Shaper Talk with Chris Peterson: Boards Made in Boise
Peterson Surfboards are known for their progressive shapes, quality and their unique performance on river waves. Each board is hand-shaped in Boise by Chris Peterson, who came to surf the rivers of the West and provide the community with surfboards that are tailored to the river. Here is all you need to know about Chris and his magic boards!
Chris, you have long been pioneering the river surfing scene in Idaho and beyond. How did you get into river surfing, tell us a bit about your story.
I moved to Hawaii in 1987 when I was 15 years old and I met a lot of the top guys in the local crowd. I went to Wailua high school for a few years and just like the guys do now, we would wait for the big pond behind the shore break at Waimea Bay to fill up, dig it out and surf the huge river waves it would make for about an hour or two. When I first moved Idaho it was to take care of my grandmother, so I had to leave ocean surfing behind. When she passed away, I found myself lost and thinking of moving back to the ocean and I told my friend Ronny that I needed to surf. He knew about river surfing from back in the day, so he sent me a surfboard wrapped in a wetsuit regular postage with glass-on fins and that’s where it started for me in Idaho in 2010.
What led you to become a shaper and where did you learn how to shape surfboards?
Shaping is an art and there’s no room for mistakes.
The first board I shaped was in Hawaii when I was 17 with my neighbor who was a well-known shaper of the time, so I’ve always known a lot about surfboards but riding them was always my passion. I’ve ridden thousands of surfboards broken 104 last I kept count. I was always sponsored by a board company or local shaper up to this point so I had no desire to shape. I wanted to win competitions but I’m older now and times have changed. The last surfboard I bought said was made in China. As a former semi pro that disgusted me so I decided to make my own boards, because there was nothing else out there in the United States. I’ve had quite a few people copying me up to this point which is very flattering but shaping is an art and there’s no room for mistakes. I’ve done a lot of R&D and know what it takes to make that magic river board.
Chris “Crash” Peterson out in the river
What inspires you when you develop new shapes or designs? Where do you get ideas for new design concepts?
I’ve come to find out that the river and the ocean have a lot in common. Although both have their specific characteristic you can still ride a traditional surfboard at both ocean and river. Each wave in the river and in the ocean has a different quality, steepness, speed and texture, so every board has its purposes just like the ocean waves.
What is your shaping philosophy?
My shaping philosophy was always to build a community that has not existed because I felt like a fish out of the water and it seems to have taken off more than I thought it would. The philosophy remains the same as in ocean surfing even though we’re stuck miles inland. The unique, spiritual connection to the water remains the same … and there’s no sharks in rivers.
Would you agree that good surfboard designs are born from experience of surfing and building boards? Is that why river surfers love your boards?
Yeah, I have a lifetime experience of surfing and working with shapers of so many different board designs that it gave me the knowledge to design the perfect board for each wave. I’ve definitely had some help along the way with surfers who helped me find tune the craft they want to ride.
Peterson boards come in different shapes, sizes and artworks
Let’s talk about shaping technology … machine shaping has become increasingly popular these days. What do you prefer?
Machine shaping is a funny thing, the machine can only be used with years of shaping knowledge because you would still have to come up with designs that were proven and you know would work. So when you scan the board or punch the dimensions in the computer you must know what you’re going to get. Shaping isn’t as simple as it looks sometimes. I have no problem using a computer shape if needed. I haven’t been busy enough yet to justify it, but maybe one day. I have some proven designs now and it seems like river surfing is here to stay, so maybe I’ll use it one day. Right now it’s all by hand.
What parts of the board design are most important in determining the performance of a river surfboard?
I like to watch people ride my boards and seeing the stoke.
Actually everything is super critical the rocker, fin set up, bottom contour, rail design, outline, length, thickness. And of course what wave you’re going to ride it on.
What materials do you use? What role does sustainability play for you as a local shaper?
A lot of people are highly allergic to a lot of the surfboard chemicals. I don’t use polyurethane it’s very toxic, smells bad and it’s more brittle. I use traditional surfboard blanks with the stringer for durability. I use very strong glass that is still flexible so the board doesn’t feel like a brick and high-quality epoxy resin for it’s lightweight and durability.
In the shaping room …
For many river surfers durable and resistant boards are key. How resistant are your boards and what do you do to increase their durability, such as reinforcing rails with kevlar or carbon for example?
I offer a lot of durable materials but over time people tend to stick to traditional surfboard weight and feel. Today, there are so many different surfboard materials out there but through my research everyone still prefers the traditional feeling. However, I do offer tougher materials such as carbon for example, if people want it.
How do your boards differ from other boards, what makes Peterson boards so unique? What defines your style of board that you are known for?
Working with local shapers has always been better because we know where you’re going to surf.
There is only a handful of guys out there that build boards from start to finish like I do and I have a artistic background in painting and airbrushing so I’m able to integrate a lot of art into my surfboards that otherwise would add too much time to the process. And having a lifetime of surfing experience lets me identify little changes and tweaks that would take another shaper who doesn’t surf a lot much longer to work through.
How would you describe the “ultimate river surfboard”?
Just like in ocean surfing there really is no ultimate surfboard but you can come very close to it, depending where you live and what waves are your are going to be riding. That’s why, throughout history, working with local shapers has always been better because we know where you’re going to surf and sometimes we’re going to surf with you.
What advice would you give river surfers to find the perfect board?
In the beginning I would suggest you look for something that you know that work. Maybe what you see other people riding, something that fits your style. Don’t worry too much about beating it up, the first surfboard always takes a beating. Over time you learn to take care of your boards better. It’s better to get a really good board in the beginning, so you will learn faster but if all you can afford is a junker, get what you can and get started!
Getting some air time on a Peterson board in Boise
For what level of surfers are your boards suitable and why?
I’ve learned that for a lot of people who want to get into river surf it’s better to get a performance board right at the beginning. People learn quick – it’s better if you don’t have to upgrade right away.
Which ones of your shapes are the most popular right now? What are you customers’ favourite boards?
My most popular board is a 5’0 squash tail that looks like an ocean board. I worked on this shape together with Adam, an ocean surfer who turned into a river surfer. We worked hard on this design and it’s the magic all around river surfboard I think.
What is the ideal river surfboard fin setup in your opinion? Any preferences for Futures or FCS?
Yeah, a thruster set up with a smaller center fin is ideal. I have no preference on fin boxes, though a lot of people get FCS because they usually have an old box of fins laying around. I do like Futures though, they look cleaner.
What is the most challenging thing about being a shaper?
Shaping is very time-consuming and it doesn’t leave much time for other things.
Definitely the time. Shaping is very time-consuming and it doesn’t leave much time for other things like another job to pick up the slack. There’s not very much money in this business and surfboard materials are expensive. They look cool and they’re fun to ride but board builders generally don’t make much money.
What do you find most rewarding about shaping surfboards?
I like to ride them and I like to watch people ride my boards and seeing the stoke. Their lives change and they become surfers when they feel that energy.
What can we expect to see from you in the future?
I’m getting older and I have a bad back, but I still try to surf as much as I can. Right now, I’m really focused on board design and building a community.
Can we find your boards in a shop, or where can they be ordered? Can we get our hands on a Peterson surfboard outside the states?
We don’t have many surf shops in the mountains, so I mostly rely on word-of-mouth and my website freshwatersouls.com. I’ll ship my surfboards anywhere in the world – FedEx is cheap.
Where do you see river surfing in 5-10 years from now?
I didn’t know things were going to go this far this quickly. So many wave pools being built, stationary waves and waves mimicking the ocean and all that. I think it’s one of those things where you just have to wait and see if a lot of these projects really happen. And if they do, yeah, things will change a lot, more waves are always better!
Anything else you want to pass on to our readers?
Yeah, the river surf community is a very cool crowd, it’s like skateboarding and surfing combined. No bad vibes, people are stoked when you get a good ride so don’t be afraid to come on down and give it a try, we’ll definitely help you out!
Contact
Use discount code RIVERBREAK for 10% off a hand-made Peterson Surfboard!
Website: freshwatersouls.com
Email: petersonboards@gmail.com
Social: facebook.com/petersonboards | instagram.com/freshwatersoul
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RB Team The editorial team of Riverbreak is a loose connection of passionate river surfers. As a group, we strive to give the larger community a voice on an international level – our mission is to connect river surfers around the globe.
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