It is Jon McLeay. Jon was born with two arms and two legs in Invercargle, NZ. He later moved to PNG with his parents when he was 4 years old.
In the age of 12 years he came back to Australia and started ripping waves in South Narrabeen. In 1993 Jon shaped his first board in his dad's garage.
He just wanted to make his own board, then sticked to it and mastered the process.
Jon never tried to be influenced by anyone, he never watched anyone shaping. He always wanted to use his own mind and his own hands.
Certainly, he saw nice boards on his way but he never copied any style. To start off, Jon sanded other shaper's boards, which gave him a broad overview of different shapes and foils of boards.
Jon has always been loving the old art forms of shaping (single fins etc.). Rather than creating generic shortboards, he modernised these shapes, which enhanced and broadened his skills.
Jon sees surfing itself as an art form. He wants to bring the soul back into surfing:
"Do machines have warm blood? Do they feel the board? Handshaping equals sculpturing, so home your skills. Support the art form, support life. Feel the energy from the shaper! Reject mass production! Why cheat yourself on the life less ordinary?" - Jon McLeay
In the age of 12 years he came back to Australia and started ripping waves in South Narrabeen. In 1993 Jon shaped his first board in his dad's garage.
He just wanted to make his own board, then sticked to it and mastered the process.
Jon never tried to be influenced by anyone, he never watched anyone shaping. He always wanted to use his own mind and his own hands.
Certainly, he saw nice boards on his way but he never copied any style. To start off, Jon sanded other shaper's boards, which gave him a broad overview of different shapes and foils of boards.
Jon has always been loving the old art forms of shaping (single fins etc.). Rather than creating generic shortboards, he modernised these shapes, which enhanced and broadened his skills.
Jon sees surfing itself as an art form. He wants to bring the soul back into surfing:
"Do machines have warm blood? Do they feel the board? Handshaping equals sculpturing, so home your skills. Support the art form, support life. Feel the energy from the shaper! Reject mass production! Why cheat yourself on the life less ordinary?" - Jon McLeay