JY Surf

JY Surf

Date
26 September 9/21/14 12:00 - 00:00
27 September 9/21/14 12:00 - 00:00
28 September 9/21/14 12:00 - 23:00

Venue

Module
works

Country
NL

Julian van Vliet of JY Surf will be present on the festival terrain to shape surfboards using sustainable materials and innovative technologies and methods.

Ever since the sixties, the surfing lifestyle has grown exponentially throughout the world. Surfing in the Netherlands is booming and developed from a handful of surfers in the nineties to hundreds of surfers on a good day in Scheveningen.

An essential part of surfing culture is the “shaper”, the person a surfer goes to to get his personally designed surfboard. A shaper is a craftsman who puts his heart and soul in the matter and will do anything in his ability to shape surfboards to the likes of his/her clients. As a surfer gains more experience, they can go back to the shaper to adjust their boards to be equipped for a new level of surfing abilities or interests.

To let surfing become more attractive towards the general public, some large surfboard brands moved their production facilities to Asia. Because of the low wages in these countries and no legislation on working conditions and safety requirements, this mass production of surfboards has a negative effect towards the surfing culture as the number of shapers is diminishing worldwide.

Many shapers have the incentive to fight this vicious circle with innovation. A part of the cultural lifestyle of surfing is the connection with a brand of surfboards, clothing, etc. By launching a surfboard brand with individuals, who give their love and affection toward the craft of custom surfboard building, they are bringing the culture of surfing back to its roots on a sustainable way.

Running the repair shop; Ding Doctor since 2006, Julian van Vliet noticed a change in the industry. Quality-wise, boards were not getting any better. Board design still evolves, but the production of surfboards is more centralised then ever. “After being fed up with repairing Asia-made surfboards, we knew we could build surfboards better and more sustainable.”

Van Vliet launched JY Surf, a small company which designs, manufactures and sells a next generation of surfboards for the currently growing surfing market. By using the latest bio-based composite materials available on the market, they are able to produce a range of surfboards that are recyclable and handmade. With a new approach towards surfboard design, customer involvement, manufacturing processes and end-of-life solutions, their products are sustainable and innovative in their kind.

Although in its embryonic state, JY Surf already has a team of active and experienced people who share the vision of changing the surfing industry. Their approach is to create a surfing community built on their ideals and brand, thereby contributing to a more conscious community with sustainable thinking as a principle.