About Randy Walker
Born in northern California in 1973. I always loved being in the water and started surfing when I was 14. My first board was a Doug Haut, I got used and it needed some repair. I had some experience with fiber glass building model RC hydroplanes, so had no problem fixing that board, I knew I wanted to build my own boards.
For my 15th birthday my Dad drove me to Santa Cruz where I got my first Clark Foam blank, I set up some stands in my grandpa’s wood shop and shape my first two boards. The first one I rode and the second I sold to my friend Jeff. Jeff brought that board to a guy who had a store called splash and grind who sold skateboards, snowboards and surfboards. He gave me a job working at the store and building boards right there. I had work experience in high school so after lunch I went to work making and selling surfboards and got school credit for it.
After graduating from high school I spent some time living in Santa Barbara learning to surf right point brakes since where I had learned originally was mostly lefts. I shaped some boards there and had them glassed at glasscraft where they did all the Channel Islands boards. It was a big inspiration to see boards made for Tom Curren and Kelly Slater.
Soon after that a friend of mine James who was one of the best surfers in our area recommended me to a surf shop near where I grew up; It was called High Tide Surf Shop and they hire me to be a shaper for their logo HT Surfboard. We set up an old chicken barn and converted it into a surfboard factory. I build boards in that shop for about ten years. I had to drive three hours to Santa Cruz to buy materials and eventually got a job there shaping for Vernor Surfboards, also doing my own label in their glass house Paradise Glassing. A few years later I got to know Bob Pearson and was inspired when he told me he could use someone like me. I had experience shaping, glassing and sanding. I started working for Pearson Arrow and hand shape over 3000 boards.
When I took my first trip to Pavones Costa Rica I knew I wanted to set up a shop. I did my own label
in a shop I set up in Zancudo Beach for two years, and then started a label called Hot Lava but ended up selling my rights to it but kept my own label.
I never thought I would have a surf shop, I was into building boards and was always wanting my own factory.
When I met my wife she had the idea of making Pavones Surf Shop and Factory, together we are building our dream.