Company Profile PDF

THE Shaping Co name is an iconic Gold Coast brand, producing quality state of the art surfboards from the heart lands of Australian surfing. Rejecting the mass production techniques and marketing of spruiking newcomers to the industry, the company has retained the foundations of surfing heritage, always seeking to maintain the surfer/shaper relationship as paramount to customer satisfaction.

Originally hailing from South Australia as one of that state’s most promising young surfers, Shaping Co owner Greg Webb began his shaping career over 30 years ago, with John Arnold in downtown Adelaide. From there he developed his shaping skills embracing the inherent knowledge and understanding of a talented surfer, working with Don Burford, now the country’s biggest producer of surfboard blanks.

One of Greg’s first team riders was fellow SA Crow James ‘Chappy’ Jennings, the mischievous grommet who rose to fame in the legendary Hoole/McCoy production of Kong’s Island. At the age of 21, Greg followed his young sponsored rider Chappy to the Gold Coast where he continued his shaping evolution working under the tutelage of Pipedreams’ Murray Burton for several years.

Aspiring to make his own mark on the surfing world, Greg moved out of Pipedreams and formed Shaping Co in 1983, setting up shop just across the road from the current showroom and factory on Machinery Drive at South Tweed. “You won’t last six months!” commented Muzza Burton at the time. Some 26 years later, Greg Webb and Shaping Co are cemented in local surfing folklore.

Over the years, head shaper Greg Webb has placed magic sticks under the feet of numerous talented surfing souls. His Shaping Co team riders have included the ‘Who’s Who’ of Queensland and Australian surfing.

In the early days, Greg made the best of shaping for eager young Gold Coast surfers on the rise to legendary status, like Michael ‘MP’ Peterson’s protege Dave Macdonald who became an Australian champion, as well as Sean ‘Reg’ Riley, who remains in surfing annals as the greatest barrel rider ever at Kirra. Through his surf shop sponsorship on the Sunshine Coast, eight year-old Joel Parkinson’s first sponsored board was a Shaping Co stick. Today’s aerial maestro Josh Kerr, as well as 2007 World Champion Mick Fanning also rode Shaping Co boards in their formative years.

The Shaping Co stable has since included national champ Darren ‘Magoo’ Magee, John ‘Shorty’ Shortis, Darren ‘Flex’ Landers, former World Grommet champ Jye Gofton, former ACC champ’ Paul Ward, Craig ‘Scat’ Pitchers, Jason ‘China’ O’Connor, Jay Phillips, Jason Gayle, Damon Harvey, Shaun Munro, aerial pioneer Dave Nielson, Shipsterns conquerer Andrew Mooney, and WQS aspirant Leigh Sedley, who won the national Junior Series with no sponsorship other than his Shaping Co boards.

Today we see freestyle maestro Chippa Wilson rising to international fame atop his Shaping Co tools. Young team riders like Sam Clift, Ben Webb, and Brendan Leckie continue to boost the Shaping Co flag higher, reinforcing generations of accomplishment and shaping development.

Mick Fanning’s elder brother Ed is no slouch when it comes to surfing performance, and recognising consistent shaping prowess. He is a regular returning Shaping Co customer. When he collected his last custom order, he held the new birth in his hands and commented “This board is #*@% SICK - as usual! That’s why I keep coming back here!”

Why don’t you place an order for your own Shaping Co creation, and grab your own slice of shaping heritage and mastery? Greg and Matt and their team are waiting.