3D PRINTED SURFBOARD BY KARTEN DESIGN

An elegant custom surfboard created for the A+D museum's annual gala in Los Angeles

As part of the annual gala and fundraiser for the Architecture and Design Museum > Los Angeles, LA-based design studio Karten Design created a custom, 3D-printed surfboard that was auctioned at the benefit on June 28th, 2014. This year, the gala celebrated the vibrant coastal communities of California, and “Endless Sinter” is a tribute to the iconic single-fin surfboards that were popular in 1960s Southern California.

The board is named for the classic surf film “Endless Summer” and for the board’s fabrication process, called Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). This additive manufacturing technique laser-binds materials together one fragment at a time, meaning that waste is minimized. To implement the technique, Karten Design partnered with SciCon Technologies in Valencia, California.

“Endless Sinter” is inspired by the particular convergence of swells from the Northern and Southern Pacific that produce ideal surfing conditions. It has a hollow frame made from overlapping sets of concentric rings. Contrasting strips of walnut wood adorn the board from nose to tail.

It’s not the first 3D printed surfboard, nor will it be the last, but its a unique example of the technological advancements that could change the entire industry and allow surfboards to be entirely customized.