Jeff Brubaker is a craftsman and builder of unique and beautiful products from wood. He has been woodworking his whole life starting in 1975. Since that time he has been creating custom cabinetry and wood work for homes all over California. As an avid surfer and waterman, Jeff began applying his love and career in woodworking to his water toys. Along the way he began building Hawaiian inspired Alaias and then progressed to hand made wake surfing boards under the Kayu brand name. In the last several years he has been building these one of a kind handplanes and clocks. Jeff is one of those guys that can take something raw and unsightly and transform it into a beautiful work of art as evidenced by his handplanes and clocks. These products are all made by Jeff in his factory in Oceanside California. One of the elements that makes these product extra special is the use of the old growth woods, some of these dating back 45o years as evidenced by the handplanes made with Black Walnut. The products in our store are made with extreme care and attention to detail. Each piece was designed by Jeff and are hand cut, glued, sanded, finished and signed by him. Each wood piece that is used in water receives a waterproof sealant. These functional and beautiful products feature a variety of natural woods to include black walnut, Peruvian Walnut, Balsa, Spanish Cedar, Northern California Redwood, Tennessee Red Cedar, Honduran Mahogany, Douglas Fir and other woods that come available through Jeff's travels. One of the woods was actually acquired through disassembly of an old barn that had a good supply suitable for making these beauties. Jeff resides in Oceanside California with his two sons and takes every opportunity he has to get into the ocean to test and enjoy his work. Jeff Brubaker Woodworking represents the values and quality upon which Groundswell Supply has been established and we are proud to be working with him for his amazing handmade creations.

Bill Johnson was raised in Cocoa Beach Florida along side some of the best surfers in the world to include eleven time world champion Kelly Slater.  At the  ripe old age of eighteen he already had several amateur surfing titles under his belt. Bill was fortunate to have earned the #1 seeds position on the World Champion US team in 1984.  After winning the US title in 1986, he turned professional.  Shortly thereafter he started a family and began a career in surfboard shaping and the rest is history.  Bill started shaping with Quiet Flight surfboards and eventually graduated in his expertise where he obtained a coveted position designing and shaping boards for Rusty surfboards where he worked directly with Rusty Preisendorfer and the team riders for eight years.  During this time he was able to develop a reltaionship shaping boards for CJ Hobgood and was able to shape his quiver of boards the year he won the world championship in 2001.  In addition to this, he has shaped boards for some of the most respected and well known surfers in the world to include CJ and Damien Hobgood, Melia Manuel, Dusty Payne, Clay Marzo and many others.  His custom hand shaped Teqoph brand boards are sought out by both amateur and professional surfers around the world.  He is known for his high performance, ultra fast shortboards but has designed many new models that are for surfers of all skills levels.  Bill now lives and shapes in Oceanside California.  He is happily married with three children and is a devoted Christian.  Bill is a true designer and shaper in this day and age of CNC machine cut boards.  One of the unique characteristics about Bill is his ability to design highly functional boards and then shape them by hand.  In a world of technology he has been able to stay true to his roots and create some of the best performing boards that demonstrate American craftsmanship at it's finest.  He is a shaper that has surfed competitively and is still avid so he can stay on top of what the customer needs and how to continually improve his designs.  

Why Hand Shaped? 

Groundswell Supply is stoked to be working with Bill and Teqoph Surfboards. We are offering what we believe are the gold standard in high performance hand shaped surfboards.  There is something really special about knowing the board you own was handmade by a craftsman.  One thing you can expect when you order a Teqoph surfboard from Groundswell Supply is that the shape will be custom built for you using high quality US made foam and fiberglass resins.  We have selected the best materials for combined performance and durability.   Before we start we will take into consideration four elements  1.) your surfing ability 2.) wave conditions where you surf 3.) What you hope to achieve 4.) your height and weight.  We will work with you to identify the size, dimensions and volume that is tailor made for you.  All of these factors combined with Bill Johnson's twenty three years of hand shaping experience make the difference between a stock board and custom.  Your board will be designed, shaped and signed by Bill to include your name and exact dimensions written on the stringer.  Should you order one of these special hand crafted boards we are confident that we will be supplying you with a board that was built with special attention to you.

 

The year was 1978, and like so many great things, it started in the back of a VW bus. The craze of surf and beach lifestyle that began in the 60’s blanketed the continent and stormed the globe. While the world witnessed the first Sundance Film Festival, Space Invaders, and the legendary surfing of Mark Richards and Rabbit Bartholomew, local college student, surfer and lifeguard, Ken Miller, began making and selling boardshorts out the back of his bus. The first customers were Carlsbad local watermen and lifeguards. After a few years of growing the company, Original Watermen soon serviced the California State Parks System and a majority of other lifeguarding agencies on both coasts. The budding enterprise grew with Ken leading the charge and his girlfriend, Jennifer, now wife of many years, designing, managing production and daily operations. The pair would eventually outfit over 1900 organizations from local and state agency lifeguards and fire fighters to military special forces across the globe. The company born from lifeguard Boardshorts eventually branched out into the retail and mail order company, Thousand Mile. In April 2005, the Millers sold Thousand Mile to a large well known conglomerate, and were then able to focus all their energies on core Waterman Clothing and the Lifeguard Clothing Business. Original Watermen, as a company, was created with a singular vision: provide the best quality, fit, and performance in every garment. Few industries have the opportunity to test their mettle each time a great set rolls in. We’re fortunate; we do. At Original Watermen we measure our success by the quality of our products and the satisfaction of our customers.

Groundswell Supply has researched many different suppliers for high quality ocean lifestyle products. After scouring the marketplace, we found Original Waterman to be a leader in design and innovation for the avid waterman. They make quality products that are tested by men and women in critical conditions as evidenced by their use on the North Shore of Hawaii. Supplying lifeguards and professional watermen is not an easy task and we feel that their reputation for excellence will serve you well.

Jon Wegener grew up, began surfing and shaping in Southern California. He has been shaping since 1987 and has dreamed of doing nothing else except surfing and shaping ever since. After his college years in San Diego, he returned to Hermosa Beach, CA and began to work on his passion full-time.

In addition to starting Wegener Surfboards he has also shaped for a number of other veteran shapers including Hap Jacobs, and Bing Surfboards. In 2010 Jon moved to Encinitas, CA. As a board maker Jon has always tried to find the right board for the right conditions. Jon loves to make and ride a huge variety of surfboards.  Depending on the surf conditions he rides anything from a finless wooden alaia, to a “traditional” fiberglass noserider, or a progressive shortboard.

In 2005, Jon’s brother Tom Wegener introduced Jon to the Alaia after a trip he had taken to the Bishop Museum in Hawaii. The two brothers have been making Alaias, and Paipos, and trying to get the word out ever since. Along with the boards they make they have been spreading information about Paulownia wood, a special wood perfect for making surfboards. Since Jon began working with wood, he has not only looked for ways to combine his two passions, he has strived to make his regular surfboards “ASAP” (as sustainable as possible).

Jon is more excited about where the surfing world is going now, than at any other time in his surfing/shaping career. At Wegener Surfboards we are thrilled to be at the forefront of this new path that surfing has taken, and we can’t wait to see what new developments are waiting up ahead.

At Groundswell Supply we have been searched carefully for those individuals and companies that are innovators and creators of beautiful and functional things to use in the water. Jon Wegener and Wegener Surf fits the bill precisely. Through Jon and his product testing and creation we have discovered an expanded horizon on how we view a surf craft. Not only is Jon an accomplished board builder and shaper but is an outstanding woodworker who brings this unique skill set into the creation of his designs. He also surfs and tests everything he sells as well as gathering input from riders of his boards. Few shapers we know of offer such a diverse collective of water craft...and the best part is that they work amazing! In our recent interview Jon called himself a “surf doctor”, he has the ability to understand what works best for the conditions, riders ability and desired result. We take all this into account when we build a product for you. Just like a skilled physician there are numerous methods and equipment that can be utilized to accomplish the best outcome. Our approach is to create beautiful handmade products that will give you many of the best rides of your life. With Wegener Surf the Stoke is virtually impossible to avoid.