Board Talk with Spider Murphy - BATTERY

KANOA Surfboards | Inspired by the Ocean, KANOA strives for sustainability, groundbreaking innovation and unique design.
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Enjoy more sessions with your friends and spend less time wondering which board to choose. This unique resin-art beauty is a real summer groveler for ambitious beginners and intermediate surfers.
MEET SPIDER MURPHY
SPIDER IS ONE OF THE MOST, IF NOT THE MOST RECOGNIZED SHAPER IN SOUTH AFRICA. HE IS A MEMBER OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN SURFING LEGENDS AND BASICALLY HAS BEEN PART OF THIS SPORT HIS ENTIRE LIFE. HIS BOARDS WITH THE CHARACTERISTIC SPIDER ON IT ARE WELL KNOWN ALL OVER THE WORLD!
In earlier times, Spider was referred to as “the surfing shaper”, giving him the opportunity to really see through all aspects of surfing. From the basic mechanics, feeling of boards and waves, down to every little detail in a shape. As the owner of the famous Safari Surfboard Factory in Durban, he also has very good insight into the business world of surfing. In total that gives him unbelievable 45 years’ experience in shaping and building surfboards.
So now imagine setting foot in Spiders Shaping bay you’ll possibly be greeted with some reggae or funk music, followed by a warm and welcoming smile. Spider is wearing boardies and walking barefoot through the, what he and his team refer to as “fairy dust”. After he showed you the latest shape idea he has been working on you can see the amazement in his eyes. You can tell that, even after all this years, Spider is still giving all his effort and dedication to every single board in order to create perfection in shape and quality. He refers to it as boards with “added soul” and that’s something you can actually feel once you get hold of one.
After asking him if he has a wild guess how many boards he has possibly shaped in his life, he answers with a laugh.