BILT...A BRIEF HISTORY

The history of Bilt Surfboards sits firmly on the strong shoulders of company founder Jason Ribbink. As Jason explored all the disciplines of surfing, from shortboarding to longboarding to big wave surfing to tow-in surfing and Stand-Up Paddle surfing, all with exceptional success, so the seeds of Bilt were formed.

The very diversity of his experience has made Jason one of the most knowledgeable and experienced watermen around. This knowledge was combined with Elton Fursman's skill in the shaping bay and passion for his sport and team riders. Elton managed to mold Jason's wealth of knowledge into an array of top-end boards catering for all disciplines. Elton travels the world, gathering valuable, cutting edge information and combines this knowledge of shaping and materials with Jason's experience to design some of the best boards possible.

The third member of the Bilt team, Davey Weare, brings his hard-earned competitive skills and the knowledge that comes from the yearning for optimum equipment, the sort of equipment that is going to win WQS and World Tour events, into the mix. The triumvirate of Jason, Elton and Davey are the nucleus of the company.

Bilt has also established relationships with some of the most established, top quality and proven brands in the international surf industry like Surf blanks, PCS, Hexcel and Clear Surf Resin Technology, all part of the program that ensures the Bilt quality is amongst the best in the world. Bilt is the heart and soul of surfing and make real surf.

Elton Fursman

In order for Bilt shaper Elton Fursman to stay ahead of the pack in the fast-moving and dynamic fields of board design and materials evolution, Elton travels the world attending World Tour events, working with international shapers. He has been sweating it out in the shaping bay for over sixteen years now and the hard work is paying massive dividends as the riders using his boards are winning major events the world over. Elton is one of the most important cogs in the machine that drives Bilt and his reputation is that of a dedicated and hard-working perfectionist who can never be happier than seeing someone enjoying a board that he has created.

Research and Development

There are many elements to the incredibly extensive research and development that goes down in order for Bilt to stay at the very top of their game and ahead of the veritable surfing pack. Davey is one of the most skilled and technically advanced surfers in the world, and the time and effort that he puts into WQS and World Tour events are ploughed back into the surfboard designs that he and Elton work on together. Davey's dedicated demeanour and his continual pursuit of excellence are the traits which he invests into Bilt's Research and Development.

Elton does the groundwork of all the new materials used in the construction of surfboards, always striving to find lighter and stronger materials, and the two of them, fused together with Jason's research into the extreme board side of things, are solidifying and cementing the reputation of continual advancement that Bilt already enjoys. The input from surfers like Damien Fahrenfort and Dan Redman also form a vital and integral part of this process, and their valuable input is added to the fusion of skills that make Bilt an ongoing success.