Five Minutes With Andy Jordan

Tell the readers a little bit about your story – how you got into shaping, how long for, your passion and innovations.….

Well I shaped my first board when I was still at school and just really looked up to the guys who worked in the board factory`s then I got a job working for Jim Carney in the mid eighty`s and really just worked my through from ding repairs to sander , polishing ,foiling fins and was always trying to improve my boards spending a lot of time in the bay with Jim , then just ended up with the planner in my hands and never looked back, Jordan surfboards started a boat 1995 after a boat ten years shaping Jordan and peake surfboards, high voltage.

What are you working on at the moment?

Mainly to get the right board design, volume that will suit the customer so they are stoked and I get that txt or email from a happy camper which means just talking to the person and really just getting into their head I really like that one thing. Mainly just doing PU boards I really like the feel of them so really just working on different type of designs on the computer and fine tuning them. Fins are also important getting that right fin for the board.

 Pros / cons of being a shaper in today’s world?

The main one is getting into the computer shaping 4 or 5 years ago full time, I luv it good for the health but so much fun working on fine tuning all the designs we do, surfing them and feeling the change it just heaps the mind all ways ticking away, mate pro`s I enjoy going to work that`s a big thing I love surfing and to go to work and do some think you love is a big thing in life. Con`s – well it`s business so it`s always up and down. The main one would be the foot print on the nature with what we do but I make sure I counter it at what I do at home but in saying that the up`s are more fun like riding different sorts of boards. I try not to think too much on the surf industry business wise can`t control that just do my thing but board design wise is it`s great that people now ride all sorts of things which keeps our minds open

 Who are your team riders and what do they say about your boards?

Alex Dive has a Supa Pud for small waves and then an all-rounder designed around him. Clint Reid a quad and a 6`1“ thruster designed for him. Owen Barnes a shonan, undies 500, normal thruster design for him. Kea Smith and Raiha Ensor both ride Hey Grommet models but designed around there surfing and still do a few for Matt Hewitt as well which are a bit more design just for him no real model . You get good feedback from them so you can use a lot of that info to put into the customers board also I have all the models in my quiver ` except Hey Grommet` I`m too old for that one so I`m always trying to tweak and improve them.

What’s working for you right now / what’s hot?

Supa Pud small wave machine fast loose `FUN`, Semi Pud just an all-rounder version of the supa pud `a favourite of mine` The Shonan a fishy curved channel bottom round tail very popular, Round Tail Quad love them fast, drivey and just love the tube` another favourite of mine. Then Alex’s model has a good rocker concave combo good all-rounder, Mini Me fun fun fun ,also mals , single fins we have a price list it`s on the wall at work for all to see, I’m mainly doing custom made boards and sprays but do have some stock boards as well of most models .We also offer A fast ding repair service. You can find us at 4 Tyne St Mount Maunganui  ph. 07 5724506 e-mail ajsurfshapes@hotmail.com  jordansurfboardsfacebook  www.jordansurfshapes.co.nz   See