Cole Simler
Longtime San Clemente shaper Cole Simler has been at the forefront of innovation and high-performance boards for nearly a decade. Following an in-town tutelage at the Hobie Surf Factory, Simler moved up the coast in search of waves and an education. “I moved to go to school at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo,” Simler says. “It was tough to get boards up there, so I figured I would just make myself a few.”
The variety of surf spots and surfers on the Central Coast provided Simler with the ideal backdrop to further experiment with shaping and outside-the-box thinking. “It was cool because I got to learn about making all different kinds of boards,” Simler says. “There’s such a diversity in boards and waves up there. It really opened my eyes as to what can be accomplished.”
Simler moved back to San Clemente in 1999 and immediately became a staple in the local shaping community. As his reputation as a talented shaper grew, the demand for his magic boards moved into the professional realm. “Dino [Andino], Matt Archbold and Nathan Fletcher started riding the boards again after I got back down here and then their buddies would check them out,” Simler says.”” (excerpt from San Clemente Times)
"Over the years I have been fortunate enough to have shaped for and surfed with some of the most progressive and innovative surfers in the world. Surfers that push the limits of performance have always been intriguing to me. Surfers like Bruce Irons, Andy Irons, Nathan Fletcher, Matt Archbold, and Chris Ward constantly bend and break the rules of what is possible and what is not. My goal is to make the imagination the only limit to what is possible in surfing, not the equipment."
