(Photo: Laurent Chantegros)
I LOVE shaping surfboards and I'm kinda obsessed with this craft. Even though I am about to shape my 243th board I'm still considering myself as a novice but I hope to become a master one day... This blog is a virtual portfolio and a diary of my journey in the shaping world. Feel free to leave comments or contact me directly at valerie@meremadesurfboards.com.

Valerie Duprat
-Shaper of Mère-Made Surfboards

Saturday, January 26, 2013

I met Robert August (Part 2)



Endless Summer with a Mère-Made touch ;)


Last october, I got to go home with a surfboard that Robert August just shaped live at the Sacred Craft Expo in Del Mar. For more details about this incredible story see my older post "I met Robert August (Part 1)".

Back home, I had in hand an unfinished collector board. Robert August's live shaping session was mainly focused on how to shape his famous spoon (which makes his boards perfect noseriders). As he had many question from the enthusiastic audience, the board was not totally finished when the session ended. It needed some all over sanding and some detail work on the rails. I had a hard time to convince myself I had to touch this board as I did not want to offend the master... Although I was tempted, I definitely could not glass it as it.

Before I was done with the sanding part, I already had an artwork in mind. Come on! In my hand was a Robert August board: it had to have an Endless Summer theme !!!! I worked on the original artwork but I put a little Mère-Made twist in it: the artwork features a female silhouette (instead of a male) carrying a longboard on her head. Plus, she is wearing a Mere-Made bikini! I have to give some credits to my husband as he helped me to draw the silouhette on paper which was then printed out on rice paper at Boardlams.com.

Next was glassing. Tina from Robert August Company insisted that I should bring the board back to the shop in Huntington Beach so that they can put their beautiful logos on it. It was worth the drive:  the board came back with an amazing glass and loaded with the official Robert August logos. But here comes the cherry on the cake: the bottom was hand signed by him! Stoked.

Conclusion: my new board is pretty damn unique and I can't wait to learn how to hang 5 (then 10?) on it! Plus, my friend Robert Wald just emailed me about the 50th anniversary of the Endless Summer poster. Perfect timing :)


I placed the color limit at the official nose rider distance
(24 inches from the nose)

bottom view

That's right!
Hand signed by the Master!

Little V dreams about taking his dad tandem surfing
 on the new board


Add caption
one single fin for an old school glide
with Robert August last October


5 comments:

  1. that is effing sexyyyyyyyy!!!! my god!!! so beautiful! love the artwork... and the mere`-made bikini is stylish too! i would be too scared to ride that thing... would consider it as a piece of artwork... but then again, surfboards are meant to be ridden! toes on da nose~~ a-mazing! :D :D :D

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    1. Thanks for the nice comment KK! Glad you liked the artwork AND the bikini :) :) :) I wish I could surf it with the matching bikini but I am a wetsuit lover even during summer: I don't want to risk wardrobe malfunction :)

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  2. Beautiful... So you wee able to design it???
    Yep I agree with KK... I would have tat hanging in my living room!!!

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    Replies
    1. Yep! I painted the board and print out the silhouette on rice paper (My hubby helped on the drawing of the women as I am not very good at drawing). I agree : the first wax will be tough :(

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