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higherstatesurfboards

@higherstatesurfboards

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Honouring and inspired by the pioneers of surfboard manufacturing.
Built by 2025 World Longboard Champion Kai Ellice-Flint
WIP

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@hawkvintage in Taiwan just received their first batch of boards. If you’re in Taiwan, head over to the shop and check them out! Thanks for the support guys! Absolutely loving building these boards by @higherstatesurfboards

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6 days ago

I stepped back from finishing a board the other day and realised how funny it is when the parts you used to rush become the parts you end up liking most.

With wet, pruning hands and abrasive paper on the finger tips, I used to want to get the wet rub done as quickly as possible. Get the board in the water or just finished. Now I like this bit as much as any of it. Bringing it out of the dusty bay into the sun, with the bush around me and birds carrying on. Taking my time as the board slowly reaches its final form before heading off to the customer. by @higherstatesurfboards

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2 months ago

FRISSION — The Frission is the model that Kai was surfing in the World Title winning contest in El Salvador and is geared towards surfers who wants to drive a longboard — not just ride it. This is your Formula One machine: reactive, precise, and built to be pushed hard through critical sections. From the tail, the board offers exceptional retention against the wave face, allowing the surfer to create a line and drive firmly off the hard edge while engaging the generous rail-line rocker through the rear third. The Frission locks into the pocket and accelerates with intent. It responds immediately to back-foot pressure, allowing committed direction changes and tight arcs while maintaining lift for extended, elevated noserides. The Frission is for surfers who want to attack the pocket, draw powerful lines, and experience a contemporary version of longboarding at full throttle. Best suited to steeper, more performance-oriented waves where control and projection matter. by @higherstatesurfboards

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4 months ago

KAI FINS — @kaielliceflint signature Omni and Legacy fin now back in stock. Omni Fin is the ultimate all-rounder, blending traditional style with modern performance. The Legacy Fin is Kai’s take on the iconic Greenough design, offering impeccable turning precision, and stellar nose riding capabilities. Both fins feature a stiffer spine for stability and a fast, reactive flex tip. Clip @grigs_ by @higherstatesurfboards

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4 months ago

@kaielliceflint shaping @higherstatesurfboards at @shapersclub

#35mm
#blackandwhite
#doubleexposure
#analog
#portrait by @higherstatesurfboards

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5 months ago

What a special time that was at @shapersclub. I’m deeply honoured to have you open the opportunity for my boards to enter the European market.

It was also a genuine challenge to my understanding of surfboard building.

This trip marked the beginning of an exploration I’ve been curious about for a little while now—taking my designs from KKL scans, translating them through Shape3D, and finishing boards cut on an APS3000 machine. A process that sounds straightforward on paper, but in reality revealed just how much nuance exists between a board design and a board shape.

The transfer of data between systems was throwing me around more than I expected. Different software interprets information differently, and the resulting cuts often carried subtle highs and lows that weren’t present in the boards I know so intimately. Finding my way back to the same curves and feelings I’ve developed through years of shaping wasn’t simply a matter of removing foam. It was about understanding where those curves had shifted, how they interacted with each other, and how to guide them back into harmony without disturbing the overall design.

My boards have evolved into fairly complex forms— bottom contours rapidly changing within short sections of foam, whilst rail-line rocker and stringer rocker often telling different stories while still working together. When machine cuts come out this close to completion, there isn’t much room for correction. Every pass becomes deliberate. Every adjustment carries consequence.

The process gave me a deeper appreciation for the craftsmen who have mastered digital design as a shaping tool. Creating a board that flows naturally through software, machine, and hand is an art form of its own.
Photos @jeancric by @higherstatesurfboards

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5 months ago

@kaielliceflint Omni & Legacy fins restocked
🎥@grigs_ by @higherstatesurfboards

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5 months ago

FRISSION - @kaielliceflint dropped a 9’4 and 9’6 in store, on his way out to the airport. FRISSION is Kai’s world title winning model. A longboard to attack the pocket, draw powerful lines and elevated noserides. Check out in store now or give the shop a call. by @higherstatesurfboards

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5 months ago

Saturday night was amazing thanks @kaielliceflint & @higherstatesurfboards stoked to learn more about the new models and now have them in our racks. Also a special thanks to @philjarratt being our guest speaker. Looking forward to the next event. taken in Hastings Street by @higherstatesurfboards

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5 months ago

Deux nouveaux modèles disponibles à la commande pour le passage de @kaielliceflint au Shapers Club ✨

La FRISSION 26 est une évolution du modèle qu’on vous a présenté, avec notamment un travail sur le rocker et l’outline. Entre puissance et élégance, elle permet de surfer des sections plus critiques !

La VAULT 66 est quant à elle une board pensée beaucoup plus retro, elle vous permettre de trimer comme un champion du monde ;)

À commander au plus vite, ou à espérer trouver au magasin après la venue du shaper 🤙

Kai sera au Shapers Club à partir du 12 mai !

#shapersclub #shapersclubhouse #kaielliceflint taken in Shapersclub by @higherstatesurfboards

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6 months ago

Première présentation des boards de @kaielliceflint 🪐

La FRISSION est conçue pour le surfeur qui veut driver son longboard, et non pas simplement le rider. C’est une machine, réactive, précise, conçue pour les sections critiques ! Idéale pour les vagues plus creuses et orientées performance 🌪️

La TORSION est LA noserider de la gamme : construite pour un maximum de lift, de tenue et de temps passé sur le nose. Idéale pour les points breaks, elle est conçue pour fondre dans le pocket et y rester 🌱

🌐 Plus d’infos sur higherstateproductions.eu

contact@shapersclub.com
0546270027

🚨 Kai arrive le 12 mai !

#shapersclub #kaielliceflint #higherstatesurfboards taken in Shapersclub by @higherstatesurfboards

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6 months ago

The Frission 26 (the 2026 version) is easily the most playful board I have ever had in my quiver.
@higherstatesurfboards
Footage from @radkahonzova by @higherstatesurfboards

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6 months ago