Shaping for the Waves
Every morning, before heading into his shaping room, Guy Okazaki checks out the waves, a ritual he describes as "like a crazy person." His lifelong love for surfing is intertwined with cherished memories of the most amazing waves he’s ever ridden. Guy’s passion was sparked by his father, a WWII veteran who instilled in him the mentality of "Go for broke," a mindset that Guy would apply to every part of his life, especially surfing. His father also taught him how to shape surfboards, a skill that became central to Guy’s own journey.
After graduating college, Guy moved to Venice, California, a place where surfing culture thrives, and began shaping boards professionally at one of the five custom surfboard shops in the area. Working with Dewey Webber and Harold Iggy, Guy quickly fell in love with the craft. Now, decades later, Guy remains deeply embedded in Venice’s surf culture, still shaping boards and riding the waves. A local celebrity, he can usually be found in the water near the Venice pier, or if not, there’s almost certainly one of his boards riding the waves instead.