The Shaping Bay With Billy Dingley
I caught up with Perranporth-based surfboard shaper Billy Dingley to learn about the roots of shaping and how he is keeping his process whole-heartedly handmade.
In 2023, we are living in the firm grip of ‘fast paced society’. From 10 second TikTok’s, to digital collage, the future is engineered to satisfy an innate craving for immediate reinforcement. With everything at our fingertips, the handmade roots of from which most, if not all, creative practices have evolved are perceived as laborious and, almost imperceptibly becoming benign.
Surfboard shaping is no exception to this evolution. Despite once being an immensely intimate, and admired process, the convenience of technology has meant that alike everything else, shaping has been subjected to ‘convenience culture’.
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Billy Dingle is one of few shapers whose process remains, wholeheartedly hand-made. He runs his custom shaping company, ‘Dingley Surfboards’ out of a self built bay at the end of his family’s garden, which overlooks Perranporth beach. Both his love for his labour and way of life, truly harnesses the mellow, process driven ethos on which the surfing community was founded.
I recently spent some time In the bay with Billie, learning the ropes of shaping custom boards and exploring how ‘Dingley Surfboards' are doing things differently.
Why did you start shaping?
What I wanted wasn’t necessarily something you could get off the shelf. I had a few quite specific ideas but really wasn’t confident to put them to a shaper. I figured, because they were so different I would have to build them myself. Luckily, I have always really liked using tools and working with my hands so shaping came really naturally. I was curious to experiment and open to failure.
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How did you learn to shape?
I am pretty much self taught. I learnt though watching YouTube tutorials. You could say I'm still learning. You're always learning with shaping, its a constant progression. I’ll always want to be better and ill always want to evolve. I learnt the hard way but I'm so glad I have. You mess up a lot but you learn a lot. You don’t make the same mistakes twice.
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What is your process?
I build my boards a traditional way. I use polyester resin and polyurethane foam. I also love working with tints. Not only do they look great aesthetically, but you can’t hide bad craftsmanship behind them.
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What do you think attracts people to Dingley Surfboards?
It the nature of my process. I work one on one with each person I shape for and its a very interactive process. They come into the bay, I get to know the surfer. We spend time talking about there vision. As I shape they have an open invitation to come and watch me at work on their board.
If they want me to tweak something I will. That’s the great thing about working with a local shaper you can really be involved in the process, which is what puts me above the big factories.
You could just buy a board off the shelf but you’ll never really know anything about it: who made it? How many people made it: 1? 5? 10? A machine? That just feels so ambiguous and impersonal.
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What are your opinions on mass production of surfboards?
They are pretty much killing the hand shaping industry at the minute. They are flooding the market despite there being no quality control. People have real issues: transport damage, broken boards on the first surf. You don’t have to be a shaper to know: that shouldn’t be happening. It starts a chain reaction though, you break a board you buy a new one, have the same issues and so on. Manufacturers make a lot of money, and surfers can get a new board in a matter of hours. Its all about convenience and profit.
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What inspires you?
Surfboards need to function and that’s the most important thing: but I pride myself on being able to make all of my boards aesthetically pleasing without compensating function. when you can have created something that’s does two things well, its really great feeling.
What inspires your aesthetic?
Retro Californian surfing culture. That’s where I got the bug for tints from. I can be pick the colours that have inspired my passion for surfing and paint them onto my boards. Its a super rad way of integrating my roots into my everyday.
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What is the most important thing a surfer should consider before buying a board?
They should also consider if they are buying a board that will really last. They should be confident that they are getting the quality product they are paying for.
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What advice would you give someone looking to get into hand shaping?
Go for it. Grab the tools and hack away. Anyone can build boards on the computer but not anyone can take a power power plane and craft something from scratch. Its something you will never be sorry you have learnt.
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