591 - Eden Saul: Dead Kooks

Eden Saul, the Australian board builder behind the cult brand Dead Kooks, reveals how he’s tackling the paradox of scaling a handmade surfboard business without sacrificing quality or authenticity. After years of traveling globally to shape boards in person—Japan, Europe, Hawaii, California—he’s now launching a new model: training and empowering Tommy Kroll, a factory veteran who’s worked every job from sweeping floors to shaping, to build boards at Moonlight Glassing in California. This shift allows Dead Kooks to offer year-round availability in the U.S. while keeping production local and supporting surfboard labor communities. Eden shares the emotional toll of a recurring shoulder injury—two dislocations, two surgeries, and a bone graft that now acts as a 'doorstop' for his joint—yet still shapes 20 boards a week, balancing creativity with management. He also defends polyester resin as environmentally sound when built to last, calls out greenwashing in 'eco' surfboards, and warns that rising insurance costs and safety regulations are making it harder than ever to run a legitimate factory. The episode closes with a candid look at the future of surfing: a new generation of hungry Australian surfers, the financial strain on shapers, and the irony of billionaires building wave pools while local artisans struggle to survive.