The Creative Shaper - Interview With Dutchie Surfboards

Shaping surfboards is a true art, each one is individual and yet there are always parameters to work within - kind of like the briefs we serve up here on Idea Bounty. We thought it would be interesting to chat to someone who is essentially a creative but has to work to a brief and its specs all the time.

Authenticity, Creativity, Quality and Self Expression - these are the things that Dutchie bases itself on when providing surfers with the highest quality performance surfboards. Read on for a chat with Josh Louw, the man behind Dutchie custom surfboards.

Give us the about yourself. Who's behind Dutchie Surfboards and how did you get into shaping?

Since a young age I developed a love for the ocean and surfing,and have never looked back. It also turned out that I had a creative ability that developed and strengthened over the years. It was natural that the two blended,and I found myself in the fortunate position to do something for a living that I love!

You have a creative background and you work in a real craftmans trade (with tradesmens tools). How do the two seemingly opposing worlds work together?

With a creative background you have the ability to take crude, mechanical power and tools and actually sculpt the blank into a flawless surfboard. Put that same tool into the hands of an unskilled, uncreative person and the end result would be ugly. So I would say you use your skill and trade to be creative.

As a shaper you have created a brand for yourself. Tell us about it.

I was born on the West Coast of South Africa that is notoriously Afrikaans, or “Dutchman” as we are also nicknamed. We “Dutchman” are more commonly associated with farming, rugby and brandy and coke drinking than surfboard shaping. When it was time for me to form a brand that would explain who I am to the world it was quite natural that “Dutchie” (a nickname I've had over the years) became my company name and brand.

Does that brand dictate the kind of boards you make and does that attract specific kinds of team riders?

I have always believed that in order to be not just a good but a great shaper, you need to be able to shape any kind of board for anybody. I have a broad range from traditional long boards to flashy high performance short boards and anything in between. New school, retro, big wave, small wave, new technology…whatever. I market myself in this way so that my brand does not dictate my market share; I try and obtain clients in all areas of surfing. A team rider's job is to promote my brand, and give product feedback, so my team riders themselves are from various segments of the market because a little ripper grom that rides a 5 ‘ board can't tell me if it’s a good long board shape or not, I have to get that information from an experienced long boarder.

Like any designer you are creating form and function - but unlike most designers you need to design for constantly changing environments (surf conditions) and individual customers (styles and skill levels of surfers) - how do you balance making a great looking board with one that actually functions with all these variables?

There is no such thing as a duplicate wave, every wave is unlike another - unlike golf courses, skate ramps and race tracks that offer you a more stable environment to design equipment for. Also your average surfer / consumer does not understand why and how surfboards work because, just like waves, there is no such thing as a duplicate board. You cannot go test a board before ordering one. So with my experience as a custom surfboard shaper, I think if that any surfer is looking for good boards to take his surfing further, he has to develop a good relationship with his shaper. By working with one shaper every new board should be a step forward, through a process of refinement. Both parties will then be happy with the aesthetics and performance of the boards. You also have another type of surfer that is much happier to trust himself and pick boards off showroom and surf shop floors; in this case my stock board range is from years of hard work resulting in tried and tested designs that look great.

We're interested in big original ideas at Idea Bounty - how do you keep things original and exciting when you have to deal with the science hydrodynamics which might hold you back?

Nothing should ever hold us back, and if you are not original, you are a copy, if you are a copy you are a fake.

Where do you get inspiration? Both design and shaping?

Life itself is inspiration in design; everything you see, hear and experience should influence you in design. Inspiration for shaping comes from the love for surfing and the ocean, and what drive’s me to make better and better boards every time I pick up the planer.

Urban or Organic?

Business is and surfboard production is urban, surfing and art is organic!