ESM Interview

About 30 miles east of Oceanside, CA, sits Temecula. A modern town with an Old West theme, it's known for a variety of oddball attractions: hot air balloons, Tombstone-like storefronts, a number of surprisingly fine wineries. And as the home of former Rusty shaper Bill Johnson, it might soon become synonymous with something even stranger: surfboards.

Johnson's story actually begins about 3000 miles and 20 years away in Cocoa Beach, FL, where he grew up a top East Coast talent--three consecutive ESA Easterns titles, winning the 1984 U.S. Team Trials ahead of Brad Gerlach and Mike Parsons, and culminating with a U.S. Men's title in 1986. Training under Tom Neilson in 1991, he became Quiet Flight's key man, making boards for Sunshine State standouts CT Taylor and Cam Anderson before starting a separate brand in 1993. With Bryan Hewitson as a flagship rider, Extreme Surfboards boomed so quickly he taught his brother Joe Johnson the trade and brought him aboard. But when Bill moved to Southern California with his wife and first daughter in 1996, orders started to lag. Within a year, he'd landed a job with Rusty and soon became a team favorite for the major manufacturer, especially among the East Coast ranks. "Damien called me immediately to shape him some boards," says Bill. "He loved 'em, so of course CJ had to have some."

That was seven years ago. Today, Damien rides for Quiet Flight, splitting his quiver between Bill and Joe, while constantly testing other designs as is customary for most surfers on tour. Conversely, CJ's ridden Bill's boards exclusively since his qualifying year. But even more unique than the 2001 World Champ's devotion is their relationship itself. In an age when even the biggest designers rely on machines for pre-shapes, Bill still makes every one of CJ's 40 boards a year by hand, start-to-finish. And unlike most other big-name pro/ shaper combos, the two had never set foot in the shaping room together until September of this year to do an article for Surfing Magazine.

"Basically, I call him to say they're ready," says Bill of how much time they spend talking shop. "He calls me later and says whether he likes them. Usually he does. I've got his designs pretty dialed by now."

Johnson and Hobgood Eyeball a Pre-Skinned Blank. Photo: Hennings/ Surfing

Obviously. When CJ requested a new type of small-wave board, Bill devised the Venturi-bottomed "CJ Fishy." Hobgood not only employed the invention to help the East Coast team win the 2004 X-Games, but he rode the newfangled shape from Round One to final victory in the Quiksilver Pro Japan. (Bill actually has the foam check for $30K in his living room with a thank you note from Ceej scrawled across it.) The resulting surge of orders from international names like Dean Morrison and Nathan Hedge made Bill one of the few East Coaster shapers to find purchase among the 'CT elite. And his hometown backing continues, as well. Ben Bourgeois and Gabe Kling have become so addicted they recently cut surf trips short upon breaking their favorite blades, rushing home to order more before the next WQS event. With demand for his designs at an all-time high, once CJ's sponsorship ended with Rusty this year Bill decided it was time to take advantage of the opportunity. "I can't emphasize enough what Rusty's done for me," Johnson explains. "He's a phenomenal shaper and a phenomenal person. But this was a chance for me to do my own thing and with any luck start something really big."

The result? Teqoph Surfboards. Pronounced "takeoff," it actually means "strength" in the ancient (pre-Arabic) Aramaic language. As of 2005, the logo can be seen on all of CJ Hobgood's boards and--if Bill has his way--at WCT venues ridden by the same Top-44 fixtures who sport JS tractors at the Superbank and Mayhems at Lowers. ESM spoke to Johnson from his Temecula home about what lies ahead on this bold new frontier.

ESM: From Hewy to the Hobgoods, you've been able to shape for some talented surfers from the start. Did that help you hone your skills so fast?

BJ: Shaping my own boards was probably the biggest thing when I started. I wouldn't say that now, at least not as much, but in the beginning you're flying by the seat of your pants, just trying to put some good curves together that feel right. Over the years you finally start clueing in to the different things that are going on. That's when working with the best surfers helps. And guys like CJ and Damien have been really good for improving my skill. Now there're guys like Hedgey and Dingo (Morrison).

ESM: Were you finding the more success CJ and Dam had, the more people were trying to get your boards?

BJ: Absolutely. I built some boards for Andy Irons' girlfriend once and he ended up really liking them and wanted more. At the time I was so busy taking care of the Rusty team I never even got back to him.

ESM: The way we heard it, you were also worried about helping CJ's main rival.

BJ: Well, Andy wasn't quite the factor then that he is now, but that was one of the reasons. In the past, I haven't pursued shaping the top competitors' boards because I was pretty happy just doing the Hobgoods'. But now when Danny Wills and some of the other guys call, it's such a good opportunity, it's hard to pass up.

ESM: Plus you get more feedback, which transfers into better designs for the twins.

BJ: Well, you don't really get a whole lot of feedback from those guys. I did a board for Taj Burrow recently and he's like, "Works great." That's it. Basically, if they're riding them, they're loving them--like Dingo said my board was his favorite one in his quiver at the time. At that point, I know what I'm doing so I just transfer it over into production. Of course, now that they're in Hawaii they've got different quivers. I'll probably get more orders into next year when they start the tour again.

ESM: Was part of the reason you left Rusty to facilitate your ability to shape for more of the big guys?

BJ: I left Rusty because with CJ leaving and me having done his boards for so many years, I saw it as a brilliant opportunity to start something on my own. And what's cool is I can create anything I want, call my boards anything I want, sell to whoever I want. I feel like I can be more creative. But I've said it before and I'll say it again: I really appreciate Rusty and all the other shapers at Rusty. All those guys are just fantastic to work with and I learned a lot from them.

Billy Jack Turning the Rails During a Visit Home at Sebastian Inlet. Photo: Dugan

ESM: You've done this before with Extreme. But then you had the benefit of being able to rely on a surfboard giant for years. Is it scary to break away and try your own deal again?

BJ: At first it was a little scary. But after a few phone calls to some of my friends in the industry I got encouraged pretty quick. Sunrise Surf Shop was my main dealer when I had Extreme and those guys ordered 20 surfboards immediately, so it looks like I can pick up right where I left off. I mean, I got close to 60 orders with the first four shops I called. I had to stop calling so I could finish getting organized [laughs].

ESM: What about California? That's a tough market to penetrate.

BJ: Well, a good friend of mine is the buyer for Surf Ride, so I've already talked to him. And a guy in Santa Barbara is buying boards so we'll be competing with the Merricks up there. I don't think there will be any problems whatsoever.

ESM: You were in Japan when CJ won. How cool was it to come up with the Fishy design, then watch him win on it so soon after?

BJ: It was just incredible, for sure. He was looking the best out of all those guys. The way he was flying over the waves and being able to do full turns and all the tricks was pretty amazing. His board... yeah, his board looked pretty good [laughs].

ESM: And was that the first one you shaped for him?

BJ: Well, it was the same design. The first one he took to South Africa and I think he got second in a 6-star. And then he did Camp Hobgood down in Nicaragua and demolished that board, so we did him another, which he took to Japan.

ESM: What's CJ got over in Hawaii right now?

BJ: We did a 7'6", 7'4", 7'2", 7'0", 6'10", 6'8", 6'6", 6'2" and a 6'1" for the really small days at Ehukai. He doesn't really ride anything over 7'6". I made him a 7'10" a couple years ago and I think I got more use out of it than he did.

ESM: How long does it take to do an order like that, a week?

BJ: Yeah, I really take my time. I get out all my notes. The guns are something you don't do a whole lot of and they're pretty critical. What's nice is I can base a lot of info off other boards, even magic boards that I made for Damien, and give CJ the same dimensions because they surf a lot alike. They're the same height, same weight, they're both goofyfoots, and so on. But a couple of CJ's designs are totally different than Damien's. Like the CJ Fishy, Dam doesn't dig as much. And Dam's boards are a little thicker. But for the most part, they're the same design. A lot of it is just fine-tuning. For me, that's what takes the longest.

ESM: A lot of shapers have embraced CAD to do all their pre-shapes. Is there a reason why you're still mowing 'em out with a planer?

BJ: I'm a craftsman. I love the skill of shaping surfboards, the art to it. Maybe I'm somewhat of a purist, as well. But I've also had the pleasure of working for Rusty and not having to worry about mass production. I'll be working with the machine a little more now just to get production up. I've already scanned the CJ Fishy and his roundtail. In the future, some of CJ's boards may come off the machine.

ESM: Will the general public still be able to get a handshape?

BJ: Yeah, but it may take a little longer. Handshapes are more of a rarity these days. They're like collector's items. Not too many people get an Al Merrick or a Rusty handshape anymore. Almost nobody. But I'm gonna try to keep it up.

ESM: You've only brought three people into your shaping room: your brother Joe, your daughter, and CJ. Do you foresee having to train any more people?

BJ: Well, the first year I want to keep it low volume so I can have my hands on each board and personally sign each board. But I probably won't train anyone to shape. If I get someone, it'll be an experienced professional.

ESM: So who will be sporting a Teqoph logo moving into 2005?

BJ: Well, Dam's still with Quiet Flight, and my brother makes a lot of those, but I still shape quite a few so he'll probably have an obscure logo on some. CJ will have it for sure. And then I'll do some boards for Ben, Gabe, and hopefully quite a few guys in the Top-44.

ESM: What about beyond that? Where do you want to be in another three years in terms of boards and business?

BJ: Just to progress as a shaper and designer and continue in the direction that I'm going. I'm not looking to become a billionaire off shaping--not that you could--but just like you see Australian boards here, I want to have boards there. I want to spread out to Europe, Japan, and every point in between.