Max McDonald: Spanning 4 Decades!      

        Skateboarder Magazine, Summer '75                          Japan,1985                                            Beatty  Products,2001                              

    The 70's..." The Stinger and 'Puerto' Trips." 

      Max McDonald was a 'production shaper' for Infinity Surfboards during an exciting and ever-changing time of board design...the 70's!! Shaping alongside Infinity shapers, Steve Bohne and Dan Flecky , Max shaped thousands of  models such as 'The Stinger', Twin-fins,Kneeboards and sleek Pin-Tail Guns headed to the proving grounds of Hawaii and Puerto Escondido, Mex. During this era, Max gained a solid reputation for his shaping versatility as well as his surfing skills.

           Volume 3,Number 3, Fall'94                                         Tim Bernardy's article"Mexico Memoirs 1974" recalls Max's persona.

The 80's..."What doesn't kill ya can only make you stronger."

    A major move occured when Max relocated from San Clemente to Santa Barbara. Being a well respected'production' shaper, Max landed a shaping position with Channel Islands Surfboards.  Mowing thru dozens of blanks a day, Max was at the top of his game, working, surfing and partying.His shaping skills and media exposure caught the attention of a market about to explode...Japan! Responding to an invitation by the Japanese, he became an immediate celebrity.  Just when everything couldn't go much better, Max and many, many other 'production' shapers had a rude awakening(wake-up call)...the 'shaping machine'. Many major board builders of the time opted to (economically viable) replace many of their production shapers with the beast.

                        Max's shapes were a huge success in Japan, especially when they pulled out their micrometers!

The 90's..." The Campbell Brothers, Clyde Beatty and The Rocket Fish."             

Max collaborated with Malcolm and Duncan Campbell(The O'Broz) on the"Bonzer" design and began shaping a wicked 'elevated wing 5-fin bonzer(EB5)! In addition, he went to work for Clyde Beatty,  the designer of the 'original' rocket fish. For the past 10 years Clyde and Max have continued to perfect the "Rocket Fish" shape combined with the newest technology in epoxy construction. Max's 30+ years of experience puts him at the top of a short list of accomplished shapers leading us all into the 21st century. As the old saying goes,"The difference between knowledge and wisdom is experience."  Max has the experience, and it's time we separated the wheat from the chaff.

                                                               Team rider Chris Keet, riding a Max shape! 

             As of May, 2004 Max still lives in Santa Barbara, Ca.