When I arrived to meet Mike Stadler, owner of New Life Surfboards, I did not know what to expect. A mutual friend suggested that I talk to him for Sea Sand Surf and I took the lead. Mike and I exchanged several emails, set a date for an interview, and I drove over to his place in Manasquan assuming nothing. I figured “how bad could it be to talk shop with another local surfer?” Worst case scenario, I may know another face in the lineup when all is said and done.
What I found upon meeting Mike was a surfer with a wealth of knowledge and a shaper with ties to the deep history of the sport. He was kind and generous and extremely stoked to show me around the intimate workings of New Life Surfboards. We got together early, after a wave check revealed a mess, and he and his wife Trish gave me a great cup of coffee upon my arrival. As often happens with surfers, it felt more like I was seeing old friends rather than becoming acquainted with strangers.
Sea Sand Surf: So when did you first start surfing?
Mike Stadler: It was either 1964 or 65. My father used to pack the family up and take us to Sandy Hook. My earliest memories center around surfing and everything associated with it.
The Stadler's and Their Summer Quiver
SSS: Did you stick with it this whole time?
Stadler: Pretty much. It was one of those things. It got in my blood and I could not imagine it any other way. My father passed the love of the sport onto me, and when I had my son I tried to do the same. My son is 28 now and has been surfing his whole life. Surfing is part of the Stadler family.
SSS: How about shaping surfboards? Is this something that you have always done?
Stadler: Not really. I have only been shaping for a couple of years.
Stadler Knows that Fine Edges Make for Fine Surfing
SSS: What made you want to get into it? Why not just surf a few boards you love and be done with it?
Stadler: The design of boards has always been an interest to me. I have always been very aware of my equipment and the way that it was built and how it functioned in the water.
SSS: I think most surfers share that desire to understand their boards, but to start a surf company like New Life Surfboards is a whole other thing right? How did that transition happen for you?
Stadler: Well, I was sitting around one day in an apartment in Jersey City, totally frustrated by the rat race. I was caught up in it. I was a successful graphic designer, but the landscape of the profession was changing rapidly. I was fed up with the hyper-competitive nature of things. I was laying this all out on the table to my wife Trish, and she said, “well, what do you want to do?” I told her I wanted to shape surfboards and she just asked me what I was waiting for.
SSS: I am sure that support is a big help right?
Stadler: (laughs) I tell everyone that she is the C.I.O of New Life Surfboards… the Chief Inspiration Officer.
Cool People Doing Cool Things
SSS: So you basically dove right in from there? That must have been daunting.
Stadler: I was already accustomed to working in design so the transition felt natural in many ways.
SSS: Did the 40 plus years of surfing experience help?
Stadler: Absolutely. I had a pretty clear idea about what works in the water and what doesn’t- so that eliminated a good deal of the trial and error phase for me.
SSS: What types of shapes have you been designing?
Stadler: I love making classic East Coast Long Boards. Boards that let the rider get in the wave early enough to get down the line, but still offer some precision turning in the tail. I try to get the right foil on the rocker with a perfect blend of concave. That, combined with the rounded pin, and you have a board that flies but still turns on a dime.
A Classic East Coast Board from a Classic Guy
SSS: Have you branched out from there?
Stadler: I have. I have made some fish that work really well, and I am currently working on a shape for a classic California Long board- a board that will let the rider get ten over the nose.
The Cup Loves to Hang Ten- Forever...
SSS: Outside of your C.I.O, who are your other influences?
Stadler: I was fortunate to fall under the tutelage of Donald Takayama for a spell. In the short time that I had the chance to see him at work I was amazed. I went to California to meet with him. I left so inspired, and I have applied that inspiration to my work. I mean, here is a guy that has been shaping for over 55 years, and I am standing there learning from him thinking, “this can’t be for real.”
SSS: How does it feel to be a small leaf off of that great branch of surfing?
Stadler: You know; it is my goal to help other people get stoked on surfing. When I shape a board for someone I try to get to know them as a person first. I may go out for a session with them, or do a quiver inventory. In the end, I want their New Life Surfboard to be something they will have in their quiver for a long time to come. So when a shaper like Donald Takayama opens his bay to me and spends some time I am ultimately very grateful. He has a knowledge base that is so unique, and the fact that he was willing to share it with me just solidified my love of shaping.
SSS: What direction do you see New Life Surfboards taking?
Stadler: As of now, I am really focused on making custom boards for people who love to surf. A number of people have approached me about making “go to” long boards for their quivers, and that has really driven me. In the end New Life Surfboards has a core mission of passing along the love of surfing on to people in any way possible.
SSS: What is on the radar in the near future?
Stadler: We will have a stand at the Belmar Pro in September and we welcome everyone to stop by and say hello.
SSS: Best of luck along the way.
Stadler: Thanks. We will get there one great board at a time.
Sea Sand Surf 