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Preserving Art in Stand Up Paddle Board Shaping |
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By: Vivienne Masters
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Friday, 24 September 2010 |
 Over the years many artists and shapers have combined their talents to produce surf boards resplendent with designs fit to be hung on walls. However it is rare to find that level of collaboration in the stand up paddle world. So we’re not sure if this is a first but it probably is the coolest!
Internationally renowned artist Ray Masters needed a board for him and his uber water dog Sevin to take into the Maui waves. Rather than buying a regular production board Ray wanted something custom made for the extra weight of Sevin while retaining the maneuverability he needed to work the waves.
After hunting around he discovered a small shop on island producing unique and carefully crafted surf and stand up paddle boards. ArcLight Woods in Kihei. Owner and shaper Ryan Quigless was quick to jump to the challenge and opportunity to have a Ray Masters original grace one of his classic creations.
 The main aim was to have a board with enough buoyancy to compensate for an extra 50 pounds of dog on the nose. So Quigless added extra thickness to the front with a wider plane shape for Sevin while special attention was paid to the rails and bottom to allow the riders to plane and carve it up with the best of them.
The board runs a 1 plus 4 fin set-up to add to it’s versatility in all conditions. It measures in at 11 foot by 30 inches with a maximum thickness of 5 inches. Quigless constructed it with an EPS foam core, epoxy resin and fiberglass cloth double 6 top and bottom. In the true ArcLight tradition it has a lovely balsa stringer and tail block to add to the strength and looks. To finish it off he created a beautiful Koa wood main fin.
The art was hand painted onto the coated foam core prior to glassing and features a huge image of Sevin in Masters’ inimitable surrealistic style. Right now it has a stick on thin pad system similar to those found on skate boards and some surf boards however Masters is searching for a see through soft pad with more thickness to allow Sevin to grip the board in the waves.
When the pads are fitted Ray and Sevin will be heading out to their back yard on the North Shore of Maui for the start of the winter surf season. In fact, you can watch them both every day on Ray’s site www.mauiwindcam.com as well as reading more about this intrepid waterdog’s adventures.
Masters and Quigless will be collaborating on other projects in the future and if a real Masters Piece on an exquisitely shaped and finished board is your bag then contact either Ryan Quigless at
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or Ray Masters at
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You can also see more of their work at www.arclightsurf.com and www.raymasters.com.
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October 05, 2010
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