1976: Paul's Pipeliner

Meet Paul Naude, founder of Vissla. 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.