Blueprint Surf uses 3D printing to create these boards. Photo: Blueprint Surf
One of the weird things about surfing is that while many surfers really do care about the environment, surfing itself is pretty awful for it. Between all the chemicals and materials used in the manufacturing of surfboards, all the accessories that go with them, and the fact that many surfers travel more than the average person, we’ve got a pretty huge carbon footprint for a group that should be wearing tiny shoes. But Blueprint Surf has a way to make surfing at least a little bit better for the world around us: 3D printed surfboards.
The whole idea began a few years back, when surfboard blanks were nearly impossible to find. The founders of Blueprint, Mike Ballin and Luke Diehl, were growing tired of searching high and low for foam when they wanted to shape a surfboard.
“Mike and I wanted to make a couple boards and we were getting frustrated,” Diehl explained. “I’ve used 3D printing a lot in my career, so we decided to 3D print our own blanks.”
Like any new endeavor, it wasn’t exactly a smooth start. The first few surfboards they printed out were not all that great. But learning is a process, and they stuck at it.
“Our first attempt at 3D printing a surfboard was absurdly bad, and never even made it into the water,” Diehl said. “Our second board lasted two waves before it filled with water, and the 3D printed structure inside crumbled like a wet cookie.”
But by their third try, however, things began to shape up. The boards still weren’t perfect by any means, but they had, at least, a rideable surfboard. Their idea began to crystalize, and they decided they had a dream worth chasing. Ballin, who is an Environmental Science major, put eco-friendly at the top of the list. Diehl is an engineer, so between them they had a pretty good grasp on how they could create something they could be proud of.
“Most surfboards are made from toxic materials, 10,000 miles away from Maine’s rocky coastline,” they said. “Studies estimate that the production and delivery of a foam surfboard creates almost 400 pounds of carbon dioxide.”
They’re from Maine, a place with pretty fickle surf and a tight surf community, so they had help when they decided to put all their energy into Blueprint Surf.
“Mike and I both started working on Blueprint Surf full time,” Diehl said. “We bought our own 3D printer, which can make boards up to six-feet long in a single piece. We got a ton of help from our local Portland community, the state of Maine, and from some of the amazing craftspeople in our chilly corner of the surf world. Without all that help, we never would have gotten this far.”
Now, they’re still learning, still growing, and determined to make Blueprint a success. Surfers, for the most part, are pretty hung up on the tried and tested materials commonly used in surfboard manufacturing. Introducing anything new is always a tall order, but Diehl and Ballin feel as though they might’ve cracked the performance code. Using recycled plastic and a bio-based epoxy glass, Blueprint’s surfboards are light, durable, and designed to be recyclable.
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Now, two years after they threw their full weight into the project, they’re convinced that the boards their printer is pumping out aren’t only better for the environment, but better surfboards, too.
“The way we see it, surfboards made from sustainable materials are only worthwhile if they provide years and years of fun sessions,” their Kickstarter campaign reads. “Our boards aren’t collectibles, experiments, or wall art. First and foremost, they have to be really good at being surfboards. They’re tools that get strapped to the roof of a Subaru in the middle of January, or tossed in a truck and bounced to the beach. That’s why we didn’t bother making a video about how our surfboards will save the polar ice caps, clean up oil spills, and revive beached right whales. Actually, we ran out of budget before we made any good videos. You’ll have to trust us for now: our boards go great, and we are going to make surf videos as soon as we can afford it.”
The funds raised from their crowdfunding campaign, which aims to raise $20,000, would be used to create some promotional material to get the word out, make a second batch of surfboards, and to add in a few new designs. For now, they’ve got two models on offer, and the Kickstarter campaign is the first time people can buy a surfboard from them. The first is a 6’10” twinnie they’ve named the Sea Mink, while the second — still in the R&D stage — is a fat little groveler designed for days that don’t pack a lot of punch.
See more about Blueprint Surfboards here, follow them on Instagram, and check out their Kickstarter campaign here.
