HOW TO ORDER A BOARD WITH MATT BIOLOS

Matt Biolos gives us a little insight on how to order a board. Article by Jazz Kuschke : REDBULL

Ordering your first-ever custom surfboard? Or getting a board from a new shaper? Shoulder your pride and might just end up on that magic sled. Here’s how:

How good (or not, for that matter) you actually surf

“Many surfers want to tell me how they are blowing fins out the back and working on airs and looking for that extra squirt when pumping in the tube…” says Matt Biolos shaper to the likes of Carissa Moore, Kolohe Andino and Taj Burrow. “But then they bust out photos or you see them in real life and woah! Not quite the surfing they think they are doing.”

Your true weight 

Being honest here really helps you have more fun when it comes to getting enough volume to float.Young kids grow so fast (and in spurts), they often think they still are 36kgs, when in fact they are actually up close to 45 and above. “The same goes for height on these kids,” says Biolos. “They tend to get stuck riding a 5’2..when they are 5’4″ tall.” According to Biolos the same happens at the other end of the spectrum. “In midlife crisis mode, many surfers are not honest with their lack of fitness and the two to five kilos they’ve put on recently,” he says.

Waves you’re actually surfing on a regular basis
“Sure, we all want a quiver of refined and beautiful blades, blended perfectly for that once-every-two-years Indo trip, but let’s be realistic here, most surfing is done in typical junky beach breaks,” says Biolos. “We can’t be too picky, because then you end up not surfing. If you don’t surf when its slop, you lose conditioning and become out of shape when the waves do get good.” Better to make sure you have a board that makes the most of those less-than-stellar conditions.

How your last board “really ” worked
“A lot of times, guys just ‘settle’ for a board,” says Biolos. “They learn to deal with its flaws and inadequacies.” Biolos prefers to hear the good the bad and the ugly, it’s the only way he can get make your board go better. “Good feedback is truthful feedback. I first learned this from Mr Shane Beschen, who was very picky, but got results,” he says.

The things you shouldn’t say
On the other end of the spectrum are things you shouldn’t tell your shaper…but do. “Like asking for a deal! Especially when you drive up in a fancy car, bragging about your last trip to Tavarua,” says Biolos.

Biolos will be in SA soon shores for our leg of the contest season, talking story, riding waves, watching the likes of Kolohe and Carissa take on the world and, for regular …Lost clients like Shaun Joubert, making custom order boards.