Guy Okazaki - Surfboard Shaper
Departures is KCET's hyper-local web documentary, community engagement tool and digital literacy program about the cultural history of Los Angeles' neighborhoods.
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Guy Okazaki remembers when surfboards were composed of redwood planks that would take two people to carry to the beach. He has watched generations of surfers cycle like ocean currents and witnessed the evolution of surfing techniques. Okazaki is a seasoned shaper and carves each board by hand, a trade passed on by his father. As popularity grew, surfboards became mass produced overseas and local competition dwindled. Once prolific surf shops and shapers such as Dewey Weber and Harold Iggy have moved inland for more affordable property or have moved on entirely. Okazaki's clientele remains the more serious surfers, paying a higher price for a high quality surfboard. It is easy to lament the "good old days", but nothing seems to make Okazaki happier than seeing a father and son surf together.
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