Jeff McCallum – Shaper Interview

Do you still have the first board you ever shaped? I do, I just can’t remember where it is right now.  It's either in my Dads shop or in my storage unit.  I'll have to go check now that I think about it. But I defiantly have it, It's a 5'11" Single fin egg.  Sort of, it was suppose to be an egg but I did everything from start to finish.

When did you start shaping? I shaped my first board in 200-2001 somewhere around there. When I was working for Chris Christenson

What spurred your interested in crafting surfboards? I started surfing pretty late in life, and right away wanted to shape.  I just didn’t have access to a shop or really know anyone who shaped. I had a lot of ideas but couldn’t find anyone who wanted to make them, and if they did it would take months, so by the time it showed up I was already thinking about something else.

Who was your 1st team rider or sponsored pro? I’ve never really had an official team rider, but Ryan Bracker was one of the first local guys to get on one of my boards and help spread the word. I’ve made boards for Joel Tudor, Harrison Roach,  Dane Peterson, Mitch Abshere, Tony Alva and some other of local pros.

What is your favorite blank material or technology to craft boards with and why? I still like the traditional Polyurethane foam and Polyester resin.  In my eyes there has yet to be a better alternative.  People have been trying for years to come up with the next best thing, but it hasn’t happened yet.  Like any thing there’s positives and negatives, but the polyurethane’s positives qualities far outweigh any of the others. As far as performance, and finish product.

What is your favorite model board to shape and why? Guns are my favorite both for what they’re going to be put in and how they look aesthetically.  I’ve been working with Joel Tudor the last couple of years on some of his Pipe boards and those have been really fun.  This year we made a square tail, square nose, cut away twin fin he rode out there.  I’m yet to see any pictures but I’m told all his pipe boards are going be twins now.  He was amped on it.  Early last year I made Jojo a 8’2 for Puerto, I’m looking forward to hearing how that goes down there too.

What model board sells the best for you and why do you think? My most popular model has probably been my eggs.  They just work really well in San Diego’s waves.  They paddle really well and slide through flat sections for the slower days, but still work insane on the punchier faster waves.  They are essentially a fish with a little more curve, which really loosens them up.

What shapers, past or present, inspire you? Chris Christenson was a really big influence on me especially in the beginning.  Greenough is huge and of course Simmons.

What do you see in the surf industry, currently, that you don't agree with or displeases you? To me the surf industry is pretty much a joke.   I try and stay as far away from it as I can. There are very few companies that represent surfing as I see it or as anyone I know see’s it.  But there are a few great companies that have been really supportive of me and other people who do what I do. A couple great examples are Matuse wetsuits, and Brixton manufacturing company.  Both of them have been super supportive and to me represent surfing the way I see it.

If you could own any 1 surfboard in the world today, which would it be? That’s a tough one, if I could only own and ride one surfboard would be different than if I could own any surfboard.  To own any one surfboard I’d pick either an original Greenough Spoon, or a Gerry Lopez personal.   Now if I had to pick only one board to own and ride, I’d have to think about it and it would depend on where I lived.  But currently in San Diego I’d either have a 7’0-7’6” 70’s style pintail but a quad.  Or a 5’10” quad fin Egg.  I’d defiantly get more use out of the egg.  But would be way to bummed those days when I’d need a 7’ pintail.

Who makes up your staff?  Who helps craft your boards? Right Now I have a really solid Crew at McCallum Surfboards.  My laminator is Alex Villa Lobos, he’s the guy who threw down all the Surf Boards by Joel Tudor crazy color and laminations and abstracts. Ernie Higgins does all the fins and hot coating, he’s been building boards sine the 60’s owned his own glass shop for years, and builds beautiful boards from start to finish.  Then I have Paul Kelly who sands, glosses and Polishes.  He too has been working on boards since right around then.   He’s pretty much the workhorse, doing all the jobs no one else wants. Larry Crow, does all my resin color work, like pinlines, panels, and bands.  He was taught by Sam Cody, at G&S in the early seventies. And has been through it all, almost to the point where he was one of the last people that knew how to do what he does.  I also have shop “manager” Josh Oldenburg, who takes care of all the details, and in return I let him build his own boards out of my shop.  You can see them at www.JoshOldenburgsurfboards.com.

What causes or charities are you actively involved with? None, right now.  I’ve donated a few boards in the past, and most recently one to the Japanese Red Cross.

Does your family surf? My Dad use to surf and bodysurf, and his Dad use to make belly boards. But it’s been awhile.  And my brother lives on Oahu and surfs as much as he can.  Then my cousin lives here in San Diego, he surf’s really well, really fun to watch.

Have you embraced the Digital Age and how? Not really, I recently started an update-able news section to my site.  But still no Facebook or anything like that.  I try and spend as little time as possible on the computer.  I’m horrible at emails, I try and keep them short and sweet.

What was your heaviest wipe-out and where? Would most defiantly be Corona Del Mar, I was young probably 13 or 14 and body surfing.  It was probably 4ft backs but seemed a lot bigger, but Corona Del Mar is basically a giant close out that gets really hallow.  One detonated right in front of me and took me over the falls headfirst backwards, and drilled my head right into the sand.  I was lucky I didn’t break my neck.

What board would you shape and ride, personally, for these spots?