Marc Andreini has shaped countless surfboards in his life, and a large part of Goleta’s surf
history involved Andreini surfboards. He continues to be a prolific shaper, continually changing,
evolving and experimenting with different board types. His career has been so unique and
eventful, we can only fit a handful of the highlights on this website. So here goes….
1962. Andreini’s brother Pete at Campus Point with a pop out.
They moved to Santa Barbara in 1957 and their mom taught them to surf!
The Andreini brothers started their life long surf journeys at Ledbetter and Miramar,
sneaking up to Hammonds when the older guys weren’t around..
Later, Pete would become Marc’s test pilot, trying out new shapes on different waves.
In 1963, Marc and his brother Pete discovered the White Owl Surf Shop in Summerland. It became
their home away from home, much to the chagrin of the owner, Jeff White. Since he couldn’t get rid
of them, he put them on what became the Surf ‘n’ Wear Surf Team. His first custom board was a
White Owl and he rode only White Owls up until the time they stopped making them.
Then Andreini started making them!
This photo was taken in 1965.
Look closely in The Shanty and see one of the proprietors of White Owl getting tuned up.
Courtesy of Jeff ” Bullet” Campbell, far right.
1964. The first complete board Andreini ever made was the belly board on the
left. He shaped and glassed it out of scrap materials.
The pigment job was done by his step brother Richard, on Marc’s Owl popout.
We’re not sure how Hot Henry Hodad fits into the whole thing….
Marc’s sixteenth birthday in 1967.
Margo Godfrey, Bill Edwards and Marc on their way to Rincon. These were his two best surf
buds at the time and this was his sweet ride. He paid $30 of hard earned ding repair money
for this baby!
Margo Godfrey-Oberg later won several world titles.
Surfing for the Owl Surf Team at Stanley’s.
Marc started surfing for Owl in 1963 and rode their boards exclusively.
He competed in NSSA and all the local contests back then.
In 1970, Marc was invited to surf in the Peruvian International Invitational and got to meet and
compete against such legends as George Downing, Joey Cabell, Felipe Pomar, Mike Purpus, Paul
Strauch and others.
1968. Here’s the first standup board Marc shaped by himself. A 7’3″ swallowtail he made out
of his brother’s Owl, after he lost it in the cave at Steamers Lane. Marc used a template he
got from George Greenough to make this board out of it.
Andreini shaped and glassed every board himself until the mid 70’s.
Who knew what this was the start of!
1970. Marc built these whole boards, including fins, without any power tools. Truly, hand made.
Andreini started his shaping career while living with his dad in San Mateo in the late sixties
and then he built boards in Half Moon Bay with Robert Johnson for the local crew. Most of their
early customers are noteworthy surfers today including one gremmy by the name of Jeff Clark.
Later that year, he moved back to Santa Barbara to make shaping surfboards his career.
Marc found a paying job at Spindrift Surfboards and ended up
buying them out for $125, including all the equipment! He converted
the name to Andreini Surfboards in 1971 and continued full time in
the business until 1979.
1971. While getting his own label going, he kept busy sanding and glassing on the side for Al
Merrick, Rennie Yater, John Bradbury and Bob Duncan. In 1973, he moved to the North
Shore of Oahu with Bill Barnfield, where they built boards and tried them out at Pipeline.
While there, he also glassed for Mike Eaton under the Bing label.
1971. Shaping in his barn on Ocean View Ave. in Santa Barbara.
These photos were taken by his friend Baron Spafford, a student at Brooks Institute
at the time and now a successful professional photographer, and a Rincon regular.
1973. The Ranch.
Andreini and Bob Haakenson paddled a two man canoe up from Gaviota and
tied it to the kelp. They were received as he-men in the line up.
The Golden Years!
From 1975 to 1978, Andreini shared this shop on Gray Ave. with Yater.
Marc still calls Yater his idol.
Discussing tail rocker with Reynolds Yater. Marc says they didn’t use much!
Their shaping rooms were next to each other for three years in the mid Seventies.
1995. Andreini enjoying the fruits of his labor at the Ranch.
2002. Shaping one of 13 Hot Curls out of old growth redwood.
They have been the subject of several articles by David Pu’u and Michael Kew.
2002. Gregg Tally, surf historian extraordinaire and Owl team rider; Jeff White, the
White Owl himself, their benefactor and one of Marc’s favorite guys ever; Marc
Andreini; and Roger Nance, of the Beach House.
2002. Roger Nance at the Beach House had Marc make this special
Owl gun as a gift for Jeff White.
2003. Marc with two chambered balsas and two chambered Hot Curls.
He loves surf history and enjoys replicating boards from different eras.
In fact, his favorite boards to ride are balsas!
Marc Andreini continues to shape today under the names Andreini,
White Owl and Vaqueros de las Olas.
Thanks Marc and keep knocking them out!
Check out his boards at these sites;
mollusk surfshop.com
vaqueros de las olas.com
