STEWART Surfboards 2024 Preview

Retail Buyers Guide: 2024 Surfboards Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Stewart Surfboards
Interviewee: Rémi Chaussemiche, Marketing Europe Sample N’Co

To a certain extent, the surfboard market relies on custom-made products and on demand manufacturing. Does this mean the business is relatively spared from the poor sell-out and overstocks reported in other boardsport categories?
The distribution of Stewart Surfboard in Europe is a total reset. It was previously distributed by another company and we just got back the license in Europe End of 2022. So, 2023 was the first real start for Sample N’ CO with Stewart. With the 2023 economic situation the main business for Stewart was based on the on-demand production. Our production being based in Europe in we manage to be really reactive, efficient and qualitative on this side of the business.

While the board offer has never been so wide nowadays, which were the top trends of 2023?
Boards that make it easy to catch waves but still allow some maneuverability on the wave. Our Midlength and fun boards are probably the most sold models. The 949 comp is a really good model, it’s still got most of the longboard paddle-power of the original (949) and rides like a super responsive shortboard with its deep vee concave bottom, which makes it feel much smaller rail to rail. The Funline 11 is also a good one: The Funline 11 paddles really big, rides really small. It’s designed to easily catch waves in all conditions, for surfers from beginners to advanced. A mini version of our best-selling Redline 11 longboard, the Funline is super wide in the front for paddle power. Our Retro fish is also a good commercial surprise: The ample volume throughout this board provides you with the paddle power, float, and speed you need to zip through flat sections in fatter waves. As Stewart is really well known for its longboard design, both classic and performance longboard designs remain our best sellers. The iconic Redline 11 is a key product: this is Ultimate 9’0 Surfboard! Turns like an 8’6,” Paddles like a 9’6.” noserides like a 10’0.” Bill says this is the “best all-around longboard he’s ever designed”. The Redline 11 paddles, turns and nose rides exceptionally great. The Tipster, our classic longboard design has also been pretty successful, a classic nose rider design with an extra kick on the tail to make it more maneuverable. It goes fast, turns well and nose rides easy.

There is a noticeable step-back from competitive surfing: did this affect the sales of high-perf models?
At Stewart we are more focusing on design for every surfer, we do propose couple of high performance shortboards like the S-wingers. But generally, we like to focus on more generous volume to make life easy for most surfers, from the beginner to the week end warrior including aging surfers, kids and women. So we kind of leave the competitive high perf design to some other brands like Pyzel or Timmy Patterson who have been focusing on it for the last 20 years.

There is no arguing: twins and midlengths still are crowd favorites. But which will be the trends within those two trends in 2024?
As the line ups gets more and more crowded, every board that helps people getting more waves will be a lasting trend: midlentgh, fishes, thicker and wider shorboards or grovellers. That said we have to keep in mind that surfers still want to turn on waves, so we have to adapt the designs to mix paddle power with maneuverability. We just launched a new midlenght model called the Wild Bill, the outline is beautiful, this is the ultimate high-performance mid-length surfboard. For intermediate to advanced surfers, this board is a perfect alternative to your shortboard for those days that you want a bit more paddle power but don’t want to sacrifice performance. The beveled rails allow for more foam where you need it while having a nice thin rail to carve into those turns.

After the release of the Channel Islands Mid, the launch of the CI Log is a clear indicator of the appetite for classic longboards, outside the perimeter of niche hype brands. How is your longboard game for 2024?
As previously mentioned, our longboards model is the most famous and selling boards of our range. From the very versatile Redline 11 or RPM to the very performance CMP model, without forgetting the iconic Hydro Hull and the classic designs Tipster and Ripster, we cover the entire longboarding landscape. Indeed, the classic longboards designs are more fashioned at the moment but they are not as easy to ride. With Stewart we like to ease surfing for every-one. So, we try to adap classic design with tiny performance in put that will make the board more fun to ride. That what we have done with the Ripster a more performance adaptation of the Tipster. We have a recently released The Bird: it has the grace of a classic single fin, with the power, speed, and maneuverability of a more high-performance longboard. Created for our team riders to push the envelope of classic longboarding, Bill made sure that the Bird checks all the classic log boxes for those pesky contest rules while adding some key features to make it ride way better than your average single fin.

There are two main paths when it comes to sustainable surfboards: the eco blanks & resins, or the low-waste vacuum-made EPS boards. What is your take on the matter?
We are the moment experiencing different materials to see if it can adapt to our designed. Stewart has always been at the forefront of experimentation in term of materials and design so we are totally open to new construction as long as it is matching with the board design.

Key Products:

Tipster:

Tipster

Retro Fish:

Retro Fish

949 Comp:

949 Comp