When you take a look at the top-dog surfboard companies, you begin to see manufacturers who take even the smallest details of surfing into account. Here we look at what makes a surfboard company a great one, and puts such firms head and shoulders above the rest.
The goal of most major companies is to satisfy the needs and desires of even the most distinct and unique surfers.
There is no such thing as the perfect surfboard, as it truly depends on your personal style and preference. The cool thing is, these surfboard brands that we’re about to discuss have wide ranges of boards that are great for all types of surfers. From the high-tech to the eco-friendly and everything in-between, here are the top surfboard companies on the market!
Channel Islands
Channel Islands is a classic surfboard company that has been making quality sticks since the late 1960s. Even with their classic reputation, they continue to churn out some of the most innovative board designs. Just ask top surfers like Dane Reynolds and Lakey Peterson, who help head the Channel Islands team. Back in 2015, their not-so-average Average Joe board won SIMA’s “Surfboard of the Year”award.
Lost
Lost is the biggest manufacturer of surfboards in the US, though also has a massive footprint in Australia, Brazil, Peru, New Zealand, and Indonesia. For many years they have been developing and releasing some of the most innovative and high-tech boards. From their Sabo Taj Pro Model to their RNF Retro fish board, they have designs for all kinds of surfers.
Firewire
Firewire is not only known for crafting the high-performance surfboards that the pros use, they are also one of the most eco-friendly surfboard companies around. They make a huge effort to give back to the environmental organizations that help to keep the ocean clean and safe. Their patented ecoboards utilize recycled and plant-based content to help reduce the carbon footprint, something many surfboard companies have struggled with up until now.
JS Industries
JS Industries is a company known for their high-performance surfboards. The company was founded by Jason Stevenson, who also currently owns the company and shapes their surfboards. If you keep an eye on competitive surfing, you’ve most likely seen the JS logo under the boards of legends like Owen Wright and Jeremy Flores. His Monstaline of boards is one of the best we’ve seen.
Rusty
Rusty is another board company that has been around for decades now. If there were a ‘Cadillac’ of surfboard companies, that would be Rusty. The team there has been shaping high-quality, performance-ready boards since 1969, though the 90s is when they really took off thanks to the boom of competitive surfing.
Haydenshapes
Haydenshapes is still a fairly new company in relativity, though the boards that lead shaper and owner Hayden Cox makes are making a big splash in the community. If you’re all about new-age, modern-style surfing, Haydenshapes is a company to keep your eye on. One of the most unique things about Haydenshapes is the FutureFlex Technology that they use to create their high-speed, hybrid surfboards.
Donald Takayama
No surfboard company list would be complete without a Donald Takayama mention. This guy is one of the biggest legends in surfing and shapes some of the most iconic, classic-style boards available. If you’re a surfer who likes to keep things simple in the most traditional sense of the sport, you need to get yourself a Takayama board. He makes some of the best handcrafted boards around, putting love and good energy into every board that he shapes.
Wavestorm
Wavestorm is one of the few companies that stands apart from the rest, as they helped to bring surfing to the mainstream. In only a few years, their brand took off and became one of the top selling surfboard brands in the world. The Wavestorm soft-tops are ideal for beginners everywhere! You can read more here if you’re interested in the Wavestorm story.
Simon Anderson Surfboards
Simon Anderson is a company that not many know about, though is responsible for one of the largest pivots in surfing history. Simon Anderson was the inventor of the Thruster surfboard in the early 1980s, inspiring and motivating competitive surfers to push their skills further and further every year since. We’d be hard-pressed to find a pro surfer who hasn’t ridden one of his boards. Most pros know better, as the WSL/ASP Title has been won by a Thruster rider more than anyone else, over a whopping 37 times!
Catch Surf
Catch Surf is all about having fun. Their long list of performance-friendly soft-top boards are perfect for splashing around in the summer sun. Developed in part by Tom Morey, Catch Surf boards help to bridge the gap between bodyboards and surfboards. The kooky colors are a total standout too, very reminiscent of 80s surf fashion. Make sure to check out this review of their awesome black ball shredder, which is perfect for taking out when the beaches are crowded.
Surf’s Up!
Narrowing down all of our favorite surfboard companies to ten was a difficult task, as there are so many other great surfboard companies on the market. While there are definitely other quality surfboard manufacturers out there, we hoped that this list would bring a spotlight to the timeless companies out there, new and old.
And, remember to always have fun when surfing and keep an eye out on new board releases from these guys, so that you can always remain at the forefront of the new-wave.
