Master shaper and Infinity founder Steve Boehne is featured this month in SUP Magazine. Click HERE to check out their website...
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Steve Boehne Infinity Surfboards (Part 1 of 2)
Contributed by Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine
Wednesday, 09 January 2008
We were absolutely fired up when we got word that Steve Boehne of Infinity Surfboards was going to share some of his
wisdom with us. Steve was only 13 years old when he first took his hand to shaping. Several thousand boards later, he is
applying his extensive knowledge of surfboard design to stand up paddle surfboards. Steve is one of the most easy
going down to earth shapers I have every met, and he really knows his stuff. Thanks again Steve for sharing the stoke
with us all.
SUPSURFMAG: What is Infinity Surfboards?
STEVE: Infinity is a company that loves surfboards. In our shop, the surfboards are out front while the clothes,
accessories and wetsuits are hidden in the back
SUPSURFMAG: Where, when, and how did it all begin?
STEVE: After shaping for several shops in Huntington Beach, I decided in 1970 to start my own brand of boards. Most
surfboard brands incorporate the name of the shaper or founder, but to me that just seemed to be too much of an ego
trip. I chose instead a name that had meaning and a long recognized symbol, INFINITY. This was years before Infinity
cars, stereo speakers, boats and everyone else who has copied it. I was the first to use Infinity as a name of a business
or product. Thank goodness I have trademark protection for surfboards!
SUPSURFMAG: At what point did you decide to apply your knowledge and experience to shaping stand up paddle
surfboards?
STEVE: I have always partaken in alternative ways to go surfing including tandem surfing and wave ski surfing. Since I
have been shaping big tandem surfboards since 1968, it was just natural and easy for me to transfer that knowledge over
to SUP boards.
I would also say that like everyone who has become immersed in SUP surfing; when I started, I felt the challenge to learn
the techniques, and then as I got better, I wanted to do it more. Now, about 95% of my time in the surf is on my SUP.
The same thing applies to shaping. For the last year and a half, I have 100% hand shaped at least 15 SUP boards per
week. Shaping them now takes up 95% of my shaping time. I guess we all enjoy a new challenge and a change to our
routine.
SUPSURFMAG: What is the theory behind the design of Infinity SUP surfboards?
STEVE: The theory is to recognize that a different shape is needed for the different size and shape of the waves you ride
and for the different weight, age, ability, and style of surfing of each individual. I, for example weigh 180 lb. I ride an 11’
nose rider “Kuku Hoe” (“Stand Up Paddle” in Hawaiian) in the slow waves at San Onofre, but I like a 10’ quad fin for faster
waves up to about head high and a 10’6” carving style board with a pulled in tail for bigger waves.
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SUPSURFMAG: How is Infinity SUP board construction unique?
STEVE: For hand shaped and glassed EPS/epoxy, our technique is not unique, but our quality is. Our color work,
laminating and shaping ranks with the best offered anywhere. But perhaps the most important thing is that we ship
orders on time and stand behind our product. For example, before we discovered the need for an air vent in EPS
boards, I had perhaps a dozen customer’s boards delaminate. I replaced their boards for a new one with an air vent.
Then we published our recall and installed air vents in all our boards for free. Our Gortex membrane air vent is used by
the Army for their computer boxes. I designed the carrier to enable us to use the vent with surfboards.
.
SUPSURFMAG: What do you recommend for fins on a stand up boards and why?
STEVE: I don’t think that more than one fin will offer anything to a board over 10’6” long. Multiple fins, help you hook your
bottom turn to surf in a more vertical - up and down style, but a board over 10’6” just isn’t going to go straight up the wave
face. However, for a short SUP, four fins in a quad configuration will let you use a wider tail for more paddle stability and
wave catching plus they will hook those turns and give you more projection.
SUPSURFMAG: What does Infinity offer to stand up paddlers that no one else can?
STEVE: There are some really talented shapers out there producing very nice boards. Like musicians, each shaper has
his own style. You may like a song played by one musician by not when played by another. There are over 600 guys
who love their Infinity Kuku Hoe’s and there must be a gazillian other guys who love the boards from other makers. I
would say that I like to keep a balance between ease of paddling and performance. Personally, I don’t like to make a
board so thin, narrow and tippy that it is a pain to paddle just so it will rip a little more. Heck, I can just ride my long
board. Also, I love innovative design components like concaves, quad fins and curvy templates. I’m always improving
my rockers and templates.
For more information visit www.infinitysurf.com
END PART 1 OF 2
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Steve Boehne Infinity Stand Up Paddle Surfboards (Part 2
of 2)
Contributed by Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine
Monday, 14 January 2008
This is the final Part 2 of 2 of an Exclusive Interview with stand up paddle surfboard shaper Steve Boehne of Infinity
Surfboards. In this sections Steve offers tips for both beginner and advanced stand up paddlers, and gives us his opinion
about the future to the sport. Thanks again to Steve for fueling the stand up paddle stoke!
SUPSURFMAG: What tips could you offer to someone just starting out?
STEVE: The most important thing is to look at the size chart in my web site www.infinitysurf.com. You must identify your
ability profile and weight then choose the right length, width and thickness for your first board. You don’t want a board
that is bigger than necessary, but you will be miserable on one that is too small.
SUPSURFMAG: Could you tell us one advanced technique that might boost an intermediate surfer to the next level?
STEVE: I always teach new paddlers the “bow draw” stroke so they can paddle in a straight line with out switching the
paddle from side to side. With this paddle stroke, you put the paddle in the water about 15” away from the rail in the front
of your board the pull it towards the rail before you transition into a rearward thrust. This will pull the nose a few degrees
toward the side you are paddling on to counteract the natural tendency of the paddle to turn the nose the other way. I
also encourage people to stand in their natural surfing stance when paddling out through waves or taking off. A foot
forward and back stance lets you shift your weight forward and back when punching through waves and allows you
instant response on your take offs
SUPSURFMAG: In your opinion, what is the future of the sport?
STEVE: Obviously, surfers are quickly adding SUP to their wave-riding repertoire. Sooner or later every surfer will try it.
I have also seen many inland athletes buy a racing or touring board to do distance paddling on inland waterways.
Anyone can compare the SUP work out to sitting in lawn chair position while paddling a kayak and you know the
difference.
SUPSURFMAG: If there was one message that you could send out to SUP surfers worldwide, what would that be?
STEVE: Like everything else discovered, developed and made in America, our innovation and jobs are being shipped to
China. Do you want to ride a board made by a shaper and glassers who have dedicated their lives to surfing and
building quality surfboards or do you want to ride a board made by people who never surf and have no idea how their
product works? Think before you choose.
SUPSURFMAG: Where can your boards be found and do you ship internationally?
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STEVE: We recently bought a 6,000 sq ft. building to move our shaping and glassing facilities into. By mid summer we
will be able to double our production. The problem now is that I can only produce 15 Kuku Hoe boards a week. We
have turned down hundreds of orders from potential dealers, so except for only a few dealers we only sell from our own
shop. In Hawaii, it’s the Hawaiian South Shore shop in Honolulu. We do ship internationally.
SUPSURFMAG: Will you keep us up to day on the latest from Infinity Surfboards?
STEVE: Sure, every time I think I’ve got it all figured out, I discover some new innovation or trend in the sport, so for sure
there will always be something new. We try to lead when we have innovated something better and follow when someone
else has done it first. I respect everyone who hand builds surfboards, I just hope it will not become an extinct occupation.
For more information visit www.infinitysurf.com
END PART 2 OF 2
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