The work of Kyle Jackson through his company, Platypi Surf, is currently part of an art exhibit at the Encinitas Community Center now through Sept. 4.
Deemed “Surf Art” by his admirers, the exhibit showcases a few of the surfboards, handplanes and fins that Platypi Surf is becoming known for. Additionally, there is a retrospective of wooden surfboards from the 1920s through the ’70s with replicas hand-shaped by Jackson.
Born on the West Coast and growing up between New England and California, Jackson honed his skills as a craftsman, eventually making his way to New York City. There, he made a name for himself designing bars, galleries and sets for commercials, and art directing. His love for the ocean and surfing kept pulling at him, and he returned to Southern California in 2000 where he studied under a master craftsman of furniture fabrication. Everything coalesced in the founding of Platypi Surf, where his engineering and design skills led to a different way of crafting wooden boards.
In 2020, Platypi Surf’s method and system of surfboard construction was awarded a patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Platypi Surf was created with the goal of not being part of the increasingly disposable product world. Platypi surfboards, fins and handplanes are created from materials that are less harmful to the environment, keeping in mind that we are remembered by what we leave behind. The boards are designed in a fashion that adds to their longevity as both functional and art.
Not only are they rideable, they’re also collected to be displayed.
Nonprofit groups, public agencies, local businesses and organizations of varying interests are welcome to share their news by submitting press releases for publication. Send yours to news[at]northcoastcurrent.com.