M-10

Team Riders: Tyler Smith

At just 33 years old, M10 Surfboards founder/shaper Geoff Rashe finds himself at the helm of one of the world's hottest new shortboard labels. He is one of the first shapers in the USA to use in-house CNC technology for both design and production. As a contributing designer to the Surftech program, Rashe feels he brings modern precision to traditional art of his elder colleagues.
He shaped his first board in 1989 while a student at U.C. San Diego. "It was a 6' 4" roundpin that I shaped for myself, but I sold it for $120. Back in Santa Cruz, Rashe worked at Arrow Surfboards from 1994 to 1996 and claims Bob Pearson as his biggest influence. Halfway through 1996 he started his own surfboard company, naming it M10 in honor of Mach 10. "I started under my mom's deck here at her house on the Westside," Rashe said. "Then for a short time I was in Watsonville and then we moved to the factory where we are now on the Westside of Santa Cruz.
Rashe figures he's done about 6,500 boards in his career, but he goes back to one in particular that put him on the road: " The first board I made for Ratboy in 1994 got numerous magazine photos and brought me a lot of attention. I guess you could say it launched my career."
The board Rashe designed for Surf Tech is the Ratboy model. "It ranges from 5' 8" to 6' 2" and is a replica of Rat's polyester boards. I'm pretty happy with how Surf Tech turns the boards out, although I prefer my hand-shaped boards."