Drew McCormick turns pieces of wood into beautiful surfboards
Originally published in Drift December 2010
In a time when surfboards are praised for feather-light weight and modern materials, Drew McCormick seems a bit of an anachronism. Like many shapers today, he uses a computer to lay out his designs. Then, he builds his boards out of wood — that heavy, old-fashioned stuff that comes from trees.
McCormick’s hollow wooden surf crafts are called Cambium Surfboards. Cambium is a layer in plants responsible for growth. While Cambium boards and the heavy logs of ancient times share a common material, the similarities end there. Though clearly influenced by the alternative side of surf culture, his shapes pull from many eras of design. There are single fins, fishes, longboards and even some mini bob simmons.
“These types of boards lend themselves well to being made with wood. You could never get an all-wood board light enough for a high-performance thruster,” McCormick wrote in an e-mail after the first interview. “I think that the extra weight really doesn’t affect the performance of, say, the twin fin or a longboard. As far as the difference in how they ride, the foam boards have a lot more flex to them. But I think that’s also why the thicker, smaller boards work well with the wood, because you’re not really looking for that flex. I think the wood boards have actually improved my surfing. They make you a little more conscious of what you’re doing on the wave, really just how much more you have to shift your weight and work your feet and legs.”
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