Jarvis Boards founder Tony Smith grew up making things – out of LEGOs, then model cars and rockets, and so on – with his brothers. Despite that lifelong interest in making things with his hands, as an adult, he ended up getting a job as a stockbroker. Until …
One day when Tony happened across a book about building wooden canoes, purchased it on impulse, then followed up with purchases of a table saw and some wood. He built his canoe and then, based upon his own hobby of stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) turned his attention to building wooden paddleboards.
That interest, in turn, led to his founding the company “Jarvis Boards,” an Austin, Texas-based company that makes some standard types of paddle- and surf-boards, as well as made-to-order custom boards. They’ve also put together board building plans, materials and kits for those who want to build their own.
To balance the factors of user experience, environmental impact and overall aesthetic, Jarvis Boards builds each of their boards from recycled foam cores and woods such as maple and cherry.
You can find out more about the company and their paddle- and surfboards at jarvisboards.com.
