DEL MAR — Longtime surfboard craftsman Roger Hinds won the Icons of Foam Tribute to the Masters shaping competition May 18, honoring Ben Aipa.
Six shapers were tasked with replicating a classic Aipa Sting. The board was made specifically for Buttons Kaluhiokalani in 1974. Hinds’ finished shape was deemed the best by judges Ben Aipa, Duke Aipa and Terry Senate.
Hind won the award presented by US Blanks, against shaping talent, which included defending champion Matt Calvani, Axel Lorentz, Cordell Miller, Davey Smith and Skye Richards.
“This has been an amazing weekend and I’m extremely happy and humbled,” Hinds said. “The word ‘legend’ gets thrown around a lot but let me tell you, Ben Aipa is a legend with a capital L. To be able to win this event, to honor Ben, and to do it at here … this weekend has been the most important weekend of my shaping career. This building is brimming with wonderful people filled with surf stoke. Incredible.”
Just to raise the competition level, Aipa walked into the shaping bay during the competition and told each shaper to add a swallowtail to the shape – the original board has a small square tail.
Hinds won $1,000 and his name was inscribed atop the Mike Marshall Perpetual Trophy along with past winners Ricky Carroll, Marc Andreini, Pat Rawson, Wayne Rich, Matt Biolos, Ward Coffey, Stu Kenson and Matt Calvani.
In other Boardroom events, Best of Show ribbons presented by Surf Expo were awarded to:
— Vulcan – Best High Performance Shortboard
Donald Takayama Surfboards – Best Longboard
Wayne Rich Surfboards – Best Alternative
— Album Surfboards – Best Artistic
— Michael Rumsey Surfboards – Best Wooden Surfboard
David Barr introduced his ShapeShifter removable tail system. Hannes Simon from Germany flew over and unveiled a tangle-free Virtue Surfing leash, and Carapace wetsuits showed off their custom-fit-to-order full suits. The RevChem laminating demos focused on new cloth materials, eco-friendly resins and coloring techniques.
Next year, The Boardroom Surfboard Show will honor San Diego shaper Rusty Preisendorfer.
