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. And, we knew we weren't about to sell these same kinds of boards that we couldn't be proud of. We decided to get our own boards made by a reputable company, buy in large quantities, and pass the savings on to our customers. McKevlin's Surfboards were born.
In 2017 we connected with R&D Surf, Inc. to help us produce polyester Mid-length and Longboard shapes for McKevlin's Surfboards. It was a natural progression since R&D also produces mid-range and longboards for Ricky Carroll, Donald Takayama, Black Rose Mfg., Local Motion, and others.
All these boards are made in the U.S. with American materials and by experienced shapers and glassers.