Here at IPD Surf, our roots are local. Before the stickers on the boards, before the road trips and long sessions that bleed into sunsets, it all starts with the people shaping foam in dusty bays, garages, and small coastal factories just a few miles from the breaks we love. Local shapers don’t just build surfboards — they translate the energy of our coastline into something you can paddle, duck dive, and trust when the tide turns on.
Some of our all-time favorites are right in our backyard, and they’ve helped define what West Coast surfing looks and feels like today. Panda Surfboards, Stamps Surfboards, and A39 Surfboards are three shapers we keep coming back to, both in the lineup and in the rack.
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Panda Surfboards
There are so many awesome shapers that get their boards glassed at Pureglass, the shop down the street from us in Costa Mesa. Call it bias since the marketing employee who’s writing this has quite a few of his boards, but we are highlighting Blake who shapes under the label Panda Surfboards. If you surf around AUS or SoCal, you’ve seen a Panda in the wild (not the animal). Known for his alternative shapes, his shortboards are also top notch, tested internationally by some of the worlds best (Shane Borland and Noah Collins + more). A stand up guy who knows a lot about boards, gives his shaping bay a visit to soak up knowledge and ends up walking out ordering a freshie.
Stamps Surfboards
Seen under the feet of HB legend and CT surfer Brett Simpson, Stamps surfboards has been a staple shaper in North OC and beyond for some time now. An avid surfer himself, his designs are typically surfed by himself, tweaked, handed to his team, and on and on until they become models. If you roll up to southside HB you’ll see some of his high performance sticks under the feet of some of the best surfers. Young and old alike, nothing tackles the huntington hop like a groveler from Stamps.
A39 Surfboards
A39 surfboards by Eisaku Murata is a very special surfboard label to us. Eisaku held the IPD logo passed down from Bob Hurley until we were ready to launch, where he graciously passed it down to us. When he asked if he could still use the logo on his shapes, we said of course. IPD started as a surfboard label, and should continue since surfing and surfboards are such an integral part of the brand. We’ve had some of his boards for demo events and even a couple in the office, and they go great. Most of them were hand shaped, making the connection of A39 and IPD even more special.
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Supporting local shapers isn’t about nostalgia — it’s about progression. It keeps surf culture grounded, creative, and connected to the places that inspire it. At IPD Surf, we’re proud to ride, support, and celebrate the craftsmen who shape our waves into something tangible. These boards carry our coast with them, every time they hit the water.
