Danny Hess is a shaper with a different take on how things should be done. Instead of aiming to mass produce and cash in on flimsy, prefabricated pop-outs, he’s pushed to, “evolve what a surfboard can be, and create new technologies.”
The surfboards and handplanes he makes are wood-based works of art. Each individual board is handcrafted using sustainable materials at a woodshop he shares with a few other artists in San Francisco appropriately named Woodshop. He generally uses a combination of recycled EPS (expanded polystyrene) foam and a thin wood deck skin to create a unique and durable high performance option for surfers seeking something more substantial than a typical polyurethane fiberglass set up.
Not only do the boards look amazing and offer a low environmental impact design, but they work well as evidenced in this short video featuring Cyrus Sutton at Ocean Beach:
His stock shapes range widely in size and style. From handplanes, to mini-simmons inspired grovelers, to fish, to classic shortboard shapes, and California based guns, he’s got a board design for anything the ocean might throw at you (and in San Francisco it undoubtedly will throw everything at you).
At first glance, the price of his boards appears to be excessive (from about $900 to $1700 depending on the size, shape, add-ons, and specific materials requested). The value, however, is more apparent after a little analysis. Because they’re built to last, the cost of the boards levels out over time. Instead of sending a handful of yellowed and broken decks to the landfill, you’re trusty and aesthetically pleasing Hess is likely to live on through the years.
sources and links:
photos by Jake S.
Quote from Danny Hess from video by Josh Landan: