Is Dane Reynolds The World’s Best Surfboard Shaper?

Dane Reynolds is the best surfboard shaper in the world, he just hasn’t clocked in yet.

The dude is fucking Rain Man. We don’t understand it. He can’t describe it. But somewhere behind that uncomfortable glare is a comprehension for high-performance shortboards that none of the current 70-year-old shaping legends can fathom. No denying that they’re the best of the best, but for how much longer?

Coronavirus. Random port explosions. Autoerotic asphyxiation gone awry. People die, there’s no way around it. Hell, half of the best board-builders today were getting their prostates examined before eps blanks were even in play. You expect those aging bags of bones to grasp the complete physics behind the supercars of surfing?

Of course not.

Few can name blank surf crafts with the accuracy of Mr. Reynolds. Imagine if that keen eye was applied to the construction of a board itself.

But for someone like Dane, who grew up solely riding high-performance equipment, the puzzling concept of drive is toddler talk. The guy may be a father and husband in his 30’s, but his current rail game will make any of these upcoming air reverse tik-tok shit fucks bow their heads in silence.

Sure, Dane shapes a board here and there, but he’s not fully committed. He’s still getting paid to surf. Massive open face carves and monstrous maneuvers in inverted sections are pumping money into the ol’ Wells Fargo account. Retirement isn’t coming anytime soon for our socially distant superhero.

Unfortunately, none of us can fight father time, no matter how many $70 board shorts our company sells. Dane’s surfing will digress (I think) and naturally, he’ll pivot towards shaping. Aching bones, sore muscles, and exhaustion from parenting will ignite the shaping career of the most unrelenting boardsmith in existence. 

Ok, so Dane needs a little guidance. But how many race car drivers can build a race-worthy vehicle from scratch? Photo: Jimmy Wilson/Vans Duct Tape

While Dane’s current skills with a surform might be questionable, he shouldn’t have any trouble squeezing highly coveted secrets from the clutches of prevailing board-makers. Dane Reynolds? In my shaping bay? Every person with sidelights and an Instagram account would be drooling at the opportunity to exploit Dane’s surf notoriety. If not, a couple hours on Kazuma’s Youtube account (the holy quran for novice board builders) should steer him in the right direction.

Dane’s board building potential is unmatched, as long as Kelly and Jordy keep surfing competitively, and the order forms will begin to pile up as the years carry on. Until this happens, we’ll keep nodding our heads, and blindly trusting the mechanics who have never put the car in 6th gear.