Surfboards and Mr. Pipeline were the focus over the weekend at The Boardroom International Surfboard Show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Over five thousand surfers paraded through the aisles of the one and only surfboard industry trade show which this year honored Mr. Pipeline, Gerry Lopez, in the Icons of Foam Tribute to the Masters Shape-off presented by US Blanks.
Six shapers competed, each attempting to best replicate a classic Pipeliner model surfboard made famous by Lopez. After the foam had settled Santa Barbara’s Ryan Lovelace walked away with the $1K prize and his name etched into the Mike Marshall Perpetual Trophy. All six shapers (Roger Hinds, Timmy Patterson, Pat Rawson, Ron House, Ward Coffey and Lovelace) showcased the sacred craft of surfboard building by honoring Gerry Lopez in the shape-off.
“I’m very humbled,” said Lovelace. “The other shapers are all beasts with a planer and it was so mind–blowing to watch their techniques and approaches. I’m honored to shape anywhere near any one of those guys. And I want to thank Gerry Lopez for selecting me to compete. What an enjoyable board to try and re-create. Thank you all.”
Pat Rawson’s 11’ 6” rhino chaser big wave gun was selected “Best In Show” by a group of his peers. “I just want to dedicate this selection to Rabbit Kekai, who passed away Friday,” said an emotional Rawson. “Uncle Rabbit meant a lot to a lot of people. He made us laugh. He brought joy to the surf world, practically everyone in this room. So this one is for you Uncle. Aloha.” Bubble Gum Surf Wax presented the “Best In Show” Big Wave Guns exhibit.
The weekend long surf lifestyle celebration featured exhibits, demos, seminars, music and hundreds of state-of-the-art surfboards from the surfboard industry’s finest craftsman, designers and manufacturers. Surfing professionals and celebrities were on hand to take it all in including CJ Hobgood, Sunny Garcia, Nate Yeomans, Tom Curren, Mark Philippoussis, Daniel Thomson, Mason Ho, Rory Russell, Aaron Gold, Alex Gray and many others.
Gerry Lopez was the consummate honoree meeting with surf fans both days seemingly never taking a break. “The Boardroom Show is really a bitchin’ event. Hats off to Scott Bass for busting his tail to make it happen. What a lot of people don’t realize is that this Industry of Surf –that we all enjoy and make use of — has a humble beginning that has only happened in…well, in my lifetime. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, what is now a big and very successful industry began as a few surfboard builders making boards for their friends” said Lopez. “As surfing grew in popularity due in no small part to things like surf movies [Gidget, Bud Browne], surf music [Beach Boys, Dick Dale, etc.], and the undeniable and obvious fact that surfing looked like fun…surfboard companies became a legitimate business. Eventually this business grew into the mega surf companies. The Boardroom Show acknowledges and honors the people and companies that started it all and continue to provide the simple thing that makes it happen, our surfboards…so this show is for the surfboard guys and that’s pretty cool. None of these guys got rich making surfboards but they lived a life on their own terms, going surfing when the waves were good [instead of going to work] and it doesn’t get any better than that.”
For more information please visit Boardroomshow.com.
