PARINGTOPERFECTION
FrenchauthorandpoetAntoinedeSaint-Exupery
oncenotedthatperfection isattainednotwhen
there’snothingmoretoadd,butwhenthere’s
nothing lefttotakeaway.ThatbelieffitsBrewer’s
shapingethosassnuglyasawetsuit.
“It takes time tofindoutwhat really
works,”Brewersays. “It’sempirical. Ionly
makeonechangeata time, so Iknowwhat it
does toaboard.”
IttakesBrewerabout12hoursorsoto fash-
ionacustombalsa-woodboard(hescoreshis
balsa fromEcuador)andthreehourstoshapea
foamboard.Heownsabout50templates,orpat-
terns, somedatingbacktotheearly1960s.
Tostart,Brewermakes likeaseamstress, lay-
ingatemplate—made fromone-sixteenth-inch-
thickmahoganyplywood—onablank(apieceof
foamorbalsawood).Aftertracingthetemplate
withapencil,hecutsouttheshapewitha jigsaw.
Then,armedwithsomehandtoolsanda
50-year-oldSkilelectricplaner,andwithHawai-
ianmusicplaying inthebackground, the intuitiveartistrythat
hecalls“anexotic formofsculpture”begins.Generallyspeak-
ing,Brewersaysaboardshouldresemblethecustomer:short
and fatboards forshortandheavypeople, longandnarrow
boards fortallandslimpeople,andso forth.
“Thefinalblendingofall thosethings,plustheirabilitiesand
whattheyneed, iswhatshapesaboard,”hesays. “It’sgottohave
bite,butnotsomuchthat ithangsup.That’ssomethingyou
learnovertime.”
SHAPINGNIRVANA
Muchof theshapingmagichappens inanair-conditioned,
240-square-footbuildingonBrewer’ssmall farm; sometimes
heshapes inanother facilityonOahu.Theentireroom is
paintedblackandwell lit, so theboardscontrastsharplywith
thebackground, enhancingvisibility.Several lightsarewall-
mountedaboutchesthighbecauseside lightingmakesminute
imperfectionseasier tospot,hesays.
“There’snothing likeanicelysquared-uproom, soyoureyes
don’t lookatanythingoperpendicular,”henotes. “Icantell
whetheraboard isflatorslightlydomed.Tomyeyes,evenarise
offifteen-hundredthsofan inch looks likeagiantbump.”
Howdoesheknowwhenhe’sfinished?It’sallabout feeland
intuition. “If it looksrightand feelsright, itsurfsright,”hesays.
WhenBrewer isfinished,heneatlywriteshissignature in
pencilontheboardandsends itotobeglassed(coatedwith
fiberglass).Thesedays,Brewershapesroughly200boardsa
year for$500apop,withnoplanstoquitanytimesoon.
“Istill love it,”hesays. “Itstillexcitesme, itreallydoes,
whenoneofmyboardsmaneuversexactly likesomeonewants
it to— that it’srighton themoney for thatdude.”
After20,000boardsandcounting,practicedoes, itseems,
makeperfect.
PROFILE
The BigKahuna
FROM TOP: Brewer begins to
shape a surfboard and com-
pletes it with his signature.
SUMMER2013
celebratedliving.com
82
