Sergi from Spain dedicated his life to doing what he believes in: surfing, woodwork, and environmentalism. As a result, he founded Flama Surf which is committed to building sustainable surfboards made of wood.
Sergi, what was the moment that you were fascinated by surfing?
I always wondered where my fascination with surfing came from. I grew up in Barcelona, on the Mediterranean coast. I had never seen anyone surf, but I really wanted to do it.
Somehow around 1985, my grandpa bought me an xps sort-of-paipo and I instinctively skimboarded the thing in our swimming pool figuring I was surfing big waves. It has always been an obsession since I can remember.
Photo by Ivan Teba
How did you come up then with shaping surfboards?
I always liked to build my own stuff but always discarded making surfboards because I didn’t want to have to deal with all the chemicals and toxicities that it involves.
It all came together in 2008 after reading an article on The Surfer’s Path talking about the magnificence of paulownia wood for making surfboards, which allowed not having to laminate with fiberglass.
All of a sudden my different passions – surfing, carpentry, design, environmentalism – merged into one. At that moment I knew that I wanted to commit myself to build 100% organic surfboards.
Why is it important for you to do it in an eco-friendly way?
For me, there was no question about it. If you know something is bad for your health and the environment, why should you do it? This is the same question I make to the surfboard industry: we’ve been building toxic boards for over 60 years and we’ve been using the same toxic materials ever since. In which other industry would it be ok to say that nothing has changed for half a century? It’s ridiculous.
Photo by Kantaurikolatua
Nowadays, most surfers would wonder how it feels to ride a wooden board. Though it's crazy as surfing actually started with boards made only from natural materials. However, what's the feeling of riding a wooden board compared to a ‘conventional’ one?
There are many different ways to build a wooden surfboard. One of the main problems one has to face when working with wood is the weight. And weight is a very important issue in surfboards but not necessarily bad.
On the other hand, timber is well known for its ability to dissipate vibrations, and in surfboards, that means it smoothes out the ride. On a hollow, full wood board, it feels like you’re riding on butter and anyone can appreciate that, although they can’t explain what it is.
My hollow boards – FlamaClassic – are heavier than a standard PU-fibreglass construction, and it fits perfectly for classic designs such as single fins, logs and any other board designed to enjoy glide, speed, and flow.
Whilst with my sandwich construction – FlamaEvolve – I can make boards that compare in weight and performance to any modern surfboard. In terms of ‘feel’ I’d say my FlamaEvolve construction is somewhere between the PU-polyester and EPS-epoxy boards.
Another quality of your boards is sustainability. In which aspects your boards are much more eco-friendly than the standard foam boards?
I basically work with paulownia wood, cork, and bamboo. But the key element of my building techniques is that I don’t fiberglass my boards and I don’t use any kind of resin.
I’m very proud of my FlamaClassic construction with up to 99% of organic content. That’s the furthest I could go and the closest I could get to those fully sustainable surfboards the Polynesians were riding for centuries.
Then the FlamaEvolve construction contains recycled EPS and up to a 70% content by weight, which is still very far ahead compared to the most eco-friendly boards in the market. Also, Flama was the first label in Europe to get the Gold Level Ecoboard certification by Sustainablesurf.
Flama: Surfboards with soul from Flama Surf on Vimeo.
Businesswise, how is it possible to balance acting sustainable and being profitable?
All my boards are custom made and the prices are equal to other well-known labels that mass produce standard fiberglass boards in Thailand.
My boards are gonna last longer and they’re going to be custom made for you. I have a small workshop that I share with another shaper, my energy consumption is minimal and so my operating costs are low.
Small, local-based industries intended to supply a local market are always going to be way more sustainable (both socially and environmentally) than offshored industries.
The search for lower costs and less stringent regulations has been done at the cost of a greater impact on the environment. It’s time to go back to local production and design respectful products that last a lifetime, that are reusable or compostable.
What was your biggest challenge with Flama so far and how did you face it?
Flama was born in 2011, and back then very few people had ever seen a wooden surfboard. My biggest challenge then was to convince people that my boards were not wall hangers and that they were made to be ridden.
Those boards were heavy and most surfers have an obsession with weight. The only thing I could do was to let people try and decide by themselves.
The other biggest difficulty was (and still is) the total lack of support and facilities for entrepreneurs in Spain. Here you pay the same taxes whether you do business or not, whether you pollute or not. Worst of all, I don't see any intention of change. It is depressing.
How do potential clients hear about your boards?
It’s an ant job. Besides my website and Instagram page, I guess most of my clients come because Flama was recommended by others that already have or tested one of my boards. Then I try to attend in as many festivals and events I am invited to, so people can see, touch and even test my crafts.
On your Instagram you mentioned Axi Muniain is riding some of your boards. Who else belongs to your clients?
I worked with Axi Muniain some years back because I wanted to prove that wood was a valid material for making surfboards and that my surfboards could deal with the monster waves that he rides. After seeing some of the waves he got in Galicia a few months ago I guess I accomplished that goal by far!
I also worked with Peta Surfboards to build a 10’3” rhino chaser gun for Nagai Puntiverio. Nagai ended having a blast on that board, he got a 10 point ride in La Vaca Gigante contest and got some amazing rides in a massive reef in Lanzarote last winter. That was epic too!
I also have a “team rider” or ambassadress as I prefer to call her, Andrea Molina. She’s been riding my boards for many years now, she loves wood, she loves surfing, and most importantly, she is a wonderful human being in and out of the water.
Who would you really like to shape a board for in the future?
I don’t know for whom but what I want to prove is that with the materials I work with – paulownia, cork and bamboo – it is possible to build high quality boards that perform at the same level than the traditional foam-fiberglass concept.
In the upcoming months I’m going to start working with HMAKER DESIGN, a friend of mine that has built a machine to measure flex, pop and torsion in surfboards (as well as other board sports).
For the first time in surfboard history you can measure board dynamics and identify what makes each construction different, put numbers to it and, most importantly, know which one works best for your likes. You can follow this incredible concept on Instagram via @be_smartquiver.
What are your future plans for Flama?
I don’t like to plan too much. My goal remains the same: building a 100% organic surfboard, and inspire surfers and the surfboard industry so that we all take a much more radical approach towards the environment.
I want to rise awareness and cheer more people into the process of making sustainable development a reality. Let’s make surfing – and our lives – a true environment-friendly activity. Today it is already an obligation, no excuses.
What's your advice for surfpreneurs who are just starting out?
My first advice is: If you believe in it, go for it no matter what!
And the second would be: Be realistic, do not over plan and have fun in the process.
Last but not least: Which was your perfect wave so far?
A wave I recently surfed in Africa (the most underrated surf destination), not because of its perfection but because of the place where it is located.
Sergi, thank you so much for sharing your story!
For more info check https://flamasurf.com
Interviewed by Sophie Krause
Writer and marketeer being addicted to chickpeas, loving everything outdoors (but especially the ocean) and wishing her zodiac sign was turtle. Sophie is collaborating with Surfpreneurs Club as writer to inspire others (and also herself) with the unique & exciting stories of all the great people you will (kind of) meet here.
