't get too hung up on the numbers! Being able to shape to the numbers is part of being a proficient craftsman, for sure, but early on I think that it's way more important to focus on your curves and blending of those curves. I think that's why shaping alternatives to the standard performance shorty--single fin eggs, skate-inspired boards, hybrid fish--where optimizing volume is not the single most critical factor, is so refreshing and so good for developing your eye and style.
Shoutouts? Jamie Tuttle for all of the help in the early days; guys like Ryan Lovelace, Ryan Burch, and Manny Caro who stand out to me because they are bringing fresh curves and an inspiring approach to what they do; everyone out there in our industry who is committed to developing less toxic materials and more resource efficient construction practices; you guys at OK SHOOTS for what you do to promote the positive; and, most importantly, the guys out there who lay down their hard-earned dollars and put their faith in me to help create the experience that they're looking for in the water. It's an honor and a privilege, truly . . .