BELIS Surfboards by Ben Roulant

1.  Your Name: Ben Roulant

2.  Your Brand Name:  Belis

3.  How did you hear about us?  Your website

4.  How was your initial experience at Foam E-Z?  Pretty nice!

5.  Why did you want to build your own board?  I wanted to have a go at it, a cheap board, and couldn't find anything like I wanted on the market.

6.  Shape of finished board:  old school fish

7.  Size of finished board:  Length : 5'8" Width : 20.5" Thickness : 2.75"

8.  What blank did you use? foam



9.  How was your board building experience?  Interesting, but hard!

10.  Did you use videos, books, web, other?  Yes lots of videos.

11.  What videos, books, web, other did you use?  All YouTube men!

12.  Do you recommend these resources? yes!!! yes yes!

13.  What do you wish you knew going into this project?  Training on glassing on template before going on the actual board!

 14.  What would you recommend to someone else for their first time?  Lot's of training and take your time.

15.  What tools did you find most useful?  Sand paper (hand)

16.  Where did you run into trouble?  Laminating the board!

17.  What kind of fin system did you use and why?  FCS, the easiest to put in.



18.  Did you glass the board and what was that experience like?  HARD

19.  Where did you shape and glass your board?  In my garage!

20.  What type of board do you want to make next:? DON'T know at all yet!

Haole Built Surfboards Hand Shape SUP, by JK

Quite a hand shape from a Slab!

1. Your Name: Johnny Kahanu

2. Your Brand name: Haole Built surfboards/ Kahanu Surfboards

3. How did you hear about us? Built my first pine glue up alaia and decided I needed a leash plug in it, and a google later you guys popped up!

4. How was your initial experience at Foam E-Z? It was great! Grant had a crazy personality that made it easy to be a total kook that knew nothing except that I was more stoked than ever to get my creation ion the water!

5. Why did you want to build your own board? I have been extremely fortunate to be surrounded by surfers shapers and family that all contributed something to where I am now! Big mahalos to Kirk Kahanu my fathering in-law for showing me the happiness and aloha that could be gained from surfing, to uncle Tommy Stone who gave a glimpse in the roots and beginnings of surfing and Hawaiian culture, the entire Hawaiian Surf Club of San Onofre who have all helped make me the person and surfer/shaper I am today. Lastly thank you to my wife for putting up with the early mornings and late nights, the foam dust all over everything and the sticky resin fingers!

6. Shape of finished board? Stricktly surf SUP 

7. Size of finished board:  Length 9’0" Width 33" Thickness 3-5/8"

8. What blank did you use? A cast off from a CNC company that was a 1# density with a 1/8” stringer outlined and rocker profile already set.

9. How was your board building experience? It was an interesting experience with a lot of different things. My first EPS shaping as well as epoxy glass job.

Killer Airspray, 80's style!

10. Did you use videos, books, web, other? A few tips from the boys on swaylocks here and there, some help from Grant and Matt Bettis.

11. What videos, books, web, other did you use?  Lot's of knowledge gained from working at the shop.

12. Do you recommend these resources? I would always recommend swaylocks.com to everyone with any interest in fixing or making anything surfy.

13. What do you wish you knew going into this project? How much work it takes to hand shape a SUP as well as how much time is wasted watching resin dry when using epoxy.

14. What would you recommend to someone else for their first time? Take your time and measure often!

15. What tools did you find most useful? The foam E-Z shaping block and 40/60 HD grit sand paper. I also made a custom tool to true up the bottom by using the HD sandpaper 

16. Where did you run into trouble? Crowning the deck is a must tougher process than I originally thought!

17. What kind of fin system did you use and why? Futures all the way, I just like the feel of them and how simple they are to install!

18. Did you glass the board and what was that experience like? Yes, first full epoxy glassing using rr2000 system and thought it was great stuff!

19. Where did you shape and glass your board? At Foam E-Z!

20. What type of board do you want to make next? I would like to make another long board or mini Sims.

AOP Surfboards

1. Your Name: Alphonso Olmos

2. Your Brand name: AOP Surfboards

3. How did you hear about us? I don’t remember.

4. How was your initial experience at Foam E-Z? Always good.

5. Why did you want to build your own board? Because I wanted and needed to.

6. Shape of finished board? Various

7. What blank did you use? Clark foam and US Blanks

8. How was your board building experience? Challenging.

9. Did you use videos, books, web, other? I didn’t at first then I thought I should, then I watched a video, then I realized I liked my way better, however watching videos helped confirm some questions.

10. What videos, books, web, other did you use? I watched John Carpenters video on shaping but found it too personal to his method, I also thought I needed to be fast. Which was a mistake. I realized that shaping for me like most things are personal and should come from the heart, mind, and internal feeling of what feels right.

11. Do you recommend these resources? Yes and no. Do what you need to do.

12. What do you wish you knew going into this project? Nothing.

13. What would you recommend to someone else for their first time? Do not watch a video first, Take your time, Shape from within.

14. What tools did you find most useful? Patience.

15. Where did you run into trouble? Start to finish

16. What kind of fin system did you use and why? FCS, my focus is the shape, fins are secondary to me at right now.

17. Did you glass the board and what was that experience like? I did not, wish I could.

18. Where did you shape and glass your board? Shaped my first couple boards in my back yard, now in my garage, had 2 or 3 glassed by a guy named Steve near the old foam ez location.

19. What type of board do you want to make next? A good board.

20. Feel free to add any other input or interesting information you’d like… Almost everything to make these boards was purchased through foam ez

Thanks for all the help.

American Warrior Surfboards by Bill Whitley

Your Name: Bill Whitley

Your Brand Name: American Warrior Surfboards

How did you hear about us? Continuing Customer

How was your initial experience at Foam E-Z? Great

Why did you want to build your own board? This board is a wake surfboard. I shaped it

for my son as a Christmas present.

Shape of finished board? Wake Surfboard

Size of finished board: Length 5'4" Nose 14-1/2" Width 21" Tail 16" Thickness 2- 3/4

What blank did you use? 5'10"RP US Blanks Fish

How was your board building experience? This board is my 2nd so it went a lot easier.

Did you use videos, books, web, other? Glassing video, and got shape and size from

internet. Help from Johnny @ Foam E-Z

What videos, books, web, other did you use? Master Glasser DVD

Do you recommend these resources? Yes.

What do you wish you knew going into this project? Nothing really after first board I

know it just takes doing it over and over to get better

What would you recommend to someone else for their first time? Plan well even before you buy the blank. Think what you want the board to do, see what the 10 million experts

say how to get that then pick one that sounds right for you. They are all right for them

and the boards they sell. Watch the Videos, Read, Get help from someone who has

shaped. It's not really rocket science just looks and acts like it. Measure everything 2

times put marks everywhere to help guide you. Patience and planning are the most

important. If you plan on doing this in the Garage then check out a true Shaping Room

and try to set that up at Home.

What tools did you find most useful? Shaping Box at Foam E-Z, Tape measure, CF Planer,

Foam E-Z square and help from Johnny

Where did you run into trouble? The Rails. Paint. I suck at it. Had to sand board down

and take it to Foam E-Z and have their guy paint it.

What kind of fin system did you use and why? Futures. Have them on my first board.

Did you glass the board and what was that experience like? Yes. with lots of help from

Johnny. Not as hard as I thought. Just take your time, & have a place to make a big mess.

Where did you shape and glass your board? Started & finished in my garage. Did the

basic shaping in the Box at Foam E-Z. Glassed it in a garage.

What type of board do you want to make next? A Fish. Maybe a short board to sell so I

can make another board. Or replicate my old Plastic Fantastic.

I'd like to thank everyone @ Foam E-Z, Johnny for helping on glassing. JD Surf Design for painting.