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Surfboards by Fulbright

We are the home and maker of Surfboards by Fulbright. James first began shaping in 1988, under the name of Major Surf, in his garage and in 1991, purchased another local surfboard label and business by the name of Hurricane Surfboards. James continued to shape under the Hurricane label until 2007, when, after all those years of the name Hurricane Surfboards being associated as a Texas Surfboard Company, a South African company registered world-wide trademarks for the name "Hurricane Surfboards". Neither James nor the previous owner had ever trade-marked the name.

Now, all surfboards shaped and produced by James are under his new label, Senator Surfboards, named after his great-great uncle, the late Senator James W. Fulbright. Today’s Fulbright Scholarship/Fellowship Program was the late Senator Fulbright's brainchild.

Strictly Hardcore Surf Specialties started what we named “The Shaper’s Lounge” in 1995, after re-locating retail operations to the Seawall, here in Galveston. The Shaper’s Lounge was and still is James’ shaping room, where international shapers from all parts of the globe converge to share ideas and shape their surfboards. Past visitors include Tim Bessell, Bruce Grimes, Max McDonald, Michael Hynson, Kingsley Kernovsky, Steve Walden, Gary Linden, B.J. Williamson, Mike Casey and a host of other regional shapers.

The Shapers Lounge continues to be intact and today's surf shop’s main attraction, where visitors can come in, sit down at our viewing window and watch a slowly dying craft of hand shaping custom surfboards by either James himself, or by one of our visiting shapers.

Our surfboard inventory here at Strictly Hardcore Surf Specialties changes daily. In addition to Fulbright's stock boards and custom orders, we now offer specific surfboard brands carefully picked by James that span all abilities, construction techniques and price ranges. Some labels, most of which are exclusive to the region in our shop are, Bessell, Linden, Max McDonald, Senator, Walden, Surf Prescriptions, Mike Hynson and all the brands created and distributed by Global Surf Industries and brands created by Surf Tech. Most of our focus is being put into trying to keep local shaping and local surfboards alive.

 

We are the only surf shop with an in-house shaper and shaping room, where you can come to and not only create and order your custom surfboard, but watch it being shaped and painted, all under one roof. James also offers a limited amount of expert polyester ding repair, which is an art in itself, and how James started the original shop back in ’85. In addition, we usually stock between 50--60 new and used boards here at Strictly Hardcore Surf.

Please give us a visit soon to browse our current inventory, inquire about custom surfboard pricing, or just to hang out and watch the fine art of surfboard shaping, painting and repairing and browse our inventory. You can also give James a call to discuss your next custom surfboard at (409) 763-5422 or go on-line at surfspecialties.com to check everything out!