DEL MAR, Calif. — On Oct. 10-11, the world’s greatest surfboard festival, the Sacred Craft Consumer Surfboard Expo, returns to Del Mar, Calif. for a full weekend of surfboards, live shaping, glassing, art work, board demos, seminars, music, movies, art,
DEL MAR, Calif. — On Oct. 10-11, the world’s greatest surfboard festival, the Sacred Craft Consumer Surfboard Expo, returns to Del Mar, Calif. for a full weekend of surfboards, live shaping, glassing, art work, board demos, seminars, music, movies, art, exhibits and good times, states a press release.
The highlight of the weekend is the “Tribute to the Masters Shape-off” honoring Dick Brewer. Generally regarded as the sport’s most influential board-maker, Brewer created the very popular Bing Pipeliner model longboard in 1967 and was venerated in the late 1960s as the first master of the shortboard revolution.
“He’s got the magic eye,” Hawaiian surfer Jeff Hakman said. “Outlines, fins, edges, contours; he knows how to put everything together.”
In 1959 Brewer shaped his first surfboard and the following year he moved to Oahu, where he was informally mentored by Mike Diffenderfer and Bob Shephard. In 1961. Brewer opened the first retail surf shop in Haleiwa, Surfboards Hawa‘ii. Brewer was also an established big wave surfer himself and was shown in the classic surf surf film “Endless Summer” riding Waimea Bay.
Brewer returned to California and shaped under the Hobie and Harbour labels. In 1967 he worked under the Bing label and produced a series of models that are collectively regarded as the last word in original-era longboards, including the Pipeliner, the Lotus, the Pintail, and the Nuuhiwa Lightweight.
Brewer’s intense design flame had the shortboard revolution percolating a hot steam. His team during the late 1960s to mid-1970s included David Nuuhiwa, Reno Abellira, Gerry Lopez, Jock Sutherland, Jeff Hakman, Barry Kanaiaupuni, Sam Hawk and Owl Chapman.
Dick Brewer has been credited with mentoring and/or influencing more shapers than any other designer. Mark Richards, Gerry Lopez, Terry Fitzgerald, Reno Abellira, Pat Rawson, Rich Pavel and Chris Christenson are just a smattering of the hundreds of shapers all directly linked to the Brewer shaping lineage.
Quite frankly the list of those influenced by Richard Brewer is too long to list. His design roots are wrapped around almost every board in the water today.
Brewer is still at it, designing exquisite wooden, as well as foam, surfboards. Mr. Brewer will be in attendance at the Sacred Craft Expo. Six shapers will honor Dick Brewer’s legacy in the “Tribute to the Masters Shape-off” by replicating a classic Brewer design.
For info on booth space and sponsorships contact info@surfboardshow.com
