Chris Bugge
We dive into the world of Bugge Surfboards with founder Chris Bugge. From travelling the world to collaborating with esteemed shapers, Chris's story is one of dedication and exploration. We uncover his creative process and the inspiration behind his unique surfboard designs.
Hi Chris! We’d love to know your story. What is your background that led you up to this point?
I grew up in Molde, a city on a fjord along the West Coast of Norway. My childhood revolved around skateboarding and snowboarding, with surfing completely off my radar at that time. After enduring several serious accidents and undergoing multiple operations, the idea of landing on water became more attractive when my family relocated to the South Coast of England.
As soon as I got into surfing I wanted to understand everything about how boards are made and the world behind it. I did the classic and set up a shaping bay in a garage to try things out. A chance meeting at the Fish Fry event in Cornwall led to me working for Lost out in California. Whilst I was there I was lucky enough to work with, and learn from, all the greats- Timmy Patterson, Terry Senate, Ghetto House, Bashams and a bunch of others.
After that I basically didn't stop travelling for over ten years. In the Basque Country I worked for Pukas and many other factories and people in both Spain and France. I have done a couple of stints in Ireland, Cornwall and Australia too. Throughout my journey, I've endured living in less-than-desirable accommodations, from dodgy digs to questionable vans and cars. However, amidst these challenging circumstances, I've been incredibly fortunate to meet a huge number of amazing people from diverse corners of the world. For sure, living in factories or sofa surfing isn't the dream, but all the travelling, constant moving and surviving has taught me an incredible amount. It was mostly fun and I don’t think I’d change any of that.
I came back to England during the beginning of COVID as I have family here, but like a lot of people I didn't know I would be staying as long as I have. During my “enforced stay” I had a few bad hand shakes, yet eventually, I got a really good one. It was this moment that gave me the opportunity to focus exclusively on my own boards with my own factory. We all know there's no money in surfboards, so you might as well work for yourself if you can. Having creative freedom is really important to me.
The surf conditions in the UK are pretty variable and quite fickle here on the South Coast. Making a few boards for a variety of conditions and skill levels keeps it interesting though when you’re not getting waves. I do the whole process from start to finish myself. Design, shape, glass, sand etc. I have a few models I've designed which I use my CNC for. I am more influenced by art and music than other surfboards to be honest, I try to just do my own thing. I still love hand shaping, making my own fins and playing around with resin tints which is what I’ll be focusing on this summer before moving again.
How can our readers get their hands on a Bugge surfboard?
Right now there's a limited number of stock boards at the pop up factory in East Wittering, right on Itchenor Harbour at Northshore Shipyard. I’ll be there this summer by appointment, as well as having a few events and open days. For more details and updates, make sure to follow me on Instagram and reach out to me directly if you're looking for a custom board.
What is the future of Bugge?
This winter I'm moving back to France, around the Biarritz area, and will be setting up over there. I have good connections and friendships around the Basque Country and it has much easier connections to Europe which works well for me. I'll be back for regular visits and events in the UK for sure, but right now I am focused on the move this winter. Keep an eye out for stock and merchandise that will be available until then… before I Brexit myself.
Working all over the world has been full on over the years, but has enabled me to move on to the next step of what I want to do and where I want to be. I’m excited for the coming year and look forward to sharing it with everyone.
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