ThreeSixty caught up with Dave at Buzzard for their approach to good shaping, design and performance.

When and how did you start shaping? I shaped a few resins in the ’70s and then started shaping the Bodyguns in the mid-’90s; this led to shaping the Buzzard bodyboards.

Who taught you to shape? Buzz at Toobs.

What was the appeal? I love trying new things and trying out new ideas, some work and some don’t!

How did you come about setting up your own brand? We set up Buzzard to make boards here in the UK because of the ridiculous import duties we were having to pay — 17 percent duty plus VAT on the cost of the boards and carriage. Materials duty is only four to seven percent.

How did you come about setting up your own factory? Slowly and by trial and error. We had to build most of the machinery as it’s not available in the UK.

Do you enjoy your job? Yes, by making custom boards every one is different and a fresh challenge. And we do a lot of R&D for various projects.

What do you think are going to be the biggest changes in board design in the future? The position at present has been quite worrying with the influx of rubbish boards from the Far East, but those boards are improving — they last longer than a couple of weeks so it doesn’t put people off so much. As we make mainly custom boards it doesn’t affect us so much and our position in the UK has remained the same.

Who are your team riders? Taz Sheppard (currently in Oz and doing well), Marcus Whitney, Olly Agliano, Charlie Strang, Callum Morse and Mark ‘Splinter’ Griffiths.

What is the brand’s ethos? Do our best and try to keep at the front of the pack!

What R&D do you do? R&D is continuous; we are always looking for new materials and trying new shapes.

How do you stay on top of your quality control? I do the quality control myself and if I’m not happy I start again.

What sets your boards apart from the rest of the market? Custom boards made in the UK using only top quality materials.

What are the latest innovations in your boards? We’ve been trying to get a PP board that works well in the UK without snapping, and working on the new PP and acrylic slicks. We’ve also done lots of development work on the new ‘dry’ surf machine that is being developed here in the Southwest.

What do you think about the state of the bodyboarding industry at the moment and your brand’s position within the industry? I think material development will be the way forward, for lighter stronger boards that last longer and ride better.