Photo: Album Surf // YouTube
Clay Marzo is one of a kind. He’s instantly recognizable on a wave, for both his effortless style and mind-boggling creativity. Watching him is totally different from watching anyone else in the water. As it turns out, shaping for him is, too.
In a new video published by Album Surf to its YouTube channel, Album founder Matt Parker goes into detail about both what makes Clay special, and what it’s like to shape for someone like that.
“I think Clay is just tapped into something different,” narrates Parker. “There’s something about his timing and his feel, where it’s almost like time slows down for him. He’s able to relax in crazy situations and see different things in the wave that maybe most people would be missing. That allows him to just go to these different places and find these different lines and just express himself in such a unique way that really resonates when anybody sees him surf.”
As Parker describes it, Clay’s natural ease in the surf translates into his notes on boards, as well. “The feedback I get from Clay is really in the moment,” he continues. “It’s interesting. You really get a sense for what he’s feeling that exact session, in that moment with the board. The things that he likes about it are kind of right on the surface and really tangible. It’s an interesting problem to solve, shaping boards or designing or coming up with new ideas, because you’re kind of chasing that momentary feel that he’s so sensitive to. It keeps me on my toes and kind of thinking more in the moment when I’m shaping.”
