Who is this guy?
Thanks for visiting the website, and have a look around. I'll tell you a little about me, and what my approach to making my boards is all about.
I started surfing in Florida in the 80s at the ripe age of 12 when a neighbor gave me a homemade board that honestly resembled a mutated ironing board boat. But, the board was free, and it got me in the water whenever I could beg my parents to drive me to the beach. The film North Shore came out, and I loved the attitude and lifestyle character named Chandler. After that , I was hooked, and spent every spare moment in the sea, or drawing boards since. I even spent so much time hanging around the small local shapers' shops that I got to try my hand at dings, and hand sanding. After school, i went away to art college and studied sculpture, then moved out to California in 1997.
While in California, I rekindled my love of longer boards, and found riding heavy single fins really suited my surfing. I spent the next 5 years exploring the points, reefs, and coves there riding all manner of logs, eggs, twin fins, and hybrids.
In 2000 I was lucky enough to get a job at Channin in Encinitas, where I was hotcoating and doing fins, as well as anything else i could talk my way into. I spent a lot of time talking to some real legendary shapers and glassers there, and they really opened my eyes. It was there that I really found my passion for making boards, and striving for perfection. I then moved to the Bahamas and made a couple boards for friends in a shack in the bush, and began experimenting with design. In 2004 I moved to Florianopolis, Brazil and worked in the CCL/Mauro Roxo factory where I studied perfomance shortboard design, and met with Jeff Lopes from Spider who constantly tested my theories and was a constant source of inspiration. Paulinho at Endyroy introduced me to eps/epoxy construction, and vacuum bagging exotic composites with kevlar/carbon fiber/wood. It was in Brazil that I made my first real fish, and have been kicking myself for not doing it sooner, as it opened the door to
an entirely new surfing experience, and mindset.
In 2007 I attended the first European Fish Fry and met Alex from Barrel and Paulo Jacinto from Portugal who I've kept in contact with and have really helped me dial everything in to where I wanted to be.
In 2009 I spent 6 months working in the Laminations factory in St Agnes, Cornwall. I had the pleasure of working with some true craftsmen, as well as with Chops Lascelles. Here I perfected my finishing, and continued to push my design ideas forward. I was fortunate to spend more time with Rich Pavel while he was in the UK, and work with him while at Laminations.
I am eternally grateful for the help, instruction, and inspiration from all of these people, and would not be here without them.
Best,
Rob Lion
here's some other media stuff as well:
