Ridin' the Cole Train with Cole Simler

Interview-with-Cole-Simler-square.jpg

Cole Simler is rad. He’s one of the most underground shapers in the world who has shaped boards for everyone from the hottest local groms to world famous acts like Nathan Fletcher, Archy, the Andinos and the Iron brothers. He’s got a sick little shop in the San Clemente ghetto and we stopped by for a chat …

Ghetto Juice: Yeah Cole, what up? Surfed lately? How was it?
Cole Simler: It was good. I surfed last night. It was knee high, waist high. Some fun little waves. I have a couple little boys so they get me out there when I normally wouldn’t be out there, so that keeps it exciting.

Ghetto Juice: So how’d you get into surfing when you were a grom?
Cole: I pretty much learned how to surf inside the jetties in Newport, back when it was clean enough you could actually surf inside of it. There was a little right off one side, and a left off the other side. And I lived right up off Brookhurst Street by Sheep Hills, until I was about 10 or 11.

Ghetto Juice: When did you move to San Clemente?
Cole: Probably 1979 or ’78.

Ghetto Juice: When did you get into shaping?
Cole: When I moved up to San Luis Obispo to go to school and I was having a hard time getting boards up there because it was a little bit isolated at the time, and there weren’t that many shapers, so I was like, f-it, I’m gonna make my own. And I never turned back. I mean, I’ve always been stoked on boards. I also worked at the Hobie factory for a long time, it was so rad. I didn’t realize it at the time, but we had Terry Martin, Timmy Patterson, Bill Stewart, Phil Edwards … the Paskowitz’s were working down there, like Israel was the polisher and Damien Brawner and Danny Brawner … and Mickey Munoz was there all the time, and Mike Hyson was there. Such a rich group of characters and we were basically there just fixing dings and polishing boards and just psyched on surfboards. We really didn’t care if we got paid or not.

Ghetto Juice: And then you finally went on your own?
Cole: Well I shaped one or two at Hobie, and those guys helped me out a bit, kind of gave me an idea, but pretty much taught myself living up north. Then I’d come back down here in the summer and hang out with McElroy and Patterson and Midget Smith, which is where I shaped my first board, in his garage actually. Pretty sick. Then I was at Patterson’s shaping part time, and then next thing you knew I had tons of orders and I went over to Waterman’s Guild who set this place up and I’ve been here ever since.

Ghetto Juice: Why do you think so many good surfers come from San Clemente?
Cole: I definitely think it’s the people. The kids are around such gnarly guys every time they surf that it’s just natural for them to get better and better and better.

Ghetto Juice: Well sweet talk, gotta split … What’s the rest of your year looking like?
Cole: Just keep making boards. That’s it.


Posted by: Ghetto JuiceGhetto Juice at: 26 Jun 2014 15:21




Here are some other articles you might be interested in.


Wiki Syntax Enabled: Complete All Fields


Cole Simler is rad. He’s one of the most underground shapers in the world who has shaped boards for everyone from the hottest local groms to world famous acts like Nathan Fletcher, Archy, the Andinos and the Iron brothers. He’s got a sick little shop in the San Clemente ghetto and we stopped by for a chat …

Ghetto Juice: Yeah Cole, what up? Surfed lately? How was it?
Cole Simler: It was good. I surfed last night. It was knee high, waist high. Some fun little waves. I have a couple little boys so they get me out there when I normally wouldn’t be out there, so that keeps it exciting.

Ghetto Juice: So how’d you get into surfing when you were a grom?
Cole: I pretty much learned how to surf inside the jetties in Newport, back when it was clean enough you could actually surf inside of it. There was a little right off one side, and a left off the other side. And I lived right up off Brookhurst Street by Sheep Hills, until I was about 10 or 11.

Ghetto Juice: When did you move to San Clemente?
Cole: Probably 1979 or ’78.

Ghetto Juice: When did you get into shaping?
Cole: When I moved up to San Luis Obispo to go to school and I was having a hard time getting boards up there because it was a little bit isolated at the time, and there weren’t that many shapers, so I was like, f-it, I’m gonna make my own. And I never turned back. I mean, I’ve always been stoked on boards. I also worked at the Hobie factory for a long time, it was so rad. I didn’t realize it at the time, but we had Terry Martin, Timmy Patterson, Bill Stewart, Phil Edwards … the Paskowitz’s were working down there, like Israel was the polisher and Damien Brawner and Danny Brawner … and Mickey Munoz was there all the time, and Mike Hyson was there. Such a rich group of characters and we were basically there just fixing dings and polishing boards and just psyched on surfboards. We really didn’t care if we got paid or not.

Ghetto Juice: And then you finally went on your own?
Cole: Well I shaped one or two at Hobie, and those guys helped me out a bit, kind of gave me an idea, but pretty much taught myself living up north. Then I’d come back down here in the summer and hang out with McElroy and Patterson and Midget Smith, which is where I shaped my first board, in his garage actually. Pretty sick. Then I was at Patterson’s shaping part time, and then next thing you knew I had tons of orders and I went over to Waterman’s Guild who set this place up and I’ve been here ever since.

Ghetto Juice: Why do you think so many good surfers come from San Clemente?
Cole: I definitely think it’s the people. The kids are around such gnarly guys every time they surf that it’s just natural for them to get better and better and better.

Ghetto Juice: Well sweet talk, gotta split … What’s the rest of your year looking like?
Cole: Just keep making boards. That’s it.

Image Interview-with-Cole-Simler-square.jpg