Surfing bespoken here

Kalua is a Fil-Am from Hawaii who’s been shaping boards for a quarter century. He now brings his skills to Manila’s Broken Glass: ‘My boards enable you to work less and surf more.’

While the Philippines is slowly gaining global attention for its surf-friendly beaches like Baler and La Union, for the longest time locally-made surfboards have been less than killer.

That’s about to change.

Broken Glass Surf is a collaboration between Filipino surfers and world-renowned board shaper Kalua, a Filipino who was born and bred in Hawaii. Kalua worked for 25 years with big name board makers like Ehiku and Town and Country before lending his talents to a business venture that aims to raise the level of local surfboards.

At the Broken Glass launch held at Handle Bar in Makati, where bikers mingled freely with laid-back surf dudes and dudettes over San Migs and Red Horses, Kalua and local partners laid out some sleek boards that have the advantage of being tailored to surfers’ individual needs and styles. Bespoke boards, if you will.

The company, started by 13 local partners who love surfing, uses all-imported materials and the skills of Kalua to craft world-class boards. An avid surfer himself, Kalua was tired of using “junk boards” so he decided to make his own. “My boards enable you to work less and surf more,” Kalua says. Technically, this Fil-Am is a “shaper,” and it was his hunt for better surfboards that led him to develop his signature 777 series.

At the launch they introduced the high-performance 777 longboard and Noserider longboard (nine to 9.6 feet), the single-fin Funboard (seven to 7.8 feet) and the 777 “Mini Pacquiao” (four to 5.8 feet).

What BG pitches is uncompromising quality. Says BG partner Isabel Santos, “Imported boards usually have better materials — the surfboard blanks (that’s the dense foam base of a surfboard which keeps it afloat), fiberglass (specifically made for surfboard production) and resin.” While professional surfers complain that local brands break too easily, BG boards are “more durable with better performance.”

“Aside from that, surfboard shapers abroad are more knowledgeable regarding board dynamics,” says Santos. Kalua brings a lot of expertise to the craft: he spent his early years working in surf shops as a “shop rat,” soaking up knowledge from other shapers, and he shaped for worldwide brands for decades.

“Now he’s returning to his roots, and shaping for the Philippine market,” says Santos.

Why now? Well, now that the Philippines is really taking off as a tourist destination, surfing is becoming a bigger part of the mix. Zambales, Baler, Pagudpud, Siargao, Lanuza, La Union, Samar, Catanduanes… these places are slowly luring more foreign surfers, but it’s the local surf market that will probably glom onto these boards first. BG boards are not cheap — prices are comparable to foreign brands — but that’s the point: cheap local brands often break after a couple days out in the breaks.

The idea behind BG was a collaboration of Pinoy surfers who understand that each individual has his own personality and surf style, as well as different boards and waves, so clients can find the best custom-shaped board for their style and preferences — “like getting a tailor-made suit off the rack.”
“You could compare it to clothing or fashion,” says Santos. “Mass-produced boards are like your ready-to-wear collections, while a custom hand-shaped board is like getting a suit or gown made. It’s tailored to fit your height, weight, preferences and skill level. Since it’s made specifically for you, it should enable you to surf more, catch more waves, while working less.”

For this, Broken Glass unveiled its Custom Category. They choose the best materials — US blanks, resin and fiberglass from California, “the best the market has to offer here and in the US.” The fiberglass comes from Clark Foam, the leader in making polyurethane foam for 125 years.

Kalua and the staff also add airbrush designs and resin opaques — all the “extras” that make for a bespoke board — for a few more pesos.

Surf novices should consider this advice: beginners need bigger boards to learn balance. It’s like training wheels. “Beginners are best starting off with a 9’0 Longboard,” Santos adds. “Due to its size it’s easier to catch waves, it takes less effort to paddle into a wave; and it’s more stable which makes it easier to stand.”

But this doesn’t mean longboards are just for beginners; many hardcore surfers — like Kalua — go for classic and progressive longboards.

Other hardcore surfers choose shorter boards, because you can pull off “more radical maneuvers,” though these take greater physical strength to master.

I’m not even going to attempt surf-speak — I won’t mention “wicked curls” or “radical rips” or “cruising ankle-high peelers” the way the people over at Broken Glass Surf do in their literature. Just take a look at the boards from Broken Glass, and maybe you’ll hear the ocean calling you.

Surf’s up.

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Check out Broken Glass Surfboard Co. on their Facebook page.