Chris Christenson is a Southern California native surfboard shaper whose career fuses heritage craftsmanship with modern performance. He apprenticed under legends Dick Brewer and Skip Frye, carrying forward their design philosophies while developing a style entirely his own. Along the way, he has mentored the next generation of shapers, including Josh Hall, Michael Miller, and Jeff McCallum, passing down the principles of design discipline and respect for lineage.
Known for shaping everything from traditional fish and refined longboards to high-performance shortboards, step-ups, and heavy-water guns, Christenson lives by the belief in having “many arrows in the quiver.” His boards have been trusted in some of the heaviest surf worldwide, with riders like Greg Long, Tom Lowe, and Ian Walsh earning XXL Big Wave Award nominations on his designs.
Outside the shaping bay, Christenson pushes boundaries with the same passion he brings to surfboards. He is part of the rare “100 x 100 Club,” logging 100 days a year surfing and 100 days snowboarding. He is great friends with Jeremy Jones, owner of Jones Snowboards, and even has his own signature Jones “Surf Series”. His appetite for speed and exploration extends into off-roading in the desert, racing vintage motocross, and competing as a pro-class AFX and Nostalgia Super Stock drag racer. When the pace slows, you’ll find him fishing or dialing in his short game on the golf course, where he maintains a 5.4 handicap.
Whether it’s a traditional fish built for timeless glide, a gun built for Mavericks, or a snowboard designed for the backcountry, Christenson’s life and work embody precision, adventure, and a dedication to craft across every arena he enters.
