Pukas Shaping Club.

We had a friend that said the world was not moved by love, he believed it was the need. In our case were the two things that moved us, as one led us straight to the other. The love for surfing and its “totem” (a single finned surfboard at that time) created on us a need due to our supine ignorance; meeting masters that would teach us how to do surfboards, an object full of magic.

This is why througout the 70’s and 80’s we started hosting long haired Californians, Hawaiians and Aussies that no one would know in our country. We made them work in garages, houses, carpentries and sawmills until all of us, clean cut and with shorter hair entered an era of rampant professionalism.


Pukas Surf picture by Sven Hoffmann while visiting Olatu


Pukas Surf picture by Sven Hoffmann while visiting Olatu

By 1989 we opened the doors in a legit factory that we called Olatu (meaning “wave” in basque language) in Oiartzun, Spain’s Basque Country. We kept bringing the very best of the international field of shapers, glassers and sanders, the only way to manufacture state of the art surfboards.

Since then, and without touching the core and essence of our beginnings, the project has improved and adapted to an ever changing industry. A tremendous amount of amazing people (some of them crazy some others not as crazy) had been key to the success of the factory, a leading club of surfboard lovers.


Pukas Surf picture by Sven Hoffmann while visiting Olatu

Shapers



Pukas Surf Shaper Axel Lorentz

Axel Lorentz

// Bidart, France

“The French connection”. A Peter Pan syndrome makes this garçon shape foams with a creativenes of a youngster. He ended up at Pukas after dealing by himself in the surfboard market since 1.997, the year he opened a factory at the basque-french territory, the area he calls home… Read more.



Pukas Surf Shaper Bob McTavish

Bob McTavish

// Mackay, Australia

Bob McTavish has been a part of the Australian and International surfing landscape for over 50 years. McTavish is all about design excellence, excitement, fun and adventure. In order to share his lifestyle, surf design and culture in Europe, Bob has partnered with Pukas… Read more.



Pukas Surf Shaper Matt Biolos

Matt Biolos

// San Clemente, California

Matt Biolos’ words: “After almost 20 years of traveling to the Basque Country, and shaping at PUKAS, we made our link official and have designed a collaboration model. There has always been a link between myself and Pukas and the staff at the factory.” Read more.




Pukas Surf Shaper Chris Christenson

Chris Christenson

// Cardiff by the Sea, California

Surfing all styles of boards, back country snowboarding, vintage motorcycles and cars, fishing, golf, and seeing live music is what best defines Chris Christenson. Shaping highlights: Working for and shaping side by side with Dick Brewer and Skip Frye. Greg Long winning the Eddie… Read more.



Pukas Surf Surfer Shaper Grant Twig Baker

Grant “Twig” Baker

// Durban, South Africa

Grant “Twig” Baker (Durban, South Africa, 1973) has been in the front row of big wave surfing for more than a decade. This partnership pursues “to get european big wave surfers and the guy who wants to test his own personal limits in big waves the best possible equipment”, says Twig.  Read more.


History



Pukas Surf early days 80s

Olatu, the Pukas Factory.

// 1989 – tomorrow

Over these past decades, our Olatu shaping rooms (1989 and after) have hosted all sorts of unique habitants:

Rohn Rush, Ronnie Woodword, Michael Croteau, Maurice Cole, Darren Handley, Brian Ingham, Gunther Rohn, Paul Hutchinson, Brice Mckee, Jeff Johnston, Jason Kasiway, Gave Garduque, Glen Minami, Steve Wilson, Jeff Bushman, Luke Short, Jed Noll, Wade Tokoro, James Chilli, Matt Biolos “Mayhem”, Paul Barga, Brian Bulkley, Christian Bradley, Rick Rock, Gipsy, Dave Van Ginkel, Gael Blouet, Pat Rawson, Axel Lorentz, Mikel Agote, Peter Daniels, Johnny Cabianca and a few more left un-written…




Pukas Surf Surfboards 80s Twin-fin Tri-fin Four-fin


Pukas Surf Surfboards 80s


Pukas Surf Surfboards 80s



Pukas Surf Co-founder Iñigo Letamendia