Matt Biolos and Cory Lopez, comparing. Photo courtesy of David Lee Scales
In the early ’90s, a couple teenagers and a struggling shaper sparked what would become a surfboard design revolution. They did so unknowingly and without intention.
“It was just a couple kids having fun. That’s all it was,” said Matt Biolos.
It began when Matt “Mayhem” Biolos received a phone call from a 15-year-old Chris Ward who was on the North Shore. Chris was inspired by a board he saw Tom Curren riding and he wanted something similar. Biolos shaped a few boards and with the feedback of Ward, Cory Lopez, and Andy Irons, he shaped a few more. Over the course of two years, Biolos refined the designed while his …Lost Surfboards partner Mike Reola documented the surfing. With no expectations and little fanfare, they released the film entitled 5’5″ x 19 1/4″. Not only did the film mark a harbinger of surfboard design evolution, but it changed the way waves were ridden.
In this episode of Surf Splendor, we dissect the cultural revolution that was the …Lost Round Nose Fish, featuring interviews with Matt Biolos, Chris Ward, Cory Lopez, Chris Christenson, Mike Estrada, Kelly Connolly, and Hank Warner. The episode was recorded at The Boardroom Show during a shaping competition that paid tribute to the 20th anniversary of the board design. Listen here or here.
Surf Splendor is a weekly podcast featuring conversations about surfing. It’s available for free on iTunes, Stitcher and SurfSplendorPodcast.com
Chris Christenson, winning the Chunk of Foam Challenge. Photo courtesy of David Lee Scales
Mayhem for Cory.
