Each Seven Surfboard is made completely by hand by myself, Bryan Bates. I am a native Oregonian and very proud to live and surf here. I've been incredibly fortunate in being able to learn the trade of surfboard building from some true masters up here in the Northwest. Guys like Cort Gion, Mike Tuel, Steve Swan and Dana Williams have passed on to me an amazing wealth of knowledge. This training, in addition to my artistic ability, has allowed me to build the kind of surfboards that I have dreamed of--boards that not only have great shapes and glassing but also unusual and original artwork. I want every board I make to be a one-of-a-kind, and never exactly duplicated. I refuse to make a clear (white) board. Don't even ask me, 'cause I won't do it. I love color, and the challenge of an artistic project. Lately I've been putting most of my color down on boards with pigmented resin. This means that the color is added to the resin either on the foam or in the glassing of the board. I prefer the pigment to airbrushing because it will never fade, and has a very pure, bright color quality. I do airbrush some of the boards I make, depending upon the nature of the artwork.

  My templates for the outlines of most of my surfboards come from derivatives of the legendary Cort Gion and Bobby Turner surfboards. Proven outlines, handed down to me from those who most definitely know. I tweak the templates slightly and make them my own. Also, I take templates from old and new boards that work well and throw them in the mix. I fiberglass boards to last, utilizing "S" cloth fiberglass instead of the traditional "E" cloth; this creates a board which is significantly stronger, more resistant to dings and has a more lively flex. I enjoy the functional aesthetic of some "old school" glassing techniques like cut laps and leash loops, color tints and opaques, and glass on fins. I glass all my boards at the highest quality level available. Additionally, I make my own fiberglass fins for all of my surfboards, which allows me to dial in the perfect fin combination for each board. I can glass these fins on at the precise angle and toe-in that I want, instead of relying on what the fin box manufacturers are putting out. The result is a much better performing set of fins that is totally custom fit to each board.

   Custom surfboards are my most favorite to make, but I offer 8 different models of surfboards stock that one can order, or a person could ask for a custom shape based upon one of my stock models. I live and surf in the Northwest, and build surfboards suited specifically for the waves here. In general, most of my boards will have more foam (thickness), be wider and have a flatter entry (less rocker) than the industry standard. I have found that a little more board works a lot better in the average kind of surf we have here in the Northwest. Here, you need a board that will float and paddle well, speed through flat sections, and handle a bit of chop on the water. The next part of the equation is to create a board that surfs the wave. I have found that a slight vee in front of the fins helps the board fit the shape of the wave and gives you a "ball bearing" for your back foot to surf around on. Of course any type of custom shape can be made according to your requests.

   I myself ride all types of boards from a 5'10" twin fin to an 11'9" tandem longboard and everything in between. Being able to ride all types of surfboards in all types of surf allows me to understand how to make them. There are so many types of boards and different surfboard designs and I enjoy the qualities of each one. I certainly don't know it all, and never will, so I am always looking to learn and talk about board design. In my opinion, the best shaper out there is the one who makes you the board you ask for. I get a lot of satisfaction in listening to my customers, surfing with them and getting an idea of how they ride, and building them the surfboard that allows them to take their surfing to a higher level, or at least have more fun out there. So give me a call, I'd love to build you your next dream-board.

Bryan Bates