Larry Bertelman Signature board

Rebel Boards Project

For the Bertlemann models we have chosen EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) blanks and Epoxy resin over Polyurethane and Polyester resin. We feel this combination of EPS and Epoxy resins give the boards a better overall strength factor.

All of the Larry Bertlemann models are designed by Larry starting with the template outline through to the rocker, the foiling, fin placements and color graphics. Larry personally gets involved with the original prototypes from shaping to final approval and stays involved through to the quality control. It has been documented that Larry revolutionized the way people surf and he has translated that wave riding knowledge into his designs.

Rebel Boards Project

There are many shapers who market their own brand of surfboards, but what separates Larry from all these others is that he not only won the highly prestigious Duke Kahanamoku Surf Championship but was voted one of the Top Ten Surfers in the history of surfing.

It was best put into words by Santa Cruz surfboards when they stated, “The Rubberman opened the door. Arriving amid a period of flux, he demonstrated that no limits exist beyond our imagination. He didn't invent the short board; he just showed us how to ride it. No one had a greater influence on the way people surf -- from the best in the world on down -- than Larry Bertlemann.

Larry’s legacy does not stop there. While he was influencing the future of surfboard riding, he also translated his radical style to the concrete wave and skateboarding. The legendary Dogtown skaters, like Jay Adams, looked to Larry as their hero in the water and on land. They mimicked Larry’s hand plant maneuver and branded it the “Bert,” which is still practiced by skaters today.

Currently, Larry is living in Hawaii, still hand shaping custom orders for the Hawaiian locals as well as orders that come in from around the world. Larry will always have an active hand in designing his models going into the future.