About Masi Surfboards
Masi Saili may seem like the quiet type, but the meaning of his words, much like the shapes of his surfboards, can be heard loud and clear. Born in Tonga and raised in Maui, Masi holds the Aloha attitude close to his heart, and this mantra is directly reflected in his shaping. “I’m spreading the spirit of Aloha, one shape at a time,” says Masi.
After marrying his first wife Debbie Gordon (Larry Gordon’s daughter), the newlyweds left Maui and moved to San Diego and they began working for Gordon & Smith. Masi’s experience at G&S allowed him to learn every aspect of the business inside and out and eventually this led him to establish himself as much more than a production shaper. In 2004 Masi started shaping under his own label, Masi Surfboards.
This native Pacific Islander is certainly not just another production shaper. While Masi is very modest, and refers to his shapes as ‘classic’ and ‘traditional’, there is no denying the level of skill and quality in each of the surfboards he shapes. He constantly distinguishes himself as an artisan and craftsman.
Masi learned from watching the masters such as Skip Frye and Larry Gordon. He has worked alongside many world-renowned shapers such as Steve Seebold, Larry Mabile, Kevin Connelly, Tim Bessel, Bill Stewart, and Rusty.
The Aloha spirit is very important to Masi. He thinks of his business on a much more personal level. “Every customer is O’hana (family) to me. My shapes are the real deal. It comes from inside”, Masi says. This added touch is what keep customers coming back for more and more. You can’t find that personal touch of soul in a pop-out.
After countless hours behind a planer and thousands of boards later, Masi Saili has truly established himself in the surfing world. Masi excels at any shape, but specializes in longboards. He shapes the best competition longboards and classic style noseriders on the market today. No matter what the style of board Masi puts a bit of soul into each shape. And that’s why people keep coming back for more.