Ashley Lloyd, looking for waves. Photo: Kaili Reynolds
Ashley Lloyd grew up on the beaches of Southern California. She spent her childhood surfing Malibu’s iconic waves, before eventually heading north, ultimately landing in Santa Cruz.
As a teen, shaping wasn’t something Lloyd sought out, she just fell into it. When a board would get dinged, she’d help her brother patch it up and when a couple of boards flew off of their family car, Lloyd’s dad and brother reshaped them into something rideable. Lloyd never felt like it was her project, it was mostly just necessary maintenance to continue riding their boards.
But when she was 21, Lloyd was asked by a friend if she was interested in learning to shape and she quickly said yes. Her boyfriend at the time bought her a blank for Christmas and together they learned to shape, under their friend’s guidance.
Lloyd, practicing what she preaches. Photo: Kaili Reynolds
From there, she continued shaping. She convinced her mom to let her build a shaping room on the side of the house and together, she and her boyfriend created the shaping bay from materials they found dumpster diving.
“Back then I was washing my hands in acetone and glassing the boards by myself,” says Lloyd. “I wasn’t eco conscious — a lot has changed as far as my perspective of the world and the impact that we are making on it.”
Like getting into shaping, Lloyd never planned to officially start a business. It just happened. She was featured in O Magazine in 2013 and a few years later, her “business” was included in a business magazine that helped her gain notoriety.
“Back then my belief was that surfboard shaping was a labor of love,” Lloyd says. “I didn’t have business skills. It was just an honor for someone to ask me to make them a surfboard.”
Putting on the flax cloth. Photo: Kaili Reynolds
As Lloyd began shaping more and more surfboards and alternative materials became more readily available, she began to shift her designs and materials to be more eco-friendly. Everything was experimental at the time and investing in alternative materials was a financial risk, but Lloyd decided to take the plunge. Not only would the eco materials be better for the environment, but they’d be better for her body as well.
Lloyd made the switch from conventional polyester resins to bio-based epoxy. She began using flax cloth to replace fiberglass layers — flax is extremely strong and allows boards to maintain a smooth glide, she says. Through Mako Foam, Lloyd’s EPS foam blanks are recycled into other foam products. As a result of her efforts, Lloyd’s boards are ECOBOARD verified through Sustainable Surf.
“We all have waste,” says Lloyd. “But I think the more steps we take as individuals to contribute to the momentum to a more sustainable life for us and future generations the better. Why wouldn’t we?”
Lloyd with one of her all around models. Photo: Kaili Reynolds
Lloyd’s inspiration comes from her life’s experiences over the years. She grew up riding Malibu’s long, rolling wavs, so she’s always been drawn to single fin logs and pintails. In addition to longboards, Lloyd enjoys shaping a wide variety of boards — it all depends on what her customers ask for.
“I see all of the boards I’ve made as a family tree,” says Lloyd. “You get these new leaves but the branches and roots come back to a certain source of what you know as the stalk of the boards. The roots go unseen but they’re where you get all your cultural knowledge of surfing.”
Lloyd’s family tree consists of mid-lengths, potato chip thrusters, single fin longboards, experimental designs, performance longboards, and so many other shapes and sizes. She’s all about creating boards that resonate with her customers, so she’s always asking and listening to their wants and needs before designing their board.
Although Lloyd has shaped hundreds of boards over the years, one of her favorites to date is the first she ever shaped: the Blue Otter Pop. The board is a 9’7” single fin and despite wear and tear over the years, Lloyd still enjoys riding it.
“Every board I’ve ever made is special,” she says. “For me, an eco-board is sustainable, strong, beautiful, and surfs well — my customers have been really stoked and feel good riding an eco-board. We’re not at zero percent waste, but I think we’re heading in the right direction.”
