Shaping, not just for boys

When I first began this journey in the mid 80's, shaping and board building was a closely guarded secret. If you got lucky and got your foot in the door you began sweeping floors, cleaning glassing rooms and keeping your mouth shut and eyes open. Giving away secrets would be highly frowned upon by peers in the industry. Fast forward to now and everything is available from how to books and videos to cool places of instruction...btw I know a guy, yet a stigma still persists that shaping is a man's game. While I adamantly oppose this notion the proof of my belief is all around us. Women's surfing has exploded and sorry guys many of these girls rip harder than you...and me. The athleticism has pushed the boundaries of design and opened doors in many fields. A leader of the women's shaping movement is Valerie Duprat of Encinitas California. Her boards and artwork are second to none and she has proven that women not only shape great boards but belong in the shaping room as colleagues, mentors and craftsme..women. So ladies if you ever wanted to shape a board but felt intimidated, or heard some bullshi@ that it's a man's game, don't believe it. Get dusty and let's shape, the craft needs your perspective and creativity.