Hawaii Surf 71

Mike Hynson - The Complete Surfer

AAS - What excites you as a shaper?

Mike - I'm not quite sure excite is the proper word. I've had some thrills-no better yet-there have been some shocks from the tools not being grounded properly: dude, pure 120 snap from the tool or hose of the vacuum system. But I don't keep up on the latest or even know about other surfboard shapers, so I couldn't tell you what excites them, and to tell you the truth, I don't want to know. I've got enough problems to workout this time around. I will say I enjoy the research and development of surfboards and interpreting a surfer's request to do certain things on a wave.


I think my years of experience in and out of the water, along with working with the materials at hand, give me a good chance to stay pretty close to the cutting edge. But the development of new materials and the infusion of technology in surfboards haven't changed for years. I'll get excited when the tow-in no longer needs a surf jet to catch a wave. That's what I'm talking about.

AAS - When you design and shape, does it come from your interaction with other surfers, other shapers, you as a surfer, or all of it combined?

Mike - All of it combined.

AAS - Anybody's road you've followed as a shaper over the years and why them?


Mike - Road? No, but I was very respectful of Phil Edwards' knowledge of the ocean and how he understood the relationship of the nautical world with boats, surfboards, and his approach to riding waves. I followed his lead until one evening at Waikiki; he took me outside on his catamaran to ride some waves. I found myself at the tip of one of the hulls hanging on with a death grip in the air, praying for mercy. If I got in I swore to God, I'd never get into another boat with Phil again. He scared the living!@#$ out of me. Man, does that dude know his stuff or what!

AAS - Who were your shaping idols?

Mike - Well, I guess Phil Edwards would be one I idolized, but more for his surfing than shaping. I worked next to Phil at Hobie's, along with eight other shapers in one big room. I watched and picked up on everyone's technique of shaping surfboards. The older guys like Pat Curren, Mike Differderfer in the early days put together some quality balsa redwood big wave guns that were works of art. In fact, at that time, someone said shaping surfboards was functional art. I've also always respected Rennie Yater and Hobie Alter for their contribution to surfboard manufacturing-Yater's concern for quality and strength, and Hobie for his contribution of materials, like foam.

AAS - Pat was the man for all the big wave guns?

Mike - Oh yeah. There were only a handful of good guns then. Buzzy Trent, Peter Cole, Pat, Diffenderfer. Every year they would make the most beautiful boards over here and take them over there. Balsa with all these redwood inlays, just gorgeous. Of course the boards would just sit around till the surf came up, which was basically a couple weeks a year.


Back then the thought was, When you get to the crux of your surfing career and your final contribution to surfing is, the only time you go out is when it is big and the only wave you catch is the biggest wave of the day. And hopefully that wave is the biggest wave of the year, then you really only has to ride one wave a year. It was a look doing that, a challenge.

AAS - What have you contributed to surfing as a shaper?

Mike - A lot of good riding surfboards, a few design concepts and shapes to make the surfboard a more enjoyable vehicle, like the flat bottom, down rail, and cut-away fin, which allow a progressive surfer to reach far past his or her imagination. I try to free the surfboard so the rider is no longer restricted and can express their creativity and ability to the fullest. If I haven't yet, I'm still working on it.