GREAT SHAPE
Surfers around the world covet boards by savvy Australian craftsman Hayden Cox.
Asurfboard that not long ago spent several weeks being shaped in the Sydney factory of Haydenshapes is now carving through eightfoot waves off the coast of Hawaii. As one of the world’s most in-demand surfboard manufacturers, Haydenshapes has grown from just a handful of staff to 30 in-house employees and another 200 distributing and manufacturing these artworks of wave-shredding beauty.
The entrepreneur behind these surf boards is Hayden Cox. He learned the art of shaping boards while working in Sydney at age 15. From there, he dedicated his life to creating premium surfboards, which now sell from about US$675 to nearly US$4,000 for the top-ofthe-line models. Famous customers include Rob Trujillo of Metallica and actor brothers Chris and Liam Hemsworth.
“Surf boards are all about creating a good experience for surfers,” says Cox, “and you can’t fake that part.” To fulfil that promise, Cox created his proprietary FutureFlex technology that th hat dispenses with the central wooden w stringer of a conventional design de and introduces a parabolic carbon ca rail concept, which delivers a ap particular flex and feel in the ride. It also makes these boards take off much m faster when catching a swell.
Haydenshapes’ Hypto Krypto m model has been the company’s be bestseller for the past three years an and has been named surfboard of th the year twice in Australia and last ye year in the US. There’s no end of nu nuance to the shape, the curve of th the rails and the concave underside that all determine the board’s performance and maneuverability. Hypto Krypto is also hailed for its versatility across variable wave conditions and its suitability for beginners through to highly experienced riders.
Going global has hurt many bespoke surfboard makers, as the challenge of maintaining the close relationship between maker and customer disintegrates w with distance. While Cox’s staff w works hard to counter that, H Haydenshapes relies extensively on its website to allow potential bu buyers to design the board they w want, using the HSStudio custom bo board-design digital program. “The de detail in shape, the ways you are ab able to customise your order from di dimensions to artwork and the fin configuration — it’s the most ad advanced online custom boardor ordering platform in the industry,” sa says Cox.
His adherence to quality co control combined with his passion an and expertise have led him to be become one of the most admired su surf board makers in the world. haydenshapes.com ha