Ryan Burch was born on January 24, 1989, in Encinitas, California, where he also grew up. He is one of the most influential figures in modern surfing culture.
He is a surfer, shaper, designer, and innovator, known for his asymmetrical shapes and twin-fin concepts, which he crafts by hand.
Each of his boards bears the marks of its creator—Burch shapes exclusively by hand, emphasizing his closeness to the material and the movement of the water.
His shapes look unconventional, but follow a clear intuition: speed, looseness, and organic unpredictability.
He stands for a modern surfing style that prioritizes feeling over perfection – true to his credo: “Fast, loose, out of control.”
Early years & influences
Ryan grew up in the surf culture of San Diego County — a melting pot of classic craftsmanship and progressive ideas.
He recalls, “The first surf film I ever saw was Five Summer Stories…the next was Loose Change — it was like seeing the future at a glance.”
This blend of retro spirit and futuristic vision shaped him. Even as a teenager, he knew that surfing is more than just performance—it is a dialogue between body, equipment, and wave.
In his early 20s, he shaped his first board — without a master plan, but with curiosity. The feeling of gaining control over form and sensation quickly became an obsession.
Shaping & Design Philosophy
Burch’s signature feature is asymmetrical boards — differently shaped toe and heel sides that support natural body movements. This subtle asymmetry allows for maximum performance on both sides — inspired by the natural rhythm of the body and the wave.
In collaboration with True Ames Fins, Burch developed fin setups that encapsulate his philosophy:
speed, flow, freedom — but with feeling rather than dogma.
The 1 + 2 setup combines a dominant fin on the toe side with two smaller fins on the heel side to deliberately balance control and drift.
Burch hand-shapes each board himself: “What I like best about shaping is the planer—you cut that tool out when you use a machine.”
He prefers to work with PU or EPS blanks, experimenting with rails that combine speed and looseness.
The person behind the boards
In interviews, he also talks about an organic rhythm of life with his family—no hustle and bustle, but time spent in nature, tranquility, selecting raw materials, and conscious travel.
His home is “normal,” not a showroom: However, his entire house is full of boards — they hang from the ceiling, lie under beds, and are stacked “without order.” This shows his modest personality and makes him likable! Because some of these boards are worth a fortune!
This shows that he is not a pedantic “board curator,” but someone who lets his experiments live, even if it’s messy. This image reinforces the idea that his work is more than just technology — it is expression, transformation, an extension of his artistic soul. This image reinforces that his work is more than technique—it is expression, transformation, an extension of his artistic soul.
Ryan, who originally wanted to become an art teacher, also shaped paipos and alaia boards (wooden or minimalist boards without large fins) before he started making classic surfboards. Nature plays a big role in his life, not only in his family life but also in his career. For a fin project, he spent a long time searching for the perfect cedar wood for on-glass fins.
Ryan still lives with his family in Encinitas, where he grew up, and sees surfing, shaping, and life as one.
Influence on the modern surfing scene – from underground to trendsetter
Since his appearance in Psychic Migrations (2015), Ryan Burch has been considered a symbolic figure of the alternative performance movement. He proved that progression doesn’t need a thruster.
His ideas inspire shapers such as Bryce Young and Alex Lopez and influence young board designers worldwide.
Ryan continues the approach of legends such as George Greenough, Steve Lis, and Derek Hynd—without copying them. In doing so, he creates the perfect bridge between the past and the future. He preserves the craft, but rethinks it:
Performance boards can look different and feel different—as long as they create an honest connection between the surfer and the wave.
Ryan's principles
Ryan has repeatedly emphasized that he is not trying to be controversial or deliberately “different” — rather, he shapes what he needs, not what is trendy. He refused to shape a longboard for surfing legend Kelly Slater — not out of pride, but out of conviction. He argues that everything you do must contain a piece of truth. Because he could imagine how a shortboard legend would surf a longboard. “I’m not going to do something that doesn’t feel like me.” That sounds simple — but these words convey a profound attitude: speed is freedom, and it allows you to explore shapes and movement instead of forcing them.
One perspective runs through all of his works:
boards are not tools for control, but partners in a dialogue with nature. “A wave isn’t something to conquer – it’s something to converse with.”
