Agave

You've heard of them before. You've drank their juice. You've sipped their syrup. You've seen them around.

Heck, you may have even made a surfboard out of one... but what is an agave?

Google it.

We're hear to talk about the "wood", or more accurately, the flower, and it's positive and negative characteristics as it relates to surfboard materials.

1st things first, the flower stalk evolved to absorb and move water through it quickly and efficiently. It soaks in water like a sponge, but better.

The most important innovations that could be made for making agave surfboards viable, high performance, long lasting boards would be in the way it is sealed and glassed.

Agave can be found in the local landscape for back yard projects, the same way shapers have been working with it in surfboard production since the middle of last century. Until now, it’s been hard enough to make one, let alone enough to experiment and test different glassing techniques.

There is no doubt that they are beautiful, unique pieces of art. They shape similarly to foam, using mostly the same tools, and can be glassed in any glass shop using polyester or epoxy. And once they’re in the water, they work. It’s hard to explain what it’s like surfing one, kind of like..... we’ll let Dane explain it:

“I know Gary Linden has been working with shaping surfboards from agave for quite some time and it was a real treat to have Britt Merrick and Channel Islands shape one... the wood grain was soooo beautiful I was actually a little nervous to wax it up and put it through the pressure test of laying down some full rail attack!

It suprised me with how smooth it felt, kind of like riding on the perfectly cooked marshmallow in a s’more if you could imagine that???? Hahaha I’m definitely backing it and can’t wait to dial in some more boards... it had my mind dreamin’ of a sweet little speed stick Channel Islands rocket wide for the upcoming summer sizzle...

Love expanding into new feelings under the feet and new possibilities to utilize!!!!”

Dane Gudauskas