WATCH | 1976: Paul's Pipeliner

Picture this: It’s 1976. The stage has been set on Oahu’s North Shore for the Pipe Masters Final with some of surfing’s most legendary pioneers: Gerry Lopez, Rory Russell, and a young Mark Richards among others (back then there were 6 dudes in the Finals). Alongside these notable names was the future founder of Vissla, a young South African by the name of Paul Naude.

Under his arm was his trusty 7’6” Pipeliner. A board that made the rounds all over the North Shore; a time when boards shaped for waves of consequence were not as common as they are now.

Fast forward to early 2025: Paul joins the Vissla crew at Ehukai Beach Park during the Pipe Pro and ropes off some time at our Shaping Space. The goal: to shape a replica of that iconic board, right on the sand at Pipe, revisiting the beach where it all went down.

“It’s probably the pinnacle of my surfboard building career to have done what I managed to do today.”

Check out the latest film, 1976 Paul’s Pipeliner, a short doc that explores recreating the magic of one’s favorite board.

This Is Vissla.

This Is Surf.