Surfboard Shaper
In our “Meet the Maker” series, we’ll introduce you to local personalities from each of the towns where Nest offices are located. These makers enrich our communities and color the landscape of our towns. For this installment, we travel to Wilmington, North Carolina, to meet Shawn O’Donnell, a surfboard shaper.
It was love at first wave for Shawn O’Donnell. Nearly 30 years ago, at the age of 12, he learned to surf off the coast of Wilmington, North Carolina. His first surfboard was a 5’8” quad fin board shaped by legendary shaper Dick Brewer. He was instantly hooked and developed a deep respect for the water, and a passion for the waves.
For O’Donnell, surfing was more than just a hobby, it was a lifestyle. Eager to entrench himself in the sport, both in and out of the water, he began working within the industry. He started out cleaning the shaping room at Hot Wax Surf Shop in Wilmington, and worked his way up. Learning from mentors along the way, he is now a well-respected surfboard shaper with his own line of surfboards, SOD Surfboards.
O’Donnell has become an integral part of the sport, and of the local surf community. In his Wilmington workshop he works alongside fellow shaper, Kenny Briel, of Savage Surfing Products. Their two companies, SOD Surfboards and Savage Surfing Products, joined forces and have now become one of the top surfboard and stand up paddleboard manufacturers on the East Coast. Combined, the two have 60 years of shaping experience, yet are continually striving to elevate their craft.
“I’m always learning something new from Kenny. The day I think I can’t learn anything else, I’m getting out,” O’Donnell humbly explains. “Kids meet me and assume it’s a flashy life, but I’m the one sweeping late at night and fixing the broken machines,” laughs O’Donnell. His warm and charismatic personality makes the huge warehouse feel a bit smaller. On one side, dozens of glistening boards are stacked against the wall. On the other, massive foam blocks are waiting to be shaped into works of art. While he’s been classically trained in hand-shaping, he’s embracing technology and using shaping machines in tandem with hand-held tools. The boards end up being a little bit old school and a little bit new school, just like their shaper.
To view O’Donnell’s boards visit WrightsvilleGlassing.com
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
We ask each of our makers to share what’s in their toolbox—the five things they can’t live without:
1 – Surfboard Shaper
2 – Power Sander
3 – Safety Glasses
4 – Earphones
5 – Custom Order Form
Click here to view our previous installment where we learned about a singer/songwriter from Blacksburg, Virginia.