Australian Surfing Life Magazine 98' "The Shaping Game"

If you're a chick, a surf industry job doesn't have to mean selling bikinis to pudgy, inner-city touros. Take Shannon Payne-McIntyre. Possibly the first chick in the universe to run her own shaping business.

For the surf journalist, it's pretty easy to argue Shannon is one clued-on chick. At age 23, Shannon's possibly the world's first chick shaper, she owns a shaping business, has enjoyed heaps of good publicity, and with a starring role in a vid about San Diego chick's surfing, has shitloads of opportunity in front of her. On first impressions it's actually kind of difficult imagining Shannon shaping a board. She's petite, fragile- one of those flowy, hippy kinda chicks who describes surfing as a "feminine sport - beautiful and graceful." Difficult to imagine her shaping that is, until you shake her hand - I swear she could break a man's wanking hardware with that right hand. Shannon got into the shaping game about 18 months ago. After years of art school, she wanted to create something functional she could also paint on. Chuck in a passion for surfing and you've got a chick who does full customs and spray jobs. With barely one year's shaping behind her, Shannon decided to start her own business. Ballsy move, if you ask me, plunging into an all male-dominated industry. But Shannon reckons her family and shaper hubby, Shayne, were what gave her the guts. Shannon Surfboards in now charging along with "a whole bunch of boards" the official count, and stacks of positive comments from other top San Diego Shapers.

Shannon shapes mainly, but not exclusively for chicks. She reckons they feel less intimidated talking to her about their new or quite often first stick. About this part of her success she's matter of fact. "I just started at a perfect time for girls to come in and be accepted," she says. As for any budding shapers, Shannon reckons it's easy to get started. "You just have to hook up with a shaper and maybe start sweeping, watching and asking lots of questions. Read a lot of shaping article about what's going on - most people are willing to show someone how it's done." Now you have the motivation, what about the equipment? Shannon reckons you need a room - preferably with painted blue walls to get a good contrast of the board - a fluoro sidelight running at waist level, a sturdy shaping horse is a must, a surform, a planer, and sandpaper and a big ruler. However, if you just want to have a bash without selling your little brother to get started, Shannon says you can get by with just a surform. And just like the dishes after Sunday roast, there's bad bits. Like, being stuck in a hot stuffy room, "getting foam crusties in your eyes", getting dirty, messy and sweaty, and getting the "full-on zit-ring around your mouth where the respirator sit." You also won't be the running for Australia's richest people list - money, says Shannon, is "pretty hand to mouth." Of course, all these incidentals can be forgotten in one simple sentence. "you gotta do what you love," says Shannon. "have the courage to do what you want to do. And don't let anyone try to shine you." If it's something you're interested in, go for it. - Andrea Frost