“The thing with the industry is that a lot of things have gone corporate,” said Eric Arakawa, the veteran surfboard shaper based on the North Shore of Oahu. “There are brands that lack authenticity or have hollow marketing. But with this, it started off as grassroots. It was a passion, and we went from there.”
Eric is referring to the homegrown surfboard company he founded in 1982, but that he only recently regained creative control over. Back in 2019, Eric officially re-acquired from Hawaiian Island Creations the brand he had started 37 years earlier: Island Classics. At its peak, Island Classics had some of Oahu’s heaviest hitters on the roster, rocking the logo deep in Pipeline’s tubes: Michael Ho, Derek Ho, Ronnie Burns, Shawn Briley and Dwayne Maki, just to name a few.
Earlier this year, Eric and the team at Arakawa Surfboards launched the Island Classic Project with a limited run of exclusive t-shirts. These 2025 tees featured the same iconic palm tree logo and were printed by the same company that printed the first batch all those years ago. “As true and authentic as we could get to when we first started,” Eric said.
Right now, Eric doesn’t have a grand plan to roll out, no spreadsheets tracking revenue or business calendar to check. He’s just excited for possibilities. Like recreating the boards he made for the late legends like Derek Ho and Ronnie Burns. Archival designs that could be screen printed on merch. Stories and images too good not to be shared, whatever medium that entails.
“I have two storage bins, basically my scrapbook, that are full of original photographs and magazines, original artwork, positives and slides,” Eric said. “I kept it. I feel like there’s a story to tell. And there are some cool stories.
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It’s not about a run on retail. It’s about acknowledging history, staying true to authentic roots.
“I just want to keep it authentic and keep it in the family,” Eric continued. “My son now manages the business, and this is something I can pass on to him. I just want to keep the brand true.”
Careers are rarely linear. There are bumps and twists along the way, and Eric’s path is no exception. After starting Island Classics in ‘82, he co-founded Surf Co. Hawaii in 1986 with business partner David Skedeleski. In addition to inventing the surfboard Nose Guard, their company had thousands of accounts around the world selling other surf accessories. But when the founders split due to a difference in business philosophy, Eric had to fall back on his surfboard know-how.
“I went from a good salary to overnight having no salary,” he said. “I had a wife, two kids, and a mortgage. I was scrambling. But I still had surfboards. It was a tough three years.”
Just as Eric got his feet back under him, Hawaiian Island Creations came calling in 1995. The company badly wanted Eric’s board-building skills and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Part of the deal was that HIC buy Island Classics and its licensees.
“They said we’ll buy it from you, and just work for us,” Eric said. “You don’t have to work on marketing and admin. All you have to do is design, build boards and work with the team.”
A good deal, but it was difficult to let go of the brand. “It was really hard because I worked so hard with Island Classics,” Eric added. “Building that was my baby, and I had to let it go. It took me a few years to get over it.”
Things went well for a while. Ronnie Burns, Shawn Briley, Michael and Derek Ho and other standouts rode Eric’s blades. Eric even had a hand in getting the late, great Andy Irons on board.
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Eric and HIC eventually parted ways for several reasons. One was that Island Classics was shelved. The other was that, as Eric said, HIC wanted to put cheap boards overseas and cut the price point. Eric felt that producing cheap boards (with his name on them) not only diluted the market but also produced a worse product for customers as well.
By 2019, Eric’s was shaping high-quality quivers under his own name. He has an international network of licensees. But he still had the Island Classic itch. So he and HIC worked out a deal, and his brand was back in hand.
Considering Eric’s wealth of knowledge and decades of experience, even some of his own staff are curious to learn more about the brand, its history and what comes next.
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“The team at the factory is a young crew,” Eric said. “And they’re just frothing. They ask stories, want to know the background on things, what this moment was like, how this board was made, that sort of thing. For me, it’s old news. But through these casual conversations at the factory over the years, when I share them, to my surprise, the young crew is interested. They’ve helped me to realize there is a story to tell. And that’s what I want to do with the brand.”
“I don’t have a grand business plan,” he concluded. “Like when I was 20 years old, I didn’t have a grand plan to grow this thing. I was just doing what I love to do. And that’s what I still do.”
If you want to learn more about Eric Arakawa, you can see him in person October 11-12 at the 2025 Boardroom Show in Del Mar, California, where he is this year’s Icons of Foam honoree. Tickets will be available online here in September.
Related: Shaping Legend Eric Arakawa To Be Honored at 2025 Boardroom Show