If you’re in the market for a new surfboard, or perhaps you’d like to try paddleboarding, what’s better than getting one made on Long Island?
That’s what Nature Shapes, a surfboard manufacturer based in Sayville, promises you. It was officially founded in 1993 by Oakdale native Mike Becker, and opened its Sayville storefront in 2006.
“I started surfing as a kid when I was about 12 years old,” Becker told the Press. “I always liked working with my hands, and creating things. And it just seemed like a fun hobby to do. So I just basically, like built a shed in my backyard in high school, just started messing around, you know, just kind of experimenting. There was no YouTube then, so I learned how to do it from reading books.”
The business has expanded through the years and even does global shipping – and Becker has a patent on travel boards, a two-piece collapsible surfboard suitable for airplane travel.
“We’ll ship these to places like Europe or Dubai,” Becker added. “In Europe, they have little airlines that will take you island to island, and I saw what these airlines were charging people to take a surfboard on the airplane.”
The travel board, Becker says, has helped Nature Shapes stand out in the surfboard industry with a unique product, as there was no use competing with larger stores like Costco and Walmart that sell surfboards.
What also helps Nature Shapes stand out is the custom orders they take.
“We have an app on the website where people can pick their colors and pick their artwork,” Becker said. “We have a printer, and that allows us to print directly onto fiberglass. So if you want a photo of your family on your board, you can get it. We can print on that fiberglass and laminate it directly to your board.”
They also make stand-up paddleboards, where the user stands on a board and paddles through the bay. The “paddleboard boom” occurred in the early 2010s, Becker said.
Part of Nature Shape’s unique story is the fact that it actually saw a boom during the Covid-19 pandemic – the temporary cultural changes of social distancing and more outdoor activities led to more people wanting custom-made surfboards.
“People couldn’t play organized sports, so they turned to surfing,” Becker said. “There was a big slowdown in the beginning, of course, but in May and June when things started picking up, we got inundated.”
Nature Shapes is located at 99 Hiddink St., Sayville, and can be reached at natureshapes.com or by calling (631) 750-0652.
