I’m the kind of person who is so afraid of failure that they never start things for fear of making a mistake, so I never thought I’d end up shaping my own board, and a 9’6 log at that. The guys at Open were on hand every step of the way, making sure that I didn’t screw up, but also that I still did all of the shaping and could honestly say at the end that I’d shaped my board. At each stage they showed me what to do then stepped back to let me try it, letting me go at my own speed and just keeping an eye on things as my confidence grew. The end result is a beautiful board that I still can’t believe I made myself, and some new practical skills too. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone, it’s an amazing feeling riding a board you’ve shaped yourself, and a fun way to spend a couple of days. The time in the shaping bay just flew by. Thanks so much, I can’t wait to make another one!

Rebecca

Having worked my way through way too many custom surfboards in the last twenty years, it was incredible to finally get a chance to shape my own. We based the design on a Morning of the Earth twin-fin I’d seen Noah Lane riding. Steve was awesome to work with, he was patient and explained every little detail, letting me wield the planer enough to understand how to make a pass but not enough to hack massive chunks of foam out of the deck. He was delighted I had chosen a simple triple stringer blank and channels as a first board. It’s an amazing art form though, taking bits of foam away to realise a finished board. Having someone who knows what they are doing with you helps enormously. I couldn’t be happier with the outcome, which came straight out to a south coast reef and got dinged after a couple of very enjoyable hours. I couldn’t recommend Open, the shaping workshop or Steve highly enough.

Dan Crockett