Judith Turner-Yamamoto is a writer based in Arlington, Virginia.

As long ago as 2000 B.C., Polynesians negotiated the waves of the south Pacific using boards crafted from redwood, balsa and breadfruit. Popularized by Southern California’s beach culture, surfboards gradually evolved from these 150-pound solid wood behemoths to the hollow boards of the 1930s and the lightweight foam and fiberglass designs of the 1970s and today. For Raleigh, North Carolina, artist Clark Hipolito, the surfboard’s ancient and enduring form provides fertile ground for new interpretations. “I’m interested in that intersection where technology and classic design meet,” says Hipolito, who works in collaboration with board shaper Brian Wynn and graphic artist Tony Ramsi. “Our boards combine the technology of today with the wooden surfboard’s heritage.”

Of Filipino descent, the 36-year-old Hipolito draws his inspiration not only from the Polynesian surfing legacy but also from the defining impulses of Asian art. His ongoing “Against the Grain” series, first launched to success last summer in a show at Deluxe restaurant in Wilmington, North Carolina, features faux-painted wood grains and imagery inspired by the intricacy of traditional Asian tattoos. On one board, alternating diamonds of light and dark burled walnut and blonde maple emulate intricate parquet; while on another, the gestural movement of a giant koi is rendered to simulate black and blonde cocobolo. Other designs are adorned with scrollwork, floral motifs and insignias, which also find expression in his fine art. “Murals are a big part of my business,” explains Hipolito, whose Raleigh-based interdisciplinary design firm specializes in designing nightclubs, restaurants, stores and homes. “I wanted to introduce that same level of detail into the surfboard designs. There’s a fine line I’m dancing between invoking classical elements and keeping the design hip.”

Growing up in Vineland, New Jersey, Hipolito began surfing the Atlantic off southern New Jersey while in high school. After receiving degrees in fine arts and business at Seton Hall in South Orange, New Jersey, he worked at MTV, painting background artwork and murals for music video sets. In 1994, after spending five years in Manhattan, Hipolito was ready for a less hectic environment. He explored such Southern cities as Atlanta and Charleston before settling in Raleigh—the city’s proximity to Wrightsville Beach was a plus—where he launched his own design business called The Art Company. 

Several years ago while working with longtime friend and fellow artist Tony Ramsi, Hipolito experienced an epiphany. Their mutual friend, Brian Wynn, had started Wynn Surfboards in Vineland, and it dawned on them that Wynn’s pristine, white surfboards would make incredible canvases. Hipolito began experimenting with water-based acrylics and resins, faux-finishing a number of dinged-up boards. The technique provided enough durability so the designs could be used in salt water without the paint wearing off. “They are as durable as any surfboard and totally functional,” says Hipolito, who periodically develops new collections with his collaborators. “They go through the same construction process, but instead of being airbrushed a solid color and decorated with pinstripes, we’re painting original artwork on them.”

Despite the foam and fiberglass that have increased lightness, maneuverability and performance, surfboard production remains a time-consuming, hands-on craft. The team spends several weeks collaborating on each new collection. Wynn shapes the boards, turning the raw pieces of foam called blanks into surfboards. Then fiberglass sheets are attached to the boards with resin and Hipolito and Ramsi paint directly on the surface. After the artwork is finished, Wynn “glasses” the boards with a final coat of resin to seal the paintings. “Many people buy our boards and actually ride them,” says Hipolito, whose own surfboard collection features seven boards with his paintings. “When we’re out surfing, which can be anywhere from New Jersey or Delaware to Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks, people see the boards and our vehicles covered in our logos. We get a lot of private commissions.”

While the average custom surfboard costs $500 to $900, Hipolito’s designs, which all bear The Art Company’s crest and the Wynn Surfboards logo, typically sell between $2,500 and $5,000, depending on the board’s size and the intricacy of painting detail. “Most people approach the purchase of my work as a fine art acquisition,” says Hipolito. “Many clients are professionals who surfed when they were kids and they like the nostalgia the boards evoke and they hang them in their offices. Younger people do buy them with the intention of surfing.”

Customized, individually commissioned boards often result from designed boards seen at large public venues like the RBC Center in Raleigh or such retail boutiques as Oliver in Wrightsville Beach. Clients can specify a particular size, for example, a classic nine-foot-long board, along with particular wood grains and tonalities. Most popular, Hipolito says, is the twin-fin retro-fish with maple and walnut combinations.

With exhibits of his designs opening in July at both the April & George Gallery in Raleigh and Deluxe in Wilmington, Hipolito is collaborating with Wynn and Ramsi on a new body of work that will comprise between 30 to 40 boards. A major source of inspiration for the artist is his 1962 Century Resorter mahogany ski boat. “I really love the classic look of old Chris-Craft, Century and Riva wooden boats, with their sumptuous rows of wooden stringers. I plan to incorporate the use of inlay designs as focal points, while continuing to explore the wood grains. For me, they evoke classic nautical imagery and tradition. Marrying that to innovation, that’s what excites me.” 

For more information, call (919) 272-2785 or visit www.art-company.com