OWN INTERVIEW CONTENTS Vol.11 Kota Yokoyama (FINGER SHAPE)
OWN (hereinafter, O): First, please introduce yourself, Yokoyama-san!
Yokoyama (hereafter referred to as Y) : My name is Kota Yokoyama. I am a surfboard shaper and brand name called FINGER SHAPE . I am originally from Sendai, but due to a transfer at my previous job I ended up living in Nagoya and thought it was a great city, so I started the FINGER SHAPE shop in Nagoya.
What kind of work did you do in your previous job?
It's a job that has nothing to do with surfing . I'm a trading company employee, wearing a suit and going around making sales calls.
OHHave you lived anywhere other than Nagoya?
Y : That's true. I lived in Tokyo for a while, and I've also lived in Morioka.
OYou were also doing surfing at that time, right?
Y : Of course. I've been surfing since I was a teenager . I started surfing as a player at first. I never thought I'd become a shaper.
Do you also participate in contests?
Y : Yes. I represented the Sendai branch and competed in the All Japan Championships. My best result in my career was coming in second place in Japan. It was a mediocre result (laughs).
Oh no, second place is amazing too!
It was around the time when Y Longboards were popular, and I was in my mid -20s . I was competing in contests while working. Before joining my previous job at a trading company, I worked part-time at a second-hand clothing store and a surf shop. After that, I wanted to try a more serious job, so I applied for a job at a trading company and by chance, I got the job.
Why did you quit your job at the trading company?
It's not that I was getting too cocky, but business performance was really good and the work itself was going smoothly. I came to Nagoya from Iwate and business performance more than doubled. But at that time, there was an incident where an Osaka Prefecture employee had a tattoo, which caused some problems. It was the perfect timing, and it seems that I got caught up in the company's compliance.
OHow do you find out?
Y: At the time, I was traveling around the country surfing, and as I said earlier, I even came second in Japan. That meant that if you searched for my name on Facebook or somewhere, photos of me surfing would come up. The tattoo was in a place that couldn't be seen unless I took off my clothes, but that was how they found out, and I was called into the general affairs department and asked if I could quit. I'd been spending almost all my salary on surfing because of contests and other things, and my house and cell phone were provided by the company, so I was thrown out with almost no money (laughs).
Even though you were contributing to the company, you were treated so badly...
Y: That's right (laughs). Then, a while ago, I had the fun experience of shaping a surfboard, so I decided, "That's it, I'm going to become a shaper!" and started moving forward. But there was a lot of opposition from those around me. There are all kinds of things in surfing, from wetsuits to fins, but shapers are like gods. I was told over and over again, "There's no way you can do that."
It 's not going to be easy. How much shape had you been in by then?
Y: I didn't do it at all. I just did a little bit of work on my own boards. I guess I was at the level of a garage shaper. After that, I was approached about being poached for a job similar to my previous one, but I couldn't erase the tattoos I had gotten, and there was a chance I might get fired again, so I decided to do what I love! And so I started FINGER SHAPE about 8 years ago.
Did you start this store from scratch?
Y : No, for the first year or so I had a master glasser in Osaka and went to see him every day. After that I looked for a property with a shaping room, and that's how I got to where I am today.
What was the reaction of those around you when you opened the O FINGER SHAPE shop?
Y: For the first year or so , I felt like people were a little cold towards me, maybe because I was suddenly a fellow surfer, having only been around as a surfer up until then. I think a lot happens in a man's late 30s and early 40s . If things don't go well, or if the environment around you isn't good, you can become negative. That's when I started FINGER SHAPE , so some people were negative at first. But now that time is over, everyone is positive. I think the number of people who support me has increased dramatically.
So , please tell us the origin of the name FINGER SHAPE !
Y: When you hear the word “FINGER,” do you somehow get the impression of something handmade or craftsman-like?
I see. It gave me the impression of delicate handcrafting. So that's where it comes from.
You might think it's Y , but it's completely different.
OEh , is that not the case (lol)?
Y (laughs). The truth is, one time when I was shaping a board, I accidentally scraped off the flesh on my finger. After I managed to finish it, my master at the time told me to give the board a name, so I thought, since I'd shaped my fingers, I gave it this name (laughs).
O (laughs) Now that you've set up your shop, are there any points that you are particular about?
When Y first opened, the interior was more wood-based, with a West Coast feel. But I got tired of that design, and it started to feel uncomfortable. I think black and white is the monochrome color that makes things stand out the most, so I made it so that surfboards are easy to see and stand out. Other than that, I've filled it with things that I think are good.
It has a modern feel and in a way it doesn't look like a surf shop.
Y: I'm glad to hear you say that. I kind of like the 80s and 90s kind of taste, so I wanted to reflect that. Also, what I've been thinking for the past few years is that rather than just because I like it, I've become very conscious of whether something has a FINGER SHAPE feel to it.
Regarding the shape of the O -board, is there a finger shape concept?
Y : Yes. Retro, classic, alternative, and slightly old-fashioned surfboards are popular these days, but if you make a surfboard exactly like that, I think it would be difficult to ride and slow. But the outline is really cool, so I made the outline in a 60s-70s style, while always using the latest features. So it's like a combination of vintage and modern. It's not the best way to put it, but it looks like a vintage car and rides like a Prius. I want everyone to be able to ride it comfortably.
Just looking at the outline of the O Finger Shape board, you might think, "This is going to be difficult to ride." But it's actually quite comfortable to ride.
Y: That's something I hear a lot. When I first started shaping, I made some very aggressive designs. Super cool, but hard to ride. But now, I think the concept is that it should be easy to ride, and that it should look cool too.
OHow did you come up with that idea?
Y: I think it's because I want people to enjoy surfing. And surfboards are things that last forever. I don't want people who find an old FINGER SHAPE board and ride it to think, " FINGER SHAPE is bad." Even if it's 10 years old, I don't want them to think that. I don't want to ruin the image that our boards are super fast and easy to ride.
How many surfboards do you make per year?
I make about 150 on average, about one every two days.
Do you have many repeat customers for O FINGER SHAPE boards?
Y: We have a lot of repeat customers. The ones who make a good impression are those that make them think, "I can ride this!" or "This board will give me speed." We have 13 types of surfboards, but they always want to try riding longer boards and shorter boards. I guess that's just the nature of surfers. When they feel that way, they want to make another board with FINGER SHAPE . It makes me really happy.
Just because it looks good doesn't make people repeat customers. I think it's because we also place importance on ease of riding.
Y : After all, no matter how cool surfing looks, it's no fun if you can't ride it. Because it's 100% custom-made, I create it while following the wishes of the person who orders it, while also understanding their physique and skill level. I also try to go on surf trips all over the country for one to two weeks a month. One reason for this is that I get to interact with local surfers, but I also want to understand the characteristics of the waves in each area. The waves in Kyushu and the waves in Tohoku are completely different, and it's no good just carving them the same way without understanding that. Surf trips are essential for me, in order to get a feel for the wave conditions.
Traditional shapers are people who are rooted in the area. They ask people who know the waves in that area.
Y : That's right. That's what surf shops are like. That's why, living in Nagoya, I make sure to keep up with the wave conditions in each area. Also, making custom-made surfboards is thought to be something only very advanced people do. But that's not the case at all, and I think surf shapers should be more accessible. Localism is important, but I also want to be friendly.
How do you color and paint your O- boards?
Y: A lot of our customers follow us on Instagram , so they often ask us to create something with a certain image in mind. But we also adjust the frame thickness and other finer details to make it look better. I'm the only shaper, but we have three glassers. We have two factories in Shonan and one in Osaka. It makes me so happy when customers who order say "thank you." When I let them know it's finished, they come to pick it up right away and say "thank you." After that, they go to the beach and say, "It was a great ride, thank you." I want to say thank you to all my customers. I'm very grateful.
So , is there an area that you consider to be your home?
My home is all of Japan (laughs). But the most memorable waves are those in my hometown of Sendai. Sendai New Port, Kesennuma, etc. The waves are very distinctive and unique.
So , Yokoyama-san, what did you think of the start of OWN ?
Y: Enoshi ( ROUGH AND RUGGED ) first introduced me to them. When I actually tried them out, I found that they had the best fit of any pair of eyewear I've owned to date.
Oh I'm so happy!
Y: I've been wearing OWN #02 ever since. The color of the lenses is also perfect, and they're thin enough that they come in handy when I ride my bike. I think anything with a beautiful shape is comfortable to wear, just like surfboards. OWN eyewear is beautiful from every angle, it's perfect.
In what situations do you use it?
I usually wear them when I go out. I wear the tinted #02 lenses when I go out, and sometimes I wear the clear #02 lenses at night. I've also been thinking about trying #04 lenses recently.
If you have any information, please let me know!
We're constantly releasing the latest models, so please check us out in the shop or on Instagram . Also, as our glassers are getting older, we'd like to eventually be able to do everything from shaping to glassing in-house. We'd also like to see young people become craftsmen.
If you have any messages, please let me know.
There's absolutely no reason why you can't order a surfboard unless you 're good at it. In fact, you'll improve faster if you ride one that suits your height, weight, and body type. It would be weird to force yourself to wear an M or XL T -shirt when you're actually a size L. In the same way, I hope beginners will feel free to consult me about ordering. I hope you'll order a board and look great with a great board! A mid-length board (around size 7) will cost around 200,000 yen and take 3-4 months to deliver, so if you're interested, please contact me.
[INFO]
FINGER SHAPE
〒466-0857
7-1-2 Yasuda-dori, Showa-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture
052-753-9995
