Student Keith Dixon With his take on the Essence Surf Shaping School

I feel it's important to post here for any surfers considering
taking a shaping class: the course you get through
Essence is an amazing experience and you should do this!
A lot of shaping classes out there provide you with
a pre-cut blank that you sand down a bit and then
have someone else glass for you. Not here: with the
Essence class, you will experience absolutely every
aspect of creating your own surfboard, from skinning the
blank all the way to doing your own artwork -- Gene will
help as much or as little as you like, according to your
comfort level. As he put it, you will start a little bit Bob Vila
(jigsaw and planer in hand), and end a little bit Da Vinci --
when you finish each session you'll be really dusty, amazed
by what you've learned, and grinning ear to ear. Aside from
being a terrific guy to work with, Gene is that rarest of types
in today's soulless, machine-made world: a truly talented
craftsman. And that is something. This guy cares about
surfers, he cares about producing quality work, and he cares
about teaching his students the skills they need to begin
producing their own surfboards. It makes me happy to know
he's out there, and I look forward to having his help as I begin
to build on the skills that he taught me. Don't hesitate to take
this class, you'll be glad you did!

Keith Dixon