Ben Aipa
There are few aspects of surf culture that Ben Aipa hasn’t touched. At the peak of his physical talents during the 1960s and 1970s, Aipa was a ferocious competitor and powerful free surf presence in every lineup he entered. Then, after establishing Aipa Surfboards in 1970, the Honolulu native also became one of the most innovative board designers in history. He is credited with the invention of both the swallowtail and stinger design variations, a series of tail-rail-fin breakthroughs that helped feed the dynamic performances of rising stars like Michael Ho, Larry Bertlemann, Buttons Kaluhiokalani, and Mark Liddell. In the wake of these innovations, Aipa quickly established a reputation as a go-to shaper for boards that could enhance the low-slung and aggressive style that soon became the vanguard of performance during that era. Afterward, he also contributed heavily to the development of the modern longboard. In the years since, Aipa has continued to compete—winning several Legends and Grandmasters championships at a national level—and has served as a trainer and mentor for surfers such as Brad Gerlach, Sunny Garcia, and Bruce and Andy Irons. He’s also continued to shape. Seven years ago Ben teamed up with Boardworks Surf to develop his line of molded epoxy sandwich surfboards. His models designed specifically for the bigger guys have been very popular and have a loyal following. “It’s an advantageous material and design because of the lighter cores and stronger decks,” he says. “There’s better flotation and less swing weight at the nose and tail.”
KEY: O= Original, R= Repaired, RF= Refurbished. Condition of board rated: 1(worst)-10(best)
Board Dimensions
Length:
Width:
Thickness:
Board Dimensions
Length:
Width:
Thickness:
Board Dimensions
Length: 6′ 9″
Width: 20″ 5/8
Thickness: 2″ 3/8
Shaped in the 1980’s, this squash square tail was signed under the glass by Aipa himself. Many shapers during this era incorporated the signature under the glass of their hand shaped boards. Also around the time this board was shaped, Aipa began experimenting with concave and v-bottom shapes. Most of his 80’s shapes were around 2.5 inches thick or more! O, R – 7/10
Board Dimensions
Length: 7′ 6″
Width: 20″ 1/8
Thickness: 2″ 7/8
This diamond tail was shaped in the early 1970’s. Right away the artsy deck splash made this board a favorite. The board is thicker towards the front, which was typical trait of design in this era. The strong purple color covers the bottom and wraps the rails. The purple meets a yellow resin pinline on top. A vibrant tint splash covers the top from nose to tail. O, RF – 6/10
Board Dimensions
Length:
Width:
Thickness:
Board Dimensions
Length: 6′ 7″
Width: 20″ 1/4
Thickness: 2″ 5/8
This pintail was shaped in the late 1970’s. Aipa designed this board with experimental edged rails reflecting the progress of design leading into the 1980’s. This classic 2 tone color scheme with inlayed pinlines became popular in the 1980’s. O,RF – 8.5/10
Board Dimensions
Length: 5′ 3″
Width: 20″3/4
Thickness: 2″ 1/4
This winged swallow tail kneeboard was shaped in the late 1970’s. Aipa rarely shaped kneeboards in his hay day, but designed this one with a wide dished out deck for ample knee room. The colored resin pattern and tint makes this board pop. If you look at this template closely, we have come full circle. O – 8/10
Board Dimensions
Length:
Width:
Thickness:
Board Dimensions
Length: 6′ 7″
Width: 20″ 1/4
Thickness: 2″ 5/8
This pintail was shaped in the late 1970’s. Aipa designed this board with experimental edged rails reflecting the progress of design leading into the 1980’s. This classic 2 tone color scheme with inlayed pinlines became popular in the 1980’s. O,RF – 8.5/10
Union >> […] BEN AIPABEN AIPA. There are few aspects of surf culture that Ben Aipa hasn’t touched. At the peak of his physical talents during the 1960s and 1970s, Aipa was a … […]
Pingback: Aipa surf | Fotoflip()