Myrtle Beach, SC
A few years ago we noticed a fairly significant change in the mindset of the beginning surfer. No longer were they satisfied with picking up, as their first board, a used fun shape or any other used board with volume and stability. Instead, beginners were bombarded with shiny, new surfboards at cost-cutter warehouses, on the internet, and even at some unscrupulous surf shops. These boards were all mass-produced in far-away countries by non-surfers working for ridiculous wages in often ridiculous conditions. Most buyers either didn't care or couldn't tell that the shapes and the construction were inferior; the price was low enough to entice first-timers.
Our comeback of "you get what you pay for" wasn't enough to dissuade these buyers. Either we'd lose the opportunity of starting these new surfers off on the right path, or we'd have to find some new way to compete. We knew we weren't going to sell these same kinds of boards that we couldn't be proud of, so we sent emails, made phone calls, and mailed letters to everyone and anyone we had contact with in the surf industry. We received quite a few responses from individuals and companies that were willing to make boards for us, but no one was more hungry to do battle against the cheap imports than Todd Sutz.
We had met Todd years ago when he was working for Hawaiian Island Creations. He, too, was frustrated with how cheesy the surfing industry was turning, and he was willing to sacrifice some profit in order to help turn things around. We combined forces in 2007 to create McKevlin's Surfboards. These boards are all "beginner friendly." The fun shapes are fairly basic designs with plenty of float, plenty of stability, extra strong glass jobs, and they help make it easier to surf and easier to improve your surfing quickly. All this at prices starting at $420! Then, in 2008, due to popular demand, we added longboards to the line-up. Now you can also get a longboard made in the U.S. with American materials and by an experienced shaper at a surprisingly low price. The response has been overwhelming. The McKevlin's fun shapes and longboards are among our very best-selling shapes. All these models focus on being user-friendly, extra-floaty, and kind to your wallet!
In 2017 we announced that we had launched our own line of shortboards as well. We teamed up with Ricky Carroll's house of expert shapers and designed what we think will be the perfect line-up of Folly Beach shortboards at the right price for everyone. The models are all inspired by and based upon some of the best-selling, best-reviewed, and best-designed boards on the planet. These boards are made of the same high-quality materials and have the same expert craftsmanship of any board in the world. Stop in and take a look!