Sunova Surfboards - Surfer Board Guide – Feb 09 Issue Greenlight

HEAD SHAPER:
Brian Gagliana

BEHIND THE BRAND: Surfboard building kits – that’s the backbone of Greenlight. The concept is simple, but novel: supply customers with eco-friendly materials like bamboo stringers and fins, recyclable EPS foam, and bio plastic plugs in one comprehensive kit so it’s simple for anyone to build their own board. “Greenlight exists for average surfers, for every day surfers”, says Brian Gagliana. “We offer sustainable materials, comprehensive instruction, and online support to easily shape boards at home. Our motto is ‘Shape your own Surfing Experience”.

Established in 2005, Greenlight has been helping its clients for three years and counting, and they say the feedback they’ve gotten so far has been impressive.

“Most surfers get hooked on home-shaping”, says Gagliana. “They continue to refine their skills and designs – but whether they build one board, or they build 100, they gain a much better understanding of how surfboards work. They learn how to talk to their local shapers for a super custom order, and they learn how to pick a great board off the racks”.

ABOUT HIS MOST POPULAR MODELS: All of my top guys are riding their own shapes – boards they’ve made with their own two hands,” says Gagliana.

TAKING THE PULSE: “Shaping your own board is the only way to truly understand how to improve the dynamics of your surfing.”

SHOP TALK
WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT QUALITY TO HAVE IN YOUR SURFBOARD?
“Soul is the most important quality to have in your surfboard. Shaping at least one board is every surfer’s right of passage. And riding your own handmade surfboard is the soul of our sport. The surfboard is absolutely an extension of yourself – the ancient Hawaiians shaped koa wood with draw knives and coral to experience waves. The whole process was a spiritual affair for them, and we want to give surfers the same sense of complete surfing satisfaction and pride.We want to connect them with the true spirit of surfing.”

WHAT PROJECT ARE YOU AND YOUR CUSTOMERS HAVING THE MOST FUN WITH?
“The Greenlight ‘Shaper of the Month’ contest. Check it out on our website:
Greenlightsurfsupply.com/shaper_of_the_month.html”

WHAT MAKES YOUR BRAND UNIQUE?
“Our main focus is making surfboard shaping as easy, fun and inexpensive as possible. So we developed complete kits with all the materials, tools, and instructions anyone would need to start shaping. The two best features of our surfboard kits are the set of videos and our free online support. Unlike any other instructional surfboard building videos available, Greenlight building videos are created with first-time surfboard shapers and glassers in mind. These instructional videos fully explain every step throughout the process – what to do, why to do it, how to do it, what not to do to avoid common novice mistakes, and how to fix mistakes if you happen to make them. And, if you happen to have a question, we’re always available to help you out.”

GREENLIGHT SURF SUPPLY

GREENLIGHTSURFSUPPLY.COM