Firewire Surfboards  Shaper: Nev Hyman

Year started shaping: 1973

Who is your biggest shaping influence? This may sound weird, but the Firewire design team influences me more than external shapers because Firewire is a combination of shape and technology. The unique materials and the way in which Firewires are made enable direct input from more than just the “Guru” shaper. Some of Firewire’s most popular designs have evolved from input by crew who don’t shape! An idea can be designed as a 3D model and manufactured exactly to specifications by our unique system.

What are your most popular models? Around 1991 I designed a board called the Retro Rocket which was to be ridden 2” to 4” shorter than your normal board. It had that fuller retro nose with a not-too-wide clean round tail and contemporary rocker and foil. It was similar to the Kelly’s Wizard Sleeve. They went insane, so much so that WCT team rider Danny Wills wanted to compete on his 5’9”. Guy Walker, a young Rasta, and others surfed theirs almost exclusively. Twenty years later, with some tweaking Firewire designer Dan Mann and I, the Dominator/Spitfire model was born. This board is undoubtedly the most popular board in the Firewire range.