Pyzel Surfboards - Perth
"From a backyard shaping room on Oahu's North Shore to one of the most respected names in high-performance surfboard design."
Few surfboard brands are as closely associated with powerful waves and high-performance surfing as Pyzel Surfboards. Founded by Hawaiian-based shaper Jon Pyzel, the brand has built an international reputation by creating boards that combine speed, control and precision, with a particular understanding of what happens when the waves get serious.
The Pyzel story began on the North Shore of Oahu, where Jon moved permanently in 1992 after travelling and deciding he wanted to be closer to warmer water and better waves. He initially worked at Country Surfboards, repairing dings and later glassing boards, before beginning to experiment with shaping. North Shore shaper Jeff Bushman became an important early influence, eventually giving Jon his first professional shaping opportunity. Pyzel Surfboards began taking shape in a backyard shaping room around 1995.
Living and shaping on the North Shore provided an extraordinary testing ground. The waves of Oahu demand boards that can paddle efficiently, generate speed quickly and remain controlled when the wave becomes steep and powerful. That environment has remained central to Pyzel's design philosophy.
The brand's relationship with John John Florence has been particularly influential. Florence grew up on the North Shore and has ridden Pyzel boards throughout his career, providing an extraordinary real-world testing ground for Jon's designs. The collaboration has helped produce some of Pyzel's most recognisable models, including the Ghost, which was originally developed for powerful, hollow waves but has since become a much broader high-performance design. Pyzel's official description notes that the Ghost has been ridden by Florence in everything from Margaret River and Bells Beach to J-Bay and Trestles.
While Pyzel's reputation was built around performance surfing, the range has expanded considerably. Models such as the Phantom, Gremlin and Pyzalien bring elements of the brand's high-performance DNA into more everyday conditions, giving recreational surfers access to designs that have evolved from decades of testing in some of the world's most demanding waves.
Today, Pyzel remains based on Oahu's North Shore, with the brand's boards ridden by surfers around the world. The underlying philosophy, however, remains much the same as it was in Jon's early shaping room: build boards that help surfers get the most out of the waves in front of them.
The Shaper
Jon Pyzel
Jon Pyzel has spent more than three decades shaping on Oahu's North Shore, and the environment in which he learned his craft remains central to his approach.
His early experience at Country Surfboards, combined with the influence of Jeff Bushman, gave Jon a grounding in traditional shaping before he developed his own designs. From those early backyard shapes, Pyzel Surfboards grew through word of mouth and the demands of surfers looking for boards capable of handling the North Shore's powerful waves.
The relationship with John John Florence became particularly important. Rather than simply supplying boards to an elite surfer, Jon and John John have continually tested and refined designs together, using everything from everyday surf to some of the world's most demanding waves as a testing ground.
That connection has helped Pyzel develop a reputation for boards that feel refined and controlled without losing the speed and responsiveness needed for progressive surfing.
Design Philosophy
Rather than using a formal mission statement, Pyzel's design philosophy is best understood through the way its boards have evolved. The brand's designs are heavily influenced by the demands of powerful, high-quality waves, but the goal isn't simply to make boards for professionals.
The Ghost is a good example. Originally developed as a high-performance board for hollow and powerful surf, its combination of a refined outline, forward thickness, relatively moderate entry rocker and increased tail rocker has allowed it to work across a much wider range of waves than originally anticipated.
That same thinking carries through the range: preserve the performance characteristics that make a board exciting to surf, then adapt the design so it works for the conditions most surfers actually encounter.
Did you know?
The Ghost wasn't originally intended to become the enormously versatile model it eventually became. Pyzel developed it primarily for powerful, hollow waves, but feedback from surfers showed that its combination of rocker, outline and bottom contours worked exceptionally well in a much broader range of conditions. That discovery ultimately led to the development of the Phantom as a dedicated step-down version for everyday surf.
Why Perth Surfers Love Pyzel Surfboards
There is an obvious connection between Pyzel's North Shore heritage and the waves of Western Australia. When the Indian Ocean starts producing proper winter swell, WA offers the kind of powerful, open-faced surf where Pyzel's performance designs make a lot of sense.
The Ghost is an obvious choice when the waves around Trigg, Mettams or the South West have genuine power, while trips to Yallingup, Margaret River and beyond provide the sort of conditions in which Pyzel's high-performance DNA really comes into its own. It was here, during the 2017 Margaret River Pro, that John John Florence famously showcased the Ghost in some of the heaviest conditions on tour at the time, charging through large, powerful South West surf and helping cement the board’s reputation as a true performance weapon in serious waves.
But you don't need six-foot barrels every morning to enjoy a Pyzel. Models such as the Phantom, Gremlin and Pyzalien 2 are designed specifically to bring elements of that performance feel into smaller and more everyday waves. Pyzel's own range categorises its daily-driver models for conditions ranging from around one foot through to eight feet, depending on the model and surfer.
For Perth surfers who regularly move between local beach breaks, winter reefs and trips down the coast, that range makes Pyzel a particularly versatile brand to build a quiver around.
Hollow's Take
Who They're Best For
Pyzel is particularly appealing to surfers who enjoy a performance-oriented board and want something with plenty of speed and response under their feet. While the brand has models for a broad range of surfers, its roots are firmly in performance surfing. If you're comfortable on a shortboard and want to keep progressing, there's plenty to explore in the range.
Where They Shine
Pyzel really comes into its own when there's some power in the wave. The Ghost and other high-performance models are naturally suited to clean, well-shaped surf, while the Phantom, Gremlin and Pyzalien 2 broaden the range considerably for everyday beach breaks and less-than-perfect conditions.
Why We Rate Them
What we like about Pyzel is the clear connection between the boards and the environment in which they're developed. These aren't designs created in isolation—they've been refined around some of the world's best waves and tested by surfers operating at an exceptionally high level. The result is a range that gives everyday surfers access to decades of high-performance design knowledge without every board demanding perfect waves.