Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Wilson.
Hi Matthew, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve been surfing since I was nine years old. I’ve always been in the ocean. Come from three generations of builders. (carpenters, architects, contractors) was the first to pave my own path. Mark Brög made my first custom surfboard when I was 11 and when he called me some seven years ago to train me how to make surfboards I dropped everything and dove in. Learning this tradition is not easy, very detail-oriented and tedious but today I can confidently say that I can craft an excellent surfboard and will continue to do so for the rest of my life. Recently was laid off from my glassing job and now I’m preparing to step out on my own with my own label
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Years of mistakes and a long learning curve. Best way to become a millionaire in the surfboard industry is to start off as a billionaire. Each step in making a board is its own skill and that takes time. Surfboard industry is like a popularity contest and my whole family thinks it’s just a hobby. Industry is completely saturated but new shapers haven’t spent the time to learn the history
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Learning things the long way. Starting with repairs. You can’t build what you cannot fix. Moving towards laminating which is arguably the most challenging part of the process. Toxic chemicals, building colors that change before your eyes, working under a time clock, temperature sensitivity, high high detail. Now moving into expert territory where you are no longer creating craft that has been proven to work over the years but pushing the envelope and designing something new that works
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My mentor Mark Brög has been a great teacher, patient with the learning process and supportive of the art. And all that have come before him and taught him what he knows. Jeff Biggs, Wayne Rich, Dennis Jarvis, and Phil Becker to name a few. Anyone who is keeping the culture and tradition alive
Pricing:
- Surfboards are expensive – they take anywhere from 15 – 30 hours to make so go support your local shapers and don’t ask for a bro deal or there won’t be any REAL surf shops left
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @wilson___soul
Image Credits
Mark brog
