Long before advanced polymers were used to build surfboards, ancient surfers shredded waves atop big planks. It was a spiritual practice that was handed down from generation to generation. In the modern world, a lot of that culture has been lost, but Jon Wegener is looking to bring the sport back to its roots.
The world renowned shaper has become devoted to reintroducing the world to the Alaia, a minimalist-style wooden surfboard with no fins or rockers, making them very hard to get the hang of. However, once you do, the experience is unlike any other. Although Wegener borrows elements of the design from a centuries-old tradition, he adds his own modern day touches, bringing the worlds of old and new colliding into harmony. Check out the artisan in action for episode two of Human, a new web series from Uproxx that profiles the lives of innovative people.
