Craig Gonzalez is a shaping icon. His label, Interface Surfboards, has been at the heart of Huntington Beach surf culture for nearly three decades now and continues to embody the art of surfboard shaping- custom, hand-crafted surfboards refined by 26 years of experience.

Introduced to surfing in 1978, when he was 13, Craig quickly fell prey to what many of us consider our ultimate passion. Within months an unlikely gift, a free surfboard, started what would be a journey continued to this day. When a neighbor dropped off a beat old longboard not capable of riding (let alone ripping!), there was only one thing to do- tear it a part and make something worthy of a good session. Well worthy or not, after tearing off the glass, reshaping and glassing, and surfing his own creation, this new found passion was heightened to an even greater level.

While in high school, Craig found himself shaping part time and surfing competitively in the NSSA series. As both his surfing talent and shaping improved, becoming self-evident to those watching, he found near constant interest in his young label. Surfing continued to explode not only in popularity, but in the scientific approach towards better equipment. During this evolutionary period in surfing, Craig found that the single-fins he started riding/shaping gave way to twin-fins and shortly thereafter the three-fin “thruster”.

As attention gravitated towards the Interface label, Craig’s boards began to populate the line-ups throughout California. Turning his attention from competitive surfing to focus exclusively on shaping, Craig began not only sponsoring some of the top emerging talent, but also coaching them. Over the years, as the manager of the Katin surf team, Craig shaped, coached and mentored some of the biggest names to come out of our lineups.

With numerous opportunities to leverage the label and mass-produce boards, Craig has been unwavering in his commitment to make hand-shaped boards designed for each rider/customer. Known for being talkative as much as a perfectionist, Craig still prefers to discuss each board and how it can be shaped for each style of rider to elevate their passion for surfing. This attention to detail, coupled with truly rare experience of shaping through surfing’s evolution of single fin, twin-fins and thrusters, makes Craig one of the top innovators of today’s short boards, fishes/hybrids and “big wave guns”.

As a legendary, underground icon, Craig’s Interface Surfboards continues to focus on each rider and making the perfect custom-shaped surfboard to nurture the rider’s fun and ability. Craig personally researches, designs and shapes all his boards; while working with you to get it right. And while his team riders continue to show what a great board can do, you can still catch Craig laying some rail and ripping just as hard while testing his newest shapes.