For many years, the art of surfing was practiced primarily by men.
Female faces in the lineup were few and far between. Lately, and thankfully, there has been a shift. More and more people—regardless of their sex—have been experiencing the profound joy of dancing upon energized water.
However, there’s one thing that makes our rides possible: A surfboard. And surfing’s historical male imbalance continues to this day in the shaping bay, where boards are born.
Saioa Lorentz, born and raised in the Basque Country, where the mountains fall into the sea, has been changing that.
She is the daughter of Axel Lorentz, a world-renowned shaper known for making everything from ultra high-performance designs to approachable boards that surfers of all levels can enjoy. So, shaping is in Saioa’s blood.
But that’s not the full story.
Saioa paired her shaping DNA with a formal education from a prestigious art school in Paris, where she learned to explore the boundaries of her mind and the courting of creativity.
It is this unique combination that puts Saioa in a place to re-shape the rules of surfboard industry.
Her skilled hands and inspired eyes come together to draw feminine lines across chunks of foam, carving life into the inanimate. Saioa’s boards are true works of art, that begin in her mind, take shape in the surfboard factory, and continue all the way into the lineup, where they shift standards and draw lines of their own.
Presented by ROXY & Surfdome.
Filmed & Edited by Salt Water Production. Additionnal footage : Martxel Txintxurreta
