The Master Shaper Series I and II

Some say shaping surfboards is a lost art, and that may be true someday what with computers and mass-produced overseas imports, but presently, hand shaped surfboards are still where its at. It's an intimate and emotional experience to cut the form from a boxy blank and slowly sand away the roughness and fine tune the edges until it becomes the board you will depend on for the coming season of great waves.

The Master Shaper Series from Damascus Productions features Jim "The Genius" Phillips who meticulously walks us through the shaping process from blank to finished surfboard. Shaping for decades, Jim is a competent teacher who covers all the bases.

You won't find any cool soundtrack or eye-popping visual effects, but you will get very basic and clear instructions that teach how to shape long, short, and even wooden surfboards. Perfect for the novice shaper, both videos in the series begin with a summary of the tools you will need (and tools you don't need) and eventually move into more involved techniques such as sanding rocker, setting fins, and even making a template.

Jim covers insider tips, blank anatomy, and common mistakes made most by shapers. This video does not cover glassing, but that's another issue (and video) entirely. And this video doesn't feature any hot surfing clips. Instead, The Master Shaper Series is simple, clear instruction on shaping surfboards from the first to the final frame. DVD 1 covers longboards while DVD 2 includes short and wooden boards.

By the end of the videos, the viewer will know all the steps in the shaping process and will be taking the next step into the surf experience.