FLORIDA SHAPE OFF

The Florida Shape Off at Surf Expo is an annual surfboard shaping contest and exhibition that promotes the craft of hand-shaping surfboards.

The 2024 honoree was Bill Frierson
Shapers: Jordan Brazie, Lynn Shell, Scott Busbey, Brett Prinz, Jeremy McMahon, Nick Halleran and Ryan Harris.

Surf Expo would like to offer our deepest condolences to Bill Frierson’s family upon his recent passing. From his early days of literally shaping the future of Wave Riding Vehicles as a head shaper and co-owner, to hand shaping every board at Frierson Designs, being inducted into the International Surfboard Builders Hall of Fame and the East Coast Surfing Championships Legends Hall of Fame, Bill will be remembered as a master craftsman, polished surfer, compassionate human, and true legend. Bill Frierson keeps good company, after joining the likes of Duke Kahanamoku, Hobie Alter, Gerry Lopez and a number of other notable shapers as a member of the International Surfboard Builders Hall of Fame. “A lot of heavy cats,” remarked Frierson at the time of his induction in October 2019. “It’s pretty humbling, actually. There’s a lot more to the award than just doing it for so long. The beauty of the whole thing was the journey.” That journey started in 1965 when Frierson was a young surfer coming up in Virginia Beach. He befriended Pete Smith and Bob Holland, who had recently opened the area’s first surf shop. Two years later, Frierson started shaping boards for Bob White at Wave Riding Vehicles (WRV). “I was helping to repair dings back then, and he asked me if I wanted to shape,” he said. “It was pretty much a Cadillac Dream.”