Tyler Warren Shapes Surfboards

Tyler warren grew up in southern California where he still resides; when not traveling the world for surfing or art shows. Tyler has loved art since a young age as most kids do and has honed his skills over time. He began drawing images to screen print on t-shirts that he would give to friends and sell out of his truck at surf contest in high school. He then was commissioned to draw on a board by someone that came into Hobie Surf Shop while he was working. When the board was finished it sat in the rack waiting to be picked up, a rep from simple shoes saw the board and put him in contact with simple thinking he would be a good fit for there new line of “green” shoe products. This would be his second commissioned drawing; a fabric design to be repeated on this series of shoes and sandals. From there Tyler would draw on boards and design t-shirts, posters and other various items for different companies. From the age of 19-23 Tyler worked as an apprentice for his uncle Kenton nelson who was an illustrator in the days before computers and then he became a successful oil painter. Tyler began to fall in love with oil painting and the process taught to him by his uncle Kenton. Tyler had his first art show at the age of 18 in 2004. Since then Tyler has had numerous exhibitions in japan, Europe, Hawaii and more. In 2011 at the age of 24 Tyler signed with one of the worlds largest surf brands, billabong, as an artist and professional free surfer.

Shaping his first board at the age of 14 with two friends. They ripped the glass off a beat up old 70’s single fin and reshaped it on a pair of saw horses at the base of his friends driveway. Loving to draw boards and fins since 11, he had a passion for design. Tyler shaped about 1 board a year for the next 10 years and on his 9th board it really clicked and came out quite clean. Loving the way it rode, he made a few more for an art show he had in the back of a surf shop in 2009. Not really trying to sell them just made them more for show and to try out. These boards were all based off the mini simmons theory of a wide short round nosed 4’11’’ keel finned design brought to life by friend richard kenvin and san deigo shapers joe boeguess and larry mabile. People soon took notice of this odd looking design for the time as they were flying down the waves with effortless speed and glide. Now most shapers have some sort of version of a mini simmons design. Tyler began watching all of his boards get shaped from the age of 15. Over the years he has watched and worked with terry martin, midget smith, malcom campbell, chris christenson, gary larson, manuel caro, josh hall, and robin kegel. These diverse influences have led tyler to strive to shape, ride and evolve all types of surfboard designs over the last decade from longboards to shortboards and everything in between.