Dick Brewer is often regarded as surfing’s “most influential board maker,” according to Matt Warshaw’s Encyclopedia of Surfing. Shaping his way through the halcyon days of surfing’s shortboard revolution, Brewer quickly became a savant in the production of paradigm-shifting equipment.
At 83, Brewer now rests on the back end of a life that was equal parts cutting edge and tumultuous. But, he continues to find joy in shaping, and the opportunity to watch him in the shaping bay is akin to watching Wayne Gretzky lace up his skates again, or Larry Bird pick up a basketball.
Recently, Doug Walker, the man behind the Lost & Found Collection, had that chance. Getting in the shaping bay with Brewer that is. The opportunity to watch a master at work, says Walker, could not be missed.
“Last December while filming stories I had the honor to be in the shaping room with legendary shaper Dick Brewer,” explains Walker in the video description. “I have known Dick for some time but never had the opportunity to sit down and film him. I am so grateful for that day as Dick deserves so much acknowledgment for all he has done for our sport of surfing.”
