What’s the diff between a square tail and a round tail? Revealed!
The American surfboard shaper Jon Pyzel was born in Santa Babs but quickly became part of the North Shore design milieu when he moved to Sunset in 1992, got taken under Jeff Bushman’s big wing, and a few years later started building boards for a white-haired kid who would change the genetic code of the sport.
In 1993, Jon Pyzel wrote a letter to his Daddy back home explaining that he was working at Country Surfboards as a ding repairer and clearing a couple of c-notes a week, but keen as hell for the biz.
“I can work there whenever I want, and get paid by what I do not by the hour, and I am learning more about glassing, polishing, putting on fins etc,” the former model who was once described as “diabolically and transcendentally sexy” wrote.
“I really love surfboards, so it’s not even really like going to work (except for the itch). I really feel like shaping boards might be the thing I have been looking for as far as work goes, and I may give it a try, to see if I have any natural talent for it!
Jon Pyzel went on to rewrite the books with his game-changing Ghost design as well as attract a legion of diehard fans for his raw no-nonsense approach to design.
Do you remember when he called you all volume obsessed?
In a new series of short videos, cleverly shot on a Nokia 3310, Jon Pyzel explains surfboard design fundamentals with his opening gambit, the difference between round tails and square tails, a mystery that has haunted surfers and shapers ever since the rounded squash made its appearance on Simon Anderson’s thruster boards in 1981.
Do you know the diff?
Don’t watch the little move and comment below the line.
More essential than ever.
