We had a chance to see her workshop and a few surfboards in process. During our time, we asked her a bit about her personal history and what inspired her to build. This is what she said…
“I started Piña Surfboards because I‘m a carpenter and I love surfing. This is a combination of my two passions. It’s been quite a while since starting in 2015, and I even went to carpentry school to learn how to do it the right way. I learned a bunch and I‘m super glad that I did that. So yeah in my free time, I just started making them in my basement in Germany. Then I decided to move back to Nosara.”
Having lived in Nosara the greater part of last ten years… she decided to leave Germany and head back to the beaches of Guanacaste to fulfill her dream and raise a family. After first coming in 2008, she has always felt Nosara is home.
“I’m stoked to be starting my business out of this super cool town where I can surf every day and make boards… I started surfing here and I always wanted to make my own surfboard. It was weird because back then there were no female shapers, especially around here, and it was a pretty male-dominated profession regardless. Having always loved woodworking, I felt I had to make surfboards out of wood… but it was a bit of a secret dream. The woods I need to make surfboards are light and airy… it seems here people throw them away because they are not strong enough for construction. Some people have literally given me wood for free because they don’t know what to do with it. It’s kind of the perfect solution to make surfboards with.”
Marce makes every detail of the boards that she can by hand. As a surfer, a new mom, businesswoman , and artisan… she sets an example for all, but specifically girls and young woman regardless of which country they come from or language they speak. The message is to follow your dreams, no matter how unique they are.
The Nosara Times would like to thank and are happy to feature Marcelina and Piña Surfboards as our first official community spotlight! She will be announcing the official launch party of her business this coming high season… Stay tuned Nosara.