The Biggest Jimmy Lewis Dealer In The World

Obviously, we have a passion for boards. Surfboards, Paddleboards, Foilboards, and basically anything that says boards after it. So over the years, we have sought out the best boards on the planet and that led us to one man. Jimmy Lewis. 

When you are as passionate about boards as we are there are 3 main things we look for in a good board. First, is it designed to do something specific? Second, is it made well? Lastly, it doesn't hurt if it looks good doing it.

Over the years we have tried boards from pretty much all the major manufacturers out there. We've even made a few of our own but honestly, that didn't go all that well. And you know why? Making boards is hard work. Designing boards is even harder. The main reason is that designs need to iterate. You need to try things and test them. Then go back into the shaping room and apply what you learned to the next design. Over long periods of time, you begin to figure out what works and what doesn't. The problem with that is that it takes lots of time and lots of failure along the way.

So when we first opened the shop 12 years ago we already knew where to go to get the best. Maui and Jimmy Lewis Boards. And how did we know that? Well at the time Jimmy had been building and designing boards for over 40 years and as we write this post he has been at it for more than half a century. During that time Jimmy had one of the biggest advantages any shaper can have. The best testing and feedback loop in the business. The advantage of being Maui based meant that the world's best surfers, windsurfers, kiteboards, and foilers were riding Jimmy's boards and giving real-time feedback as to the design's performance. In addition, Jimmy wasn't just shaping. He and his son Marlon were watermen themselves and out riding the boards almost every day as they looked for every angle to make the boards better. 

Over that 50-year period Jimmy's boards have won many world titles, surfed the world's biggest waves, and even held world speed records. The history behind the brand is simply unparalleled by any other manufacturer. 

With all that said one of the biggest advantages of a Jimmy lewis board is how its made. Its not often you get to have your cake and eat it too but that is exactly what you get when you buy a Jimmy Lewis board. Jimmy has literally used every known construction technique in the manufacture of his boards. Over time he figured out the best way to make each kind of board depending on what it's used for. For most of Jimmy's boards the trick is all in the recipe. A recipe he calls his "Signature Construction". 

And just what is signature construction? Well without getting too technical it is what's called a PVC sandwich. By separating the layers of fiberglass, or carbon, with a proprietary layer of PVC Jimmy is using science to make his boards light and incredibly durable. Using the same principle that skyscraper designers use, the I-Beam, Jimmy creates a thicker and stronger exoskeleton to his boards. This then allows him to use lower-density cores to save on weight. Other manufacturers are needing to use higher-density foam to create structural integrity whereas a Jimmy Lewis board is getting all that structure from its exterior shell. Given that shell is 4 to 5 times thicker than any other board manufacturer you get an incredibly light highly durable board.  

Due to the expense and technical difficulty associated with this construction, only one or 2 manufacturers even attempt it. And they make great boards too. The problem is they are nearly twice as expensive a Jimmy Lewis board. Because Jimmy has pioneered the construction and actively helped his factory with the technique you too can have your proverbial cake and eat it too. While Jimmy's boards are not inexpensive they are far and away the best value on the market today. 

Don't believe us? Come in to the shop and lift one and you'll say what everyone says. "WOW! I can't believe how light it is!!!" Then ride one and you'll say "Holy Sh*t this thing rips". Then own one and watch it become a family heirloom as it literally is made to last generations. 

Over the years we have become evangelists for Jimmy's boards and over a decade plus of selling boards that has made us the world's biggest Jimmy Lewis dealer. A distinction we could not be more proud of. Why? Because we know when you buy a Jimmy you are buying the best board for the money. Period.