Following the recent announcement of Bob McTavish as the inaugural FCS Legend Shaper Award recipient, it’s now with great pleasure that we announce the recipient of the Icon Shaper Award; Mr Jon Pyzel.
To qualify for the Icon category shapers needed to have 20 years of experience under their belt. And while the Legend Award was about honouring the past, this award is more about acknowledging what’s happening now, the shapers who’re innovating and leading board design into the future.
With so many shapers moving the needle, according to our judges; Wayne 'Rabbit' Bartholomew, Tom Carroll and Brad Gerlach, the Icon Award was hotly contested and very difficult to decide. A lengthy deliberation ensued before they eventually settled on the worthy recipient.
Jon Pyzel has been in the spotlight for most of the past decade. His relationship with John John Florence and a core crew of Hawaiian surfers has been well documented. So too has his success in surfboard review flatforms such as STAB in the Dark.
It’s clear that Jon’s not only been well guided in his early years of shaping but has carved out a significant place in today’s competitive surfboard landscape resulting from an acute understanding of high-performance curves and shapes.
Behind the Pyzel brand is a very humble and grounded man who appreciates his place among today's elite shapers, and it’s clear he’s thankful for the opportunity to make boards for all types of surfers.
Jon was also keen to take up the challenge of making Mick a board. He deviated slightly from the expected, while keeping true to the performance category for which he’s known. And in contrast to McTavish who mowed out Mick’s board using a planner, we see Jon utilise CAD file modelling and the shaping machine. The end result looks pretty damn sweet, and we’re confident Mick’s going to love riding the new shooter.
On behalf of the global surfing community, congratulations Jon! Keep pushing the boundaries and producing weapons of shred. Please join us now as we celebrate a remarkable shaper and the recipients of the inaugural FCS Icon Award, Jon Pyzel.
