MAVERICKS SURF COMPANY - Key Persons

Jeff Clark, by the age of 17, had ridden more than 50 different types of surfboards. Whether those were boards from Southern California to Hawaii or Australia, Jeff understood that every condition required a different style board. So he used a little bit of each design to develop his own style. Jeff, a third generation carpenter, shaped his first surfboard at the age of 13 and began to shape for friends and customers in 1986. It was all done in his garage about two miles from Mavericks. In a sense, this was the beginning of Clark Surfboards. He continued to shape for friends and experimented with new designs for his own boards. His main goal in shaping surfboards was to create shapes that would set his surfing free in all conditions. He takes his personal experience, as well as his knowledge of the movement of water across the surface of the board and fins, to create some of the most coveted big wave boards as well as shortboards, longboards, mini guns, fish, stand-up paddleboards and race boards. No matter the model, Jeff has personally designed, ridden and perfected each of his shapes. He is best known for his big wave gun shapes, and still paddles out at Mavericks to test each model. This leads many to ask, "Who shapes your big wave guns?" Today, Jeff's shaping room is in Ventura, California, with some models still made in San Diego. He makes the trek each month to both locations to finish each board and ensure his shapes remain true to his vision.