The Aussie big-wave surfer-shaper that’s packed bombs with the best of them.

The surfer-shaper is truly a special kind of surfer. They know what works, what doesn’t, and all the nuance in between because they’ve had their paws on every curve and concave of the craft, over and over and over again. But the big-wave surfer shaper? Like Dylan Longbottom? That’s another kind of responsibility. A guy like Dyl—who has packed bombs from Teahupoo to Shippies—he knows the level of quality a board in that type of surf deserves. A guy, who after 30 years of professionally freesurfing big waves, is now shaping boards for the crew (and Lucas Chumbo) out at Nazare: Dyl and his boards have seen places few surfers on the planet have. In the newest episode of the Late Drop, Dylan Longbottom shares with Jamie Mitchell how he got his life to this point.

0:00 Growing up in Cronulla and then the South Coast, Having a dad that was a surfer/glasser, Being a kid working in the shaping bay, Got picked up by Billabong at 18 as a freesurfer, Making videos with Bali Strickland while still shaping

10:31 Got his bricklayer apprenticeship, Shaped his first board at 24, The Billabong Challenge at the South Coast

17:55 Began surfing with straps and tow surfing in the 2000s, Practicing rotations for air-game

23:50 Getting into big-wave surfing, Relationship with surfing huge Teahupoo, Shipsterns Bluff, The pivotal session at Shipsterns with Andy, Parko and Laurie Towner

32:46 The Code Red Swell success, Getting his equipment dialed at Teahupoo, Shaping for guys out at Teahupoo, Worst experience at Teahupoo

42:35 Filming stunt work for Point Break at Teahupoo, Focusing on the Australian big waves for Billabong’s Adventure Division

48.43 Shaping for guys like Lucas Chumbo, Surfing Nazare, The way he’s kept his surf career alive this whole time

54:19 Dealing with his most horrible experience at Nazare, Going from quads back to thrusters on boards,

1:05:10 Surfing big waves with his daughter, Where he sees big-wave surfing going, Where he sees big-wave equipment going

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