Walking along the Tel Aviv boardwalk on any given day, one can see hordes of surfers impatiently waiting for the next swell. What one doesn’t see are the local surfboard makers who create the boards made for the waves, in doing so, anchoring the domestic market. We asked three local shapers the importance of custom boards, the status of the Israeli surf scene and where they side on the debate between machine and hand-made.
Hani Surfboards
Sitting in a prominent Jaffa cafe, passerby after passerby acknowledge Hani Ovadia, 43, shaking his hand, complaining about the (lack of) waves and oozing over his latest model. As the owner and head shaper of one of the hippest and most successful surf companies in Israel, getting recognition is business as usual.
Tell us your background.
I started surfing around 13. There was a group of surfers; the cool guys in my neighborhood Tel Kabir. I went surfing with them and got hooked. The funny thing is that they didn’t go surfing for surfing. They went to be social. Today, none of them is still a surfer. I ended up as the only one in the neighborhood. After the army I worked at Intersurf fixing boards. I was living at my parents' house, and there were days when I would wake up at 5 AM so I could surf before work at 9 AM, and if it was a good day, end at 18:00 and go surfing again. I’d come home at 21:00, surfboard in hand. All the neighbors would ask my mom: “Is your son even working? Does he just hang at the beach all day?!"
Hani Surfboards
How did you get into shaping?
Shaping was my dream since forever. A major influence came from when I used to travel to California during the Israeli off-season. There, I was introduced to some top shapers: Tom Pattersion, Al Merrick, and my biggest influence, Michael Andrews. He is very good, “an eye for any detail”, as they say. I spent a lot of time with him. Michael once told me: “don’t forget me when you’ll be famous!” That was in the year 2000. In 2010, my friend Todd Moorehead made a movie called The Promised Land, a documentary about believers and surfing in Israel. I’m a Jew, he’s a Christian, we got a Muslim friend and an atheist girl, with everyone surfing. It’s the best movie to represent Israel, and even won prizes at international film festivals. For the movie, Todd asked me who my favorite shaper was. I said Michael. But in the surf world, if you’re not a big name no one knows you; Todd had no idea who he was. He said: choose Merrick, Patterson, any big name. We went with Merrick.
When we went to film at the Merrick factory, I saw Michael passing by. I hadn’t talked to him in years, but I told Todd “hey, that’s Michael!”. He was skeptical. So he went in first, asking “Hey, are you Michael Andrews? Do you know Hani from Israel?” Michael, in the middle of shaping, threw his tool down. Apparently he had seen me, too. “I knew it! I knew that was Hani!” He turned out to be the head shaper for Merrick’s company.
What do you think about hand vs machine shaped boards?
There are those good with machines, making boards in quantity. Almost carpenter-like. Input the numbers, tak tak, ching ding, the board’s done. Don’t get me wrong, this can be a good thing. But I choose to be different. I choose to know each blank 120%. Even when I work with a machine, I choose not to let it be my boss, as if I didn’t have it I couldn’t work. I want hand shaping to be my second nature. People say that hand shaping will never be as accurate as machine shaping. I’m not saying they’re wrong, but I am saying that they’re not absolutely right, either. I’ve seen a lot of machines not well maintained that are inaccurate. When I handshape, in contrast, I’m there, present in each moment and every motion.
Why does having a local shaper scene matter?
Obviously supporting local Israeli businesses is super important. But people underestimate the benefit of talking one-on-one with your shaper. Because there’s not a stock board for everyone. People used to say Israeli shaping wasn’t good because we hadn’t been doing it for long enough. They just can’t say that anymore. I’m 20 years in this business. But in any case, if you don’t give local shapers a chance, how do you expect them to evolve?
I never used to name drop like I do now. I’m an honest guy, and didn’t want people to hear a big name but receive an inferior product. I wanted the product to speak for itself. Now, I can say with confidence that Tom Curran rides my boards, Rob Machado rode one just months ago, etc. It’s time for me to promote this. In the age of Instagram, it’s easy for people to run before they can walk. Instead, you built up your career before saying “hey guys, I’m the real fucking deal”.
Instagram, Facebook. But you can find me in my other shop, The Union Surf Collective on 16 Ben Azaria St, Jaffa
---
Rafael Boards
In a small, tucked-away workshop under the Hilton Beach hotels, we met Rafael “Rafi” Levi, 50. Rafi is a different character: not quite a businessman, but a surfer’s surfer who shapes what he needs only to do what he loves: surf! He answered what he could, and what he couldn’t - didn’t. Behind the studio, the sea; we both knew what was really on his mind.
Tell us your background.
I’ve been surfing since I was 13. I surf because I love it. It was always my dream to know how to make surfboards. I asked for a job from Intersurf and others, lots of times, but didn’t get it.
Rafael Boards
Why not?
Overqualified, I think! So I did it my way.
How did you get into shaping?
In 1999, I traveled with a friend to the north shore of Hawaii for six months. It was great. It was also the first time I understood what I want to do with my life. When I came back in 2000, I gathered a little money and ordered shaping foam from the internet. That’s how I started. I never learned officially, I just taught myself, watching old internet videos and vhs’. I was shaping in my house, just for me, because I enjoyed it. After two years, I found a job as a shaper. That's where I studied more officially, making hundreds of boards. By 2006, I had had enough working for a boss and started FullBoard. Two years ago, I changed the name to Rafael. When I was a kid, I loved the Pontiac Firebird, so I used its logo of wings to influence ours. Also, Rafael was an angel!
How’s the shaper scene in Tel Aviv?
In Israel I know everyone, but have a connection to no one. I’m in a different zone. It’s a big business here, and I’m not a big business. I do it only because I love it. It’s also a hard business and not so profitable. Everything’s expensive here. But it’s nice that me, Hani, Intersurf and Ultrawave make boards. It’s not important to have local shapers from a business perspective, but still nice to have. We do it because we love it. When you buy a stock board, it’s not for you. Sometimes you buy a board because it looks nice but you don’t know what you’re going to get. It’s like food: Until you put it in your mouth and chew, you don’t know how it tastes.
What differentiates your boards from other shapers?
Everything. I don’t copy anything. I do my own thing. I change so much. For example, rocker. Some of my boards have less rocker, and at the beginning people told me it wasn’t working. But nowadays everyone is going for lower rocker. I love to surf. I surf alright on everything: longboard, shortboard, fish, sup. And I test my own equipment. It's an evolving art. Most of the boards I make for myself; I’m thinking about myself. Also, I only do handmade. If I was a big factory with money, I would buy a machine. But because of the low volume of boards, I enjoy doing it by hand. If I had a million dollars, trust me, I’d have a machine.
What’s your opinion on the Israeli surf scene?
Very strong! It’s growing a lot. But you don’t find the place to surf by yourself. When there are a lot of people at the Maaravi, it's a zoo; at Hilton, it's a safari. You have to be a hardcore local to find beaches with nice waves and with almost no one out. I know a few, right here in Tel Aviv. I prefer quantity over quality, so as long as there’s no one else. That’s my philosophy.
Why are you not in Hawaii right now?
Because I have a family, two children. If you pay for the trip for two weeks, all included, trust me, I’m closing the business and going. If there’s a heaven on earth, when you close your eyes, it looks like Hawaii.
I’ve never done any advertising. Ever. Just business from mouth-to-mouth. You can call me at 054-4895197. 165 Hayarkon St
Intersurf
In their showroom, hundreds of varying board models engulf us; those at Intersurf seem to live and breathe one thing and one thing only. Nir Almog, 67, head shaper, got into the details of Intersurf’s place in the history of Israeli surfing, told story after story from inside the scene and had a word or two about Israeli surf culture - or the lack thereof.
Tell us your background.
My dad was one of the first lifeguards in Tel Aviv. In Israel, there were two lifeguards who were considered the best: Aronchik and Topsea. My dad was Topsea. In '56, Dorian Paskowitz (see Surfwise) brought surfboards to Israel. He connected with my dad and told him to start an Israeli club, leaving him the boards - all wooden longboards, if I remember correctly. My dad distributed them to the other lifeguards, and that’s how the scene started. At the time I was just a kid, about five years old. A lifeguard named Shaul would take me surfing with him, standing at the back of the board and giving me instructions to navigate: run forward! Run back! Now get on my shoulders!
Intersurf
How was the surf scene back in the 70s?
It was only crazy people. Everyone thought we were nuts. Summer, winter, it didn't matter. They couldn’t understand why we would paddle all day just to catch one wave. At the time, there was a group at Hilton Beach, and Moussa of Ultrawave, worked at the Country Club. There was an unspoken competition between us: Country vs Hilton, Ultrawave vs Intersurf. Like Hapoel vs Maccabi. Who makes better boards, who surfs better; this competition continued for many years. The market was really only us two.
How has board shaping changed from then till now?
We started with hand shaping; there were no machines back then. One day, I made a “magic” board. Every maneuver, every single thing I did, no matter what, worked. I have no idea why. You turn your head the wrong way, it corrects you. You are about to fall, it pulls you up. You’re in a bad mood, it still moves great. There was nothing like it. A friend wanted one, so I made him a copy. His first time riding it, we all watched. He came back and told me “it doesn’t work like yours.” I told him to try again; he came back and said the same thing. So I tried it. And he was right! I went back to the factory to check it. On the surface, everything looked fine. So I made another. Because, you know, it's my honor on the line. He took this version, went to ride and everyone watched again. “It's even worse than the last one!” he told me. I didn’t believe him. I told him to go try again; he said the same thing. So I tried it. And he was right again! At this point, I didn’t feel comfortable - I’m a shaper, I’ve made a lot of boards, but it just doesn’t work. So I gave him my magic board, and went to make another for myself.
I’m telling you, I built about ten versions, and NONE worked like the original. Here, I understood: if you want to replicate one-to-one, you need a machine. Hand shaping takes 20-30 hours per board, with precise measurements, etc, and it's still imperfect. It’s nuts. Back then, machines were rare if not non-existent. So we made a machine. With it, we couldn’t replicate the magic board 100%, but we got damn close! Nowadays the entire industry works with machines. Listen: you can’t just rely on a pretty shape. People say the shape is part of the soul of the board. And they’re right! But if it doesn’t ride well, it’s like a pretty guitar that can’t hold a note. Either it works, or it doesn’t. People get way too caught up in the look. Leave me alone, go surf!
What’s your opinion on the Israeli surf scene?
Israelis don’t have surf culture worth a dime. But I understand why. We don’t have waves every day, sometimes not even for a month. A surfer has exactly two hours to catch waves he’s waited weeks for. What, you expect him to be nice? He's dying to surf! I know it sounds barbaric. Trust me - if we had a daily swell, we would create a better surf culture. But we don’t.
Intersurf
So the people aren’t the problem, but the conditions.
I won’t go as far as saying the typical Israeli isn’t part of the problem. But the main problem is the conditions. Now let me tell you a story. I’ve got a few good ones. But this is not just a story, but the story. A true, really true one. It’s the kind of story that if you’re already telling stories, you tell. Ready? The Billabong Amateur team was invited to Australia. Omer, our team rider, came with five of our boards. Right as he showed up, the pro competition was starting. Jordy Smith was there. You know him, right? Omer saw Jordy checking his sponsored Billabong boards, one by one, getting visibly angrier with each. His team member, Joel “Parko” Parkinson, kept telling him: go check the damn boards in the water! But he didn’t have to. Jordy’s dad was a shaper. He could tell just by looking that they weren’t as he had specified. Then, Jordy notices Omer.
Years earlier, Jordy had stayed with Omer in Israel and I had made him a board. Jordy brings Parko over, telling Omer to open his bag. He picks up a deck, and says to Parko: “See! This is the work of a real shaper. Look. Touch. These are real boards.” I asked Omer how he didn’t film the interaction. He was simply in shock! Two legends of the sport right before him, swooning over my boards.
Facebook, Instagram. But also check out our web cams - almost every surfer in Israel has checked conditions through our site. 32B Kibbutz Galuyot Rd Third Floor, Tel Aviv
---