Akila Aipa has shaping in his blood. His father was the legendary Ben Aipa, he (as well as his brother, Duke, for that matter) has carried on in his father’s footsteps, carving functional works of art from hunks of foam.
Firewire surfboards recently followed him into his Honolulu shaping bay for a new series they’re calling Shaper’s Dust. In it, they pick his brain about a few things that every surfer should be well-versed in — but every surfer probably is not. Akila shared his thoughts on volume, wing design, eps foam and much more, including his Flat Earth surfboard model with Kelly Slater.
