Noll Surfboards | Jed Noll

Jed Noll

Jed Noll was born and raised amid the old-growth forests and wild surf of Northern California. Imbued with his father’s legend, Jed was surrounded by the senior Noll’s shaping knowledge. As he grew up, Jed learned the secrets of traditional surfboard shaping. This started with sweeping the floors of the shaping shed, which led to watching and gawking, then finally working with the sacred tools himself. Over the years, his father watched as Jed matured through his own shaping evolution, eventually mastering the techniques used in designing the early solid Redwood and Balsa boards, as well as the classic foam surfboards of the 1960s and ’70s.

In 1994, Jed began working under Master Shaper Bob Pearson of Santa Cruz. During his years at Pearson Arrow, Jed learned the skills necessary to satisfy the evolving needs of today’s surfboard consumers. His reputation as a skilled surfboard craftsman grew – first in the Santa Cruz area, then internationally. Jed began to travel, using his journeyman shaping skills as his ticket to ride, gathering shaping wisdom and experience from some of the world’s best along the way. He spent time under the tutelage of California’s Chris McElroy, Australian Matt Haymes, Japan’s Kazumi Nakamura, and South Africa’s Peter Daniels. As a surfer and a competitor Jed also traveled to Europe, Asia, and Australia, all over California, Hawaii, the East Coast, and many other places between.

For the better part of a decade Jed has been traveling to Europe working with the DSD custom shaping machine. Learning about and involving himself with the DSD machine and software has allowed him to expand his business to the fast growing European surfing market, including the U.K. In the process Jed has also learned the ins and outs of most all the other shaping software programs allowing him to expand into the Japanese market, forming a working relationship long-time surfer-distributor Mune Takehana under the Ocean Far East label.

In the year 2000, Jed began his own surfboard production company, splitting his time between work with his father re-creating important surfboards from different time periods, making custom surfboards for friends, and designing new surfboards for current team riders. All the while he listened closely to the astute feedback of the competitive surfer, as well as the needs of the everyday customer. In this way Jed was able to forge a unique relationship with his surfing community.

As an independent shaper, Jed has carefully built a Team of the country’s finest surfers. The rich history of the Noll family has inspired him to bring back the novelty of “old school” surf team camaraderie. Plans for cross-country promotional tours with the Team are in the works. Surf Shop appearances and poster signings, as well as on-site shaping demonstrations are all a part of Jed Noll’s vision of bringing the fun back into the competitive world of surfing.

Currently, Jed is based in Santa Clemente, California, building his surfboards in the back of the retail shop he opened there in 2009. His handcrafted surfboards are being shipped around the world to eager customers and select dealers. Jed is still traveling to Europe working with the long established family company, Pukas. Thanks to Pukas and Ocean Far East, Jed is now shaping custom surfboards for all ages and abilities as well as select dealers in many different countries.