North Carolina craftsman Ian Balding, Surfboard Shaper

It’s a good day at Tigermoth, especially for Dave Wilson. Dave is editing footage and storyboarding a piece on surfboard shaper Ian Balding. How did Dave discover Ian and his work? He was visiting a friend at Hyco Lake, North Carolina, when something caught his eye. “A beautiful paddleboard was mounted on the wall. When he’s not in the water, my friend hangs the board there, to display like a piece of art. I could see why; it’s gorgeous. I wanted to learn the story behind it.”

The board was the work of Ian Balding. Balding has a shop in Wilmington, where he builds all of his boards – wood, foam, surf and even paddleboards – with incredible attention to detail. His lifelong background in carpentry and art allows him to build his boards with the skillful techniques of Old World craftsmanship. In fact, his work is fit for a champion; Balding has shaped two boards for a world champion big wave surfer in Hawaii.

The work of a craftsman is something you can touch and hold and pass down for generations,” Dave says. I want to capture what goes into that kind of a process. His work is art. It involves talent. I want to create this series to share with others who have an appreciation of the handcrafted.”

So, yeah, it’s a good day when we can capture the story of – and Tigermoth’s appreciation for – unique, local artisans like Ian. We can’t wait for more good days to come doing the work we love for clients we value.