**Updated on March 2018

You’ve always wanted to know where your boards were made? Who shapes them? Which companies/boards come from the same factories ?

A lot of companies actually have their boards made in the same factories, it’s no secret. More hi-end boards are well-made and solid crafts. Some companies make customs and shape only their own boards (like Toobs, Basic Boards, Gato, Primo, Jimmy Linville, CustomX & Cartel for example), other companies shape for just a few different brands and other factories are way bigger and shape for dozens of brands.

Whether it is a board made in a large factory or a small factory you must know that all boards are hand-shaped. Sometimes the shaper is famous, sometimes it’s just a random guy in a factory but one way or another you need a man (a several mens) to build a good board.

- The PE, PP (or 3D or FRC or whatever core it is) core can be machine-cut with a CNC machine (like it is at the Mez factory in Surabaya, Indonesia) or it can be hand-cut by a shaper. The core is given a shape with a template and curves according to what board we want.
- The rocker is shaped on the core blank
- The Rails are cut (50/50 or 60/40 or 55/45)
- The channels and deck contours are shaped if there are contours on the board
- Then the slick and deck are laminated with a machine called a laminating/laminator machine (it’s like a big roll that’s super hot and thermo-seals the slick and the deck to the core of the board). Most laminators are pretty much the same but some are patented and kinda specific like the Buzz™ Laminator Technology developped by Buzz at Toobs which is currently used by Toobs, Mez & Dan Sivess, Todd Quigley & Jarrod Gibson for example.
- After that the rails (inner and outer rails) and tail have to be laminated to the core as well, which has to be done by the shaper.
- The stringer(s) is inserted in the core just before the tail is laminated.
- The prints or stamps are done after this.
- Then stickers and packaging+blister are put on the final product.

Make sure you watch the video we filmed at the Turbo factory a while ago in Port Macquarie, Aus. by the way: http://vimeo.com/4063842

The steps described above are more or less the main steps used but all factories and shapers. In small factories one shaper will do everything by himself but in larger factories each worker in the factory will have its own role and job to do on a board. For example one guy will help with lamination, then another will put the rails, another will put the tails etc.

Here’s a Spongercity.com short list that should help you know better where your board(s) come from or who can shape you a custom board if you’re looking for a custom board. Note that these details are given as of today and the list and details may change as it goes. We’ll update this short list as often as we can.

Important: If you’re a board maker or a brand and would like to modify / enhance the list feel free to contact spongercity.com

There’s no particular order in the list. We must have forgotten some brands so please let us know if you’re not in the list and we’ll add you in here. We apologies in advance. If you’d like your brand to be removed from here let us know.

The Spongercity short list: (updated on July 2013)
TOOBS – Made at Toobs factory until recently, Morro Bay, CA. with stock boards now made by Mez (Broady Asia) in Indo
CUSTOMX USA – Made by SFP, Oceanside, CA.
CUSTOMX USA Customs – Made by Peter “PMA” Anaya at the SFP factory in Oceanside, CA.
CUSTOMX AUSTRALIA – Made in Taiwan (Agit)
CARTEL USA & EUROPE – Made by SFP, Oceanside, CA.
CARTEL USA & EUROPE Customs – Made by Peter “PMA” Anaya at the SFP factory in Oceanside, CA.
DIVISION71 – Made by MEZ in Indonesia at the Broady factory
JL DESIGNS – Made in California by Jimmy Linville
CONGO BOARDS – Made in California by Jimmy Linville
BASIC BOARDS – Made in Australia by Redders
QCD Boards – Made by MEZ in Indonesia at the Broady factory
QCD Customs – Made by Todd Quigley in Australia
Hardy Shapes – Made by MEZ in Indonesia at the Broady factory
JG Boards – Made by MEZ in Indonesia at the Broady factory
NMD – Made by MEZ in Indonesia at the Broady factory with Mez designs
NMD Customs – Made by Mez at the Broady factory (only for team riders, not for the public)
VS – Made by MEZ in Indonesia at the Broady factory with Mez / Dan Sivess
DSC – Dan Sivess Customs. Made by Dan Sivess in Indonesia at the Broady factory (only for team riders, not for the public). Dan also shapes customs for the HB team riders and other teams.
DRAG Boards Co. – Made by MEZ in Indonesia at the Broady factory
MOREY – Made by MEZ in Indonesia at the Broady factory
ELIT – Was made by MEZ in Indonesia at the Broady factory (Elit is not existing anymore since 2011)
SCIENCE – Made by MEZ in Indonesia at the Broady factory
SNIPER – Made by MEZ in Indonesia at the Broady factory
EMPIRE – Made by MEZ in Indonesia at the Broady factory
TRIAD – Made by MEZ in Indonesia at the Broady factory
HB – Made by MEZ in Indonesia at the Broady factory with Dan Sivess designs
BZ – Made by MEZ in Indonesia at the Broady factory
BZ Customs – Made by Yamo in California (Available to the public) or Dan Sivess in Indonesia at the Broady factory (only for team riders)
BSD (Latest Re-Issued Boards) – Made by MEZ in Indonesia at the Broady factory
GT Boards – Made in Taiwan by Agit
HUBBOARDS – Made by MEZ in Indonesia at the Broady factory
PRIDE – Made by MEZ in Indonesia at the Broady factory
PRIDE customs – Made by Dan Sivess in Indonesia at the Broady factory (only for team riders)
TOYS – (Brand is not around anymore) Made by MEZ in Indonesia at the Broady factory
MANTA – Made in China (To Be Confirmed)
4PLAY – Made in China (To Be Confirmed)
TURBO (Australia) – Brand has been sold to TURBO Japan – Made in Taiwan by Agit
ROSSI – Made by Marc Rossouw in South Africa
FOUND BOARDS – Made in Taiwan by Agit
NOMAD – Made in Taiwan by Agit
NO6 – Made in Taiwan by Agit
RIP BOARDS – Made in Taiwan by Agit
MILK – Made Gato in Portugal. Customs can be ordered and are made by Gato
REFRESH – Made in Portugal by Gato
PRIMO Shapes – Made in France by Peio (Anglet), customs only. Available to the public
ARIN – Made in Spain
RESPECT – Made in Taiwan by Agit
WR RIDER – Made in Taiwan by Agit
ID BODYBOARDS – (Not sure if production still goes on for ID. ) Made in Taiwan by Agit
FUNKSHEN – Made in Taiwan by Agit
Deeply Bodyboards – Made in Taiwan by Agit