The shaping industry is concentrated on the east and west coast. Despite this – and perhaps because of this, free of the constraints of convention – shapers create beautiful and inventive surf craft all around the coast of the great lakes.

We've visited the bays of some of the region's prominent shapers and witnessed trials, experiments, and innovations that have the potential to inspire shapers and surfers globally. This prompt is about supporting experimentation and work that might not otherwise be completed when more conventional client jobs are coming in the door.

Responses to this brief might include alternative surf craft (i.e. not a surfboard); craft featuring experimental construction; use of novel materials; shapes responding to particular conditions. Designs are to be constrained to human and wave powered surf craft.

Our aim is to provide financial support for materials and supplies, and collaborative support through access to computer driven laser, router, and milling machines. Completed works will be

1. featured in a documentation book which we will be funding through an internationally promoted crowdfunding campaign

2. publicly exhibited as a collection in Chicago

3. placed in the university's designed objects collection or auctioned to private collectors

By commissioning work, our hope is to achieve a greater level of depth in our research, documentation, and design storytelling than interviews alone can provide; Interviews with shapers and snapshots of bays are abundant in surf media and we aim to provide a more full view of the creative process that documents design, building, and the all-important, iteration-driving evaluation of design outcomes in the water. Participants in the brief will be asked to document the process from start to finish.

PROPOSE

YOUR

PROJECT

Project submissions due March 15th, 2023

As a part of our research on the design and shaping of surf craft in the great lakes region, we are commissioning surf craft projects. Participating projects will be showcased in a documentation book and surf craft exhibition.

Miss the 15th? Reach out. We’re happy to discuss proposals until the end of March.

Timeline

• Project submissions | March

• Individual project execution: March–May 2023

• Documentation and artifact collection: June

• In-water evaluation: June, July

• Book Development: June–August

• Promotional campaign (Kickstarter): September

• Exhibition: September–November 2023

• Book Launch: December, 2023

Participation

Guidelines

• Photographically document all steps of the design process, building process, and finishing process of the surf craft project being submitted.

• Share photographic documentation on an ongoing basis through a remote drive (provided), providing all documentation by June 7, 2023.

• Grant project organizers the right to use the photographic documentation for the project book, exhibit, and promotional materials.

• Complete the project by May 31, 2023.

• provide the finished surf craft to the project organizers for continuing documentation, in-water evaluation, exhibition, and promotion.

• The finished surf craft (not including any associated intellectual property) will be the property of the University of illinois at Chicago.

• Participant receiving financial support will need to sign up as University vendors, provide a project quote, and provide a project invoice prior to fund transfers.

• Financial support will be provided upon completion of the project.

Submission

Guidelines

• Propose a design that can be used to ride waves and which is only human and wave propelled.

• Describe the design through:

  • A written statement responding to the question, how might great lakes surf-craft evolve or be reimagined? (max 150 words)

  • A written description of the design, materials used, construction method, and any decorative elements (max 250 words).

  • A project schedule that lists detailed project steps and related calendar dates.

• Detail the support needed for the project in these categories (not all categories need to be included):

  • Financial support (list amount and purpose)

  • Labor (number of work hours needed)

  • Access to fabrication technologies (technique needed and parts impacted)

  • Materials and supplies (quantity of materials and supplies and preferred brands or sources)

• Project organizers may request additional information to evaluate the design proposal on a case by case basis.