Often the first questions we hear when someone discovers the online kneeboard community is, “where can I buy a new kneeboard, or is there a kneeboard shaper near me?”. This is especially true for kneeboarders who are coming back after a period out of the water or someone new to the sport. Kneeboard surfing is a small eclectic community, but the internet has help bring us together and give us access to the best shapers around the globe.
Our advice is do some research and figure out what you want out of a board. Are you trying to recreate that tradition keel fin fish or single fin slab from your youth, do you want a modern high-performance design, something for small summer beach break, or a board for massive Indo barrels? Talk to other kneeboard surfers online or meet up with the local crew and check out boards they are riding. Finally, find a shaper you trust that understands what you are looking for.
Can’t find a shaper near you? Not to worry, most of the top kneeboard shapers around the world will create a custom shape for you and ship it to you, wherever you are.
This list is a compilation of kneeboard shapers from around the globe based on input from other kneeboard surfers. Some are dedicated kneeboard surfer/shapers that have been developing their shapes for decades. Others may be stand-up shapers who build the occasional kneeboard.
Also check out the Shapers Corner section for interviews with kneeboard shapers
Current KSUSA Sponsors:
- Freeline – John Mel – Santa Cruz, CA USA
- Parkes Australia – David Parkes – Byron Bay, NSW AUS
- SD Kneeboards – Joe Taylor and Mark Sweeney – Newport Beach, CA USA
- Barry Snyder Designs – Oceanside, CA USA
- Frog House Surf Shop – Newport Beach, CA USA
- Bird’s Surf Shed – San Diego, CA USA
- Balestar Kneeboards – Tom Balestar – Huntington Beach, CA USA
- Biohazard Surfboards – John Folliott – Westminster, CA USA
- ♦Dean Cleary Kneeboards – Huntington Beach, CA USA
- Dave Craig – Imperial Beach, CA
- ♦Freeline – John Mel – Santa Cruz, CA USA
- Skip Fyre Surfboards – Skip Fyre – San Diego, CA USA
- Timmy Gras Surfboards – San Francisco, CA USA
- K58 Surf Designs – James Mangano – San Diego, CA USA
- Stu Kenson Surfboards – Stu Kenson – San Diego, CA USA
- Pendoflex – Steve Pendarvis – San Diego, CA USA
- PlusOne Surfboards – George Gall – San Diego, CA USA
- ♦Eric Schoelkopf – Oceanside, CA USA
- ♦Ron Romanosky Kneeboards – Newport Beach, CA USA
- Steve Seebold Surfboards – Steve Seebold – San Diego, CA USA
- ♦SD Kneeboards – Joe Taylor and Mark Sweeney – Newport Beach, CA USA
- ♦Barry Snyder Designs – Oceanside, CA USA
- Vartanian Surfboards – James Vartanian – Costa Mesa, CA USA
USA: East Coast
- In The Eye Surfboards – Scott Busbey – Buxton, NC
- Levy Surf Designs – David Levy – Narragansett, Rhode Island
Hawaii
- ♦Blast Hawaii – Bud McCray – North Shore Hawaii
- Steve Lis – Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
- Mair Surfboards – Robin Mair – Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii
- Minami Surfboards – Glenn Minami – Honolulu, Hawaii
- John Carper – Maui, Hawaii
- Timpone Surfboards – Jeff Timpone – Maui, Hawaii
- Tokoro Surfboards – Wade Tokoro – Kaneohe, Hawaii
Puerto Rico
Central and South America
Australia
- ♦Flashpoint – Bruce Hart – Dee Why, NSW, AUS
- ♦Drift – Rob Slater – Jervis Bay, NSW AUS
- ♦Earthrise – Steve Artis – NSW AUS and Bali
- ♦Hardware Kneeboards – Dale Ponsford – Australia and Costa Rica
- Katana Surfboards – Osborne Park, Western Australia
- Shapes by Kirke Bierke – Ulladulla, NSW, AUS
- ♦Native Kneeboards – Al Bruce – NSW AUS
- ♦NeePro Kneeboards – Michael Watkins – Queensland AUS
- ♦Neevo Kneeboard/2101 Kneeboards – Michael Novokov
- ♦Neil Luke Kneeboards – Byron Bay, NSW AUS
- ♦The Friar – Peter Ware
- Island Surfboard – Deano – Phillip Island, Victoria, AUS
- ♦Kneeon Kneeboards – Nick Hartigan
- ♦Parkes Australia – David Parkes – Byron Bay, NSW AUS
- Spirit Filled Designs – SFD – Greg Frost – Port Macquarie NSW AUS
- ♦Strapper Surf – Mike Discasio – Torquay, Victoria, AUS
- Stewart Pontin Shapes (SPS) – Mullumbimby, NSW, AUS
- Stuart Surfboards – Queensland, AUS
- Stump Surfboards – Andrew Stump – Victoria, AUS
- Steve Walkinshaw Sunshine Coast AUS
- Trigger Bros Surfboards – Mick Peirce – Victoria, AUS
New Zealand
Europe
- Al’s Brothers Surfboards – Alonso Philippe – Langton, France
- ♦Diplock Shapes – Chris “Bro” Diplock – Cornwall, UK
- Goldbeach Surfboards – Gaspar Bezanilla – Santander, Cantabria, Spain
- Offbeat Kneeboards – Chris Crocket – Cornwall, UK
- Rock Island Surfboards – Juan Carlos – Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
- ♦Sneilneeboards – Neil Bird – Basque Country and Perth, Western Australia
- Sweit Surfboards – Ireland
- Ubuntu Kneeboards – Rory Williams – La Coruña, Galicia, Spain
Africa
- Bilt Surfboard Factory – Elton Fursman – Durban, South Africa
- FishStix Surfboards (Blast Shapes) – Simon Fish – St Francis Bay, South Africa
- Dutchie Surf Designs – Cape Town, South Africa
Please contact webmaster@ksusa.org with any corrections or additions to this list.