Interview with Martin Guay from Guava Surfboards

🤙Hi Martin, could you briefly introduce yourself ? 

My name is Martin Guay, I surf in Montreal and I've been shaping surfboards for about twenty years now.

🤙Have you always surfed in rivers ?

When I first started surfing, I wanted nothing to do with river surfing.Probably because I couldn’t see or understand the potential behind surfing the Saint Lawrence. But at some point, I put my pride aside and discovered the joy of river surfing. I realized I could learn new things—and those things could actually help me improve in the ocean too. It also took the arrival of some very skilled surfers to help me recognize the true potential of the waves we have here and what could be done with them.

It was around that same time that I began shaping boards for other people. My clients were here in Quebec, in Montreal. So, if I wanted to sell boards to locals, I had to be able to surf here. I needed to understand how the waves worked and how to build boards that would best respond to the specific conditions of the river.

Of course, surfing in the ocean is fun and offers unmatched sensations. But when I check the forecast and conditions in Maine look unpromising, I’d rather grab my board and stay here to enjoy the beauty of our waves.

That’s also what I love about river surfing—the ability to constantly experiment. When I go to Habitat, I can easily bring two or three boards and try different things. I can swap fins or change other aspects. On the other hand, when you head out for a two-day ocean trip, it’s hard to tell yourself you’re going to spend the weekend running tests.

Plus, one of the major advantages of river surfing is that the wave is often consistent. That helps you progress and makes it easier to try new things.

🤙 What made you want to shape your own boards ?

I started shaping boards with my friend Rémi around 2004. That’s when we launched the brand Guava.

At first, we just wanted to shape boards because surfing is one of the rare sports where you can actually make the equipment you’re going to use yourself. I thought that was really cool. I’ve always been pretty hands-on, so making a board didn’t feel out of reach.

In surfing, there have always been a lot of films showing surfers doing impressive and highly technical things. But what really stood out to me were the films that focused on shaping—like the ones featuring Jack Johnson or Sprout by Thomas Campbell. Those films had a visual style that really spoke to me and added something extra.

After that, we figured we could probably do it too. So we ordered four blanks from the U.S. and started our adventure in a small apartment room in Saint-Henri. But nothing was easy.

The space was tight, and in 2004, you couldn’t just look things up or get help the way you can today. For example, we had trouble with our resins turning yellow, and we couldn’t sand them properly because we didn’t have the right tools.

So the early days weren’t easy—but we learned as we went, and we loved it.

🤙And the name, Guava Surfboard ?

Back then, I was really into Rasta culture.

I even had dreads and everything. Rémi and I couldn’t come up with a name for our brand. Then one day, we were goofing around, making a list of Bob Marley songs, and we came across Guava Jelly. So we decided to go with Guava Surfboards.

🤙Can you tell me about the first board you shaped ?

The first board we made was a copy of a surfboard we had bought in Indonesia.

That’s honestly the first piece of advice I’d give to anyone who wants to start shaping their own board: start by copying an existing one.

Replicating a board is a great learning experience. At the beginning, you don’t yet have a sharp enough eye or enough reference points to shape a good board from scratch. And when you copy, you can always go back to the original and gradually start to understand how the volumes, rails, nose size, and all the other elements work together to make a good board.

🤙What was the hardest at first ?

I think the hardest part in the beginning was being a pioneer in board shaping in Montreal.

We didn’t speak the same language as people using resin for industrial projects. When you’re shaping a surfboard, your needs and parameters are completely different from someone working in construction, for example. For us, resin turning yellow is a real problem. There’s often an aesthetic goal that others just ignore. That’s why, at the start, we easily scrapped about fifteen boards—just to get a feel for the materials and their limitations.

We couldn’t ask anyone for help, because we were the first ones doing it.

On top of that, YouTube wasn’t what it is today. We had to buy DVDs and try to reproduce what we saw using whatever we had on hand. It was only around 2007 that our boards started to gain some popularity. River surfing also became a bit more mainstream, which gave us access to more boards and allowed us to experiment with more models. But trial and error is constant—and it’s an essential part of shaping.

Another challenge we faced was space. We quickly realized that shaping in an apartment wasn’t going to work. And working with resin outdoors was just as difficult—it’s really hard to control all the variables. So we knew we needed a proper workshop. But even then, we realized that having a space wasn’t enough. Without proper ventilation, it just wasn’t possible.

Luckily, there were two of us in the adventure from the start. It took a lot of motivation, but also a certain level of confidence to believe in the project—and Rémi had confidence to spare. We balanced each other out really well.

🤙And now ?

I live mainly from passion, and I definitely don’t want shaping boards to feel like a job.

I want to have fun, but also respect the people who order boards from me. I don’t want to rush the process just because I have to deliver tons of boards to make a living.

Also, I’m a bit of a "freestyle" person. I don’t really take measurements, and I don’t always write down my recipes. This can sometimes be tricky and take a lot of time.

I also don’t like making the same boards over and over again. I enjoy starting with new ideas. For example, I don’t have a favorite board. I don’t have signature models either, because I like to create based on the surfer, the wave they want to ride, and their skill level.

In the past, I did a lot of custom orders, but now I mainly shape boards that I like to surf myself, which I can then adapt.

I like the idea of waiting to find the right person for each of my boards, so I can give the best advice. I really enjoy that part of being a shaper. Suggesting boards and guiding a future buyer—even if it means sometimes offering them a board that’s completely different from what they initially wanted. But I trust my judgment and my boards enough to sell ones that are well-suited to the surfer who asks me for one. 

🤙Can you tell me a little about your creative process ?

These days, we are really flooded with so many images, and it’s becoming harder to be truly original because it always feels like we’re copying someone.

Now, I design my boards more based on the inspiration of the moment. I also really enjoy experimenting and trying new things and techniques. For example, recently, I’ve designed several boards with ink drops because that’s what inspired me, and the feedback has been great.

I really enjoy exploring and pushing the artistic and creative process quite far. I like reinventing myself and finding joy in shaping a board for someone.

I like imagining the surfer who ordered a board from me and anticipating their reaction when they receive it, then test it on the river or elsewhere.