Roger Hinds Interview
Roger Hinds Interview
For over forty years Roger Hinds has been involved in every detail of his boards from shaping to glassing. Roger is considered by many, one of the industries best master shapers, working 7 days a week out of his shop in Westminster, California alongside his wife Kristi. His strong work ethic and attention to detail makes it no surprise he won the Icons of Foam Shape Off back to back in 2014 and 2015. Roger was part owner/shaper at Country Surfboards on the North Shore in the early 70′s and has shaped for the likes of Bear, Harbour, Hobie and Weber surfboards. Today he shapes under his own label Roger Hinds Surfboards. We recently caught up with Roger and asked him about everything from who influenced him to what an average day is like at his shop.
Photos courtesy of Roger Hinds
You have been making surfboards for over 40 years. How did you get your start shaping surfboards?
I started on the side of my mom’s house reshaping longboards into transition boards. My friends & I would strip them down, reshape then reglass them. Shortboards were just coming in & this was the only way we could get a shorter board to ride.
Who were some of the people that helped influence your shaping early on in your career & what was it like shaping boards on the North-Shore back then?
I started out as a glasser on the North Shore with the influences of Ed Angulo, Kent Smith & Jeffrey Edwards. Everybody in the 70’s who shaped on the North Shore was an influence. It was great time because I got to look at a lot of different boards, styles & techniques, there were a lot of great shapers there. In those days you could watch just about anybody shape your board, everything was very open & it was a very creative time.
You were also involved with the iconic label, Bear Surfboards. What kind of boards were you shaping at Bear?
Mostly longboards. I used to go to Japan once a year & shaped a lot of Bear boards there. Here I make mostly replicas of the Bear/Big Wednesday movie boards.
You now shape under your own label Roger Hinds Surfboards. What’s a typical day like for you at your factory?
I get to the factory about 5:00am & lay out the boards for glassing. If there’s surf I leave for a few hours & go to the beach then back to the factory. I usually shape the boards I’m going to glass during the week & have shaping appointments on the weekend. I invite anyone who has ordered a custom board to come in & watch me shape it if they want to. On a lot of days people come in & out during the day to order custom boards, see what’s in stock, buy accessories & just visit & see what’s going on. My wife Kristi works at the factory too running the day to day business & retail. It’s just the 2 of us & my day ends about 4:30, mostly 7 days a week. I try & complete six to seven boards a week.
Lately you have been making boards with parabolic rails including one recently surfed in the Eddie by Ben Wilkinson. Can you tell us about those?
Ben was on a polyurethane/polyester board for the Eddie but I have a parabolic gun in the showroom ready for him to pick up. Parabolic stringer has been around for 10 years & I believe Gary Linden came up with the idea. What I’m doing is wrapping the rail with high density foam so it puts the board under tension at all times much like a bow & arrow. The board reacts faster & is more lively than a polyester board. I’m not reinventing the wheel just adding a couple of spokes to it. I’ve had great success with the way the boards ride & hold up.
How can people order/purchase your boards?
I welcome anyone to come by the factory anytime for a consultation & enjoy the custom surfboard experience. Bring by the board your riding & we can talk about what you like or want to change in a new board. I build every board by hand from start to finish by myself with US Blanks. I can also be reached anytime at 714-309-1266.
For more info check www.rogerhindssurfboards.com
