Tilley Surfboards

Shaper: Jason Tilley

Location: Port Orford, OR

About: A waterman from an early age, Jason credits his love for the ocean to his father, who is an avid sailor. Jason built his first board in college and rode it for many years in Oregon, then took it with him to Washington, Alaska, Baja, and a long stint on Maui. After graduating from the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding, he migrated to Southeast Alaska where he found a life on the docks repairing wood fishing boats and yachts. For eight years Jason lived aboard a 26' wood cutter with his wife. They departed Alaska for a three year cruise, sailing and surfing their way to Panama. Returning to his native Oregon to start a family, they settled on the Oregon coast where he built a home and shop for making his boards. With an un-relenting passion for fine craft, wood, good design, surfboards, and boats, Jason has never been far from tools or the water.

Build

The core of the board is a hand shaped EPS (expanded polystyrene) blank. I cut my own blanks with templates that give me precise control of rocker, foil, and outline. The deck and bottom, or 'skins' are not a thin veneer, they are solid wood, custom milled to between 1/8" and 1/16" depending on wood species and location (deck or bottom). These skins are applied with lightweight glass and nylon under the wood. I use 4oz glass applied to the outside and fully wrap the rails top and bottom. I use very low voc epoxy and post cure it (heated for a length of time) to give additional strength. The resulting board is a very strong composite sandwich. The wood, layered between fiberglass, forms an I-beam like structure. The board does not heel dent and pressure ding like a traditional board. Solid wood nose, and tail blocks are added to prevent the little dings that always plague these areas. Solid wood rails add durability and look awesome.