Dave Boehne Infinity Foil Surf SUP O'Neill apparel

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Standup Journal discovered that Dave Boehne recently became full owner/operator of Infinity Surf headquarters when he took over the business from his parents, Steve & Barrie Boehne, in July of 2020.  This is exciting news!

We salute the legacy of Steve and Barrie as we celebrate the evolution of their longtime surf business in the hands of Dave. Infinity Surf, Infinity SUP and Infinity Foil now sits squarely on the shoulders of a man who has made it his business to stay with the progression of trends in watersports. Here is an exclusive interview with the new owner at Infinity Surf.

shaping room Dave Boehne Infinity SurfIn the shaping room at Infinity Surf, Dave is at work shaping surf, SUP & foil boards to keep the masses frothing.

Interview: Dave Boehne on Taking Over Full Ownership at Infinity

Standup Journal:  CONGRATS on your taking over full ownership for Infinity Surf, Infinity SUP and Infinity Foil. Did you and your dad (Steve) crack a beer at the final signing?

Blurr:  Well, thank you. It really is a big deal for myself and a dream of mine since I was about 10 years old. It really was never a question of what I wanted to do when I grew up even back then. I’ve always wanted to be like my parents.

It’s funny though. It’s kinda like business as usual around here nothing has really changed all that much except some paperwork. Even though I technically was not the owner, I’ve been the CEO for a while now and leading the direction. My Dad and I crack beers all the time so we didn’t really need this for an excuse to enjoy a cold one.

Dave Boehne Infinity SUP surfDave loves test driving his new equipment ensuring Infinity is at the forefront of board shapes & designs in today’s market.

SJ:  Walk us through that. Any memorable quotes from Steve or Barrie on the signing?

BlurrHonestly, not really. I work with them everyday so it wasn’t like this big crescendo or anything. I think for the most part my parents are stoked and happy to not worry about the day to day at all. Their hardest part is just transitioning into a new phase of life after 50 years in the business. It can be scary for some people and, for my parents, Infinity is all they know. My Dad still shapes every day and my mom is doing her thing as well.

If it were me I’d be at Sano every morning and just cruising… haha! But they love it and Infinity will always be in their blood. It’s something they should be proud of. I would hope my parents can sit back and have comfort in what they’ve accomplished.  I gotta think having their son take it over has to be a cool moment for them as well. Working with family can be a radical dynamic for most and we’ve been able to make it work so I’m fired up to do them proud.

Dave Boehne Steve Boehne shaping room Infinity SUPDave and his father Steve will continue to share the shaping room at Infinity surf shop creating progressive shapes for today’s watermen & women.

SJ: You had said you hadn’t been able to celebrate this moment because you’ve been so busy.

Blurr2020 has just been gnarly, every aspect of it. Good and bad both. We are really just trying to catch up. Not only with demand and production but everything from website, catalogs, showroom, etc. We are busy selling boards and the custom shop is backed up.

We are slammed which is great but at the moment it just feels like I can’t catch up. I never wake up feeling like there is nothing to do, only that I’m behind. Once things settle down I’m sure I’ll have time to reflect more and have that celebratory cocktail with my folks.   

Dave Boehne Surf Foil Infinity Surf SUPInfinity’s tombstone foil board shows it’s sexy shape and smooth ride under Dave’s careful consideration.

SJ:  Visions, Goals & Dreams?  Give us a sneak peak at the direction you’d like to see Infinity go in the years ahead.

Blurr:  I’d like to stay focused on our DNA and what has kept us here for 50 years of making boards.

Check out Blurr’s video on the history of Infinity HERE.

Product and design always come first but not at the expense of having fun. I want Infinity to keep being us but in an even more comprehensive way. Now is the time to re-write how we operate as a company. The trick is how to evolve as a business while keeping true to the roots of what we do. 

Dave Boehne Slater Trout Infinity Whiplash SUPInfinity’s racing team, the Infinity Speed Freaks captures many of the top athletes of the sport including Slater Trout (pictured here).

SJ:   Current favorite product? What are you really proud of and WHY? 

Blurr:  Oh man, that is such a hard question for me! I am so proud of all of our shapes and designs. It’s such a long journey developing, testing, and taking a product into production. I’ve always been someone who has to be passionate and inspired in a design or product; otherwise, I don’t make it. 

If I had to pick one product, it would probably be the Infinity race boards because they are so hard to make.  I don’t think people realize what a journey it is from concept to design to a finished product. So, for an athlete or customer to love or win a race on one it truly is rewarding. We’ve been an influential brand in race board design for a long time and the results speak for themselves which is very rewarding.

Dave Boehne – Shaper, Surfer, StylemasterIt’s clear what Infinity’s progressive designs can do here.

SJ:  Talk a little bit about how your shaping has evolved in the last few years.  Infinity is turning out some of the most progressive boards on the market.  What are you doing that’s different?

Blurr:  We make a lot of different boards other than stand up paddle boards so the design influence crosses over which is pretty unique, I think. I also have a lifetime archive of shapes at my fingertips from my Dad to get inspired from as well. So, I think shape & design-wise we have a real time advantage in the SUP world. Every day we make a little bit of everything from short boards to paddle boards to waveskis to foil stuff, all in-house here in Dana Point so it’s constantly fresh and fun.

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