New year statistics

Since I got my first shaping tools under the Christmas tree in December 2010, my passion has never stopped to grow.  I have shaped 36 boards so far with an average of one board a month over the past three years (in addition to my full time job). But of course, I have been faster making boards the last year as my technique is getting sharper with practice, experience and the priceless help of my friend from SWOP surfboards. Yesterday, while vacationing in France, I completed a 7'6 funboard shape within 4 hours whereas it was taking me almost 10 hours for a shorter board three years ago...

Because I am a scientist I had fun playing a bit more with the numbers and generated some statistics. For example, I found that my speciality is shortboards with 37% of my production. 

Also, my priority is to shape for women but still, 71% of my customers have a Y chromosome…

I am also very proud to count two returning customers who have two Mere-Made boards in their quiver. 

But the most striking statistic is that 25% of my production is for my husband... which probably biases  all my stats as he is "a dude who always ask for short boards"!!!

Looking back to those numbers/boards, I feel confident that I found an art which fulfills my craving for creation. Good thing I like it because when I come back from vacation, I have 6 new orders waiting for me. Mère-Made Surfboards soon officially a business? Why not!

Mère-Made surfboards ripped and RIP at Fiji

If you don’t know yet, my husband Vincent went for a surftrip in Fiji this month. Despite the fact he went without me (bouhhhhh), I was somehow part of the trip as his whole quiver was Mère-Made surfboards. He represented my brand very well, getting a legit and acclaimed barrel at Cloudbreak (Tavarua). Unfortunately this barrel was not documented but he brought back some awesome water shots which I could not resist to share.  

On a less happy note, one of my favorite boards did not make it back… It was the “Switchfoot board”, autographed by all the band members. It broke in half on a big set, the nose part which had all the signatures, never to be found again.  If wish the fatality was on another board. This one was a collector.

Anyway, I am so thrilled that Mère-Made boards got to surf mythic waves in Fiji. I hope that next time I post about Fiji, I’ll show you some pictures of my boards but with me on top!

Photo credits: STORK PHOTOS (Mark Thompson/storkphoto@hotmail.com)

The beginning of it

my "lipstick" board was my very first step
in the surfboard making adventure
(although I only did the paint job)

As a backyard shaper, I get the following question a lot: " how did you get into this??"

Well, it all started because of a trashed surfboard. I can't stand wasting food but also anything else which could have a second life. I took the board home and brought it back to a useful life (click here to read details about the make-over). A few weeks after, I had the visit of my friends David Charbonnel and his partner Fredo. He's the owner and shaper of SWOP Surfboards, a very successful surfboard company in France. He convinced me that I could give a try to creating the shape itself! He has been my mentor since then and his boards are my inspiration (click here to read about my SWOP workshop).

Last week-end I took my "first board" out. I got the couple of usual  comments about how special (and very pink :)) this board is, which made me realize the reason behind Mère-Made Surfboards: I crave for original creations which will reflect the rider's personality, like surfing on a tattoo.

guys tend to think that a girl on a very pink board will not charge.
Bad mistake.

(Thank you honey for all the pretty pictures)

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

Wounded Mère-Made surfboard

fin cuts: better on my board than on my head :)

My new longboard (board#011) is not new anymore :(
It now has some stitches. My friend's board flew towards me after she dropped in on me (not on purpose) and then fell.
The funny part of the story is that I don't know to repair boards... My husband did. Good team :)

Mère-Made Surfboard gathering

like their owners,
the two Mère-Made Surfboards were happy to share some waves together

Last sunday, two colorful Mère-Made surfboards were showing off in the line-up. Indeed, my friend Michelle for who I shaped board#008 ("Mo") came down from Chino to Encinitas for her annual surf club trip. I was riding my latest board (#011). I definitely should hire her as a sales rep when I'll open a business: she was advertising my boards in the whole campsite! She is something! :) 

I was stoked to see M&M (Michelle & Mo) again. What a great satisfaction as a shaper to see my friend catching waves on a board I made for her!

Mo is always up for a ride even in very small conditions.
(sorry Michelle I did not captured your best wave)

seahorse or dragon, our surf pets are watching after us

My boards inspire... poetry!

enjoying my polka-dot board

I make custom surfboards. Custom means specially shaped for the rider's needs but it also means a unique personal design. I want my boards to stand out in the line up by their originality. My own board is very unique: 

- first of all, it is the first board I shaped for myself.

- second of all, it is signed by Linda Benson. 

- And finally, it has very distinct white on blue polka-dots on the deck which gives it a lot of visibility in the line-up. (more about this board here)

I get a lot of comments on this board but my favorite comes from my friend Jeff with who I surf a lot. He has many talents including... poetry! He jokes all the time about my polka-dot board and even renamed me "The Polka-Dot Queen"!

Yesterday he sent me this beautiful poem he wrote about my blue polka-dots:

Linda's autograph surrounded by polka-dots

"Consciousness of the Blue Polka-dot..." by Jeffrey Sholk

Large Polka-dot...blot out the sun
Like a giant typhoon rise up...
Make a wall between me and the sun...

Small polka-dot...Infinitely...Invisible...
smaller then the smallest particle...
hovering in...existence...N...non-existence...

Be the uncarved block...
Be the modern primitivist...
Be what you are...
Beam from within (small polka-dot)...and beyond (large polka-dot)...

Thank you Jeff! Do you mind if I call you "The Surfing Poet" from now on?

not for sale

Switchfoot surfboard follow-up

Hubby with his board posing with Chad Butler (drums) and Tim Foreman (bass)
at the Switchfoot Bro-am 

Two month ago my husband received a very special board which I shaped for Father's day: it is autographed by all the members of the Encinitas-based rock band Switchfoot, his favorite band. Yesterday they were throwing their annual Bro-am, a charity event featuring a surf contest and a free concert at Moonlight Beach. We went there hoping we could get a cool picture for my blog... Well, we got much more than that: Jon Foreman, the lead singer, asked me to tell the story of the making-off of the board in front of a camera crew for their up-coming movie. Crazy. I don't have any pictures of the interview because my husband was so speechless that he totally forgot to document that moment... But I did take some pictures of him with the Switchfoot (blogger reflex :)) which was just right on time for Father's day. 

looks like Jon Foreman struggled understanding
a strong french accent 

Hurrah! The board got Jon's attention :)