ZIRAN. Surf craft built to last.
100% Hand-shaped
(100% of the time)
The process of hand crafting a surfboard is for me, the perfect balance of art and function.
It is a craft.
The pursuit of something built to last in a world of planned obsolesce.
Having a career that revolves around my love of surfing and the lifestyle it brings is a dream come true.
I hand-shape because in my opinion if hand-shaping becomes obsolete then true surf culture dies with it. (And because I genuinely love the process).
It’s true that I’d be able to make more boards if i didn’t hand-shape but I love it and see value in the outcome.
We have hundreds of thousands of years of evolution in the dexterity of our fingertips for me getting to utilise that in my job is a privilege.
The surfboard shape is an attempt to navigate the ever changing conditions the sea has to offer, to try and harness the experience. The more options available, the more likely one will have a successful time riding waves.
The surfboards I create represent my vision to feel as many feelings riding a wave as possible, and if my shapes were made by a computer, I would find the magic of this experience harder to connect with.
Along with Zach Rush’s incredible graphics and artistic vision here at Ziran we are proud to offer the surfboards we do.
‘We Ride what we Build’
Every board in my range is a shape that I have personally been excited to shape, surf and develop. I can guarantee the boards I am offering have gone through extensive research and development by me and my team.
The attention and care I put into each custom board is a fundamental part of my board building ethos. Each pass with the planer will dictate how that board interacts with the shape of a wave. This control is something I take seriously because at the end of the day if hand-shaping was a sacrifice to the boards performance I simply wouldn’t do it or see it as a valuable craft.
Creating something completely by hand and then feeling it come to life in the ocean is an electric feeling.
Experiencing the intricate design features I’ve shaped into it, appreciating the curves and contours intentionally placed, pairing the fins and experiencing a myriad of motions is what keeps me motivated to pursue a hand-shaped path.
It is a beautiful challenge to control a vessel in a completely out of control environment.