Hey! Who are you, and what are you working on?
My name is Job, and from my atelier in the center of ancient Bruges, Belgium, I am building wooden kite- and wave surfboards under the name Jabali Surfboards.
The boards surf well, look good, and are eco-friendlier.
These are not just hollow words - we have the boards tested by advanced surfers in the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, work with architects and artists on esthetics, and received a 'gold level' eco surfboard certification from Sustainable Surf.
How did you come up with the idea?
Enjoying and relaxing with traditional woodcraft in evening hours, and spending quite a bit of time surfing, I came across a video of Irish surfer Fergal Smith surfing a wooden board 'in small and glassy' triple overhead waves.
The dots connected, and after seeing a surfer friend doing funky snaps, stylish floaters, and catch a tiny barrel during a 20-minute session at the Spanish 'home' break on a Jabali board, I decided to turn my hobby into a business.
What are the main challenges in your business right now?
Surf is a small sport in the Low Lands with a few thousand people actively surfing and spending some money on their sports. Naturally, that means, as a surfboard maker, you focus on Europe to sell your boards. Getting in touch with surfers across Europe as a small shaper with a limited marketing budget requires a creative approach.
And despite the origins of our sports are rooted in wood, the relative success of Firewire Timbertek technology, and increased environmental awareness amongst surfers, durable eco-friendlier wooden boards are not a common sight in the line up. Getting surfers to move away from the type of boards their pro surf heroes ride, embrace 'alternative' materials and put money where the mouth is, takes time.
What is your favorite surf spot and why?
I do really enjoy the good sessions on the Belgian coast, which are unfortunately less frequent as I would like to.
Moving further away from home, I found Galicia, Spain, which gave me the best sessions, in nippy waters, but pristine nature.
Where can we learn more about you?
A short film discussing sustainability in the surf industry: UNSUSTAINABLE
An interview showing part of the ideas behind Jabali Surfboards: Interior Truth
Snippets of board build, shaper life, and the Jabali Summer Surf Promo Tour you find on Instagram and Facebook
In depth short Interviews with surfers and wooden board builders by Jabali
