Master Luis Heredia—A Lover and a Fighter

Master Luis Heredia with a much earned coral belt- inspired Hi Pro, a gift from friend and training partner Scotty Fong.

Earning a coral belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu requires at least 31 years as a black belt (7 years at the 6th degree), of extraordinary commitment to the sport & its community. It is a rare & highly prestigious accomplishment (only 40- about 50 globally) that Luis Heredia, founder of Maui Jiu Jitsu Academy, recently achieved. 

Movement has always been a big part of Master Luis Heredia’s identity. He grew up  in Copacabana Beach in Brazil immersed in sports such as soccer, basketball, water polo, handball, & surfing.

His competitive nature was forged on the soccer field, where he played for different clubs that instilled discipline & drive. Unfortunately, those skills couldn’t bring him the same success in competitive surfing.

Soon after, Luis realized that he “sucked and it was best to stop trying,”. It was a humbling experience, but a pivotal one.

In the early 80s, Luis’ BJJ instructor, the legendary Rickson Gracie, recognized his potential as a competitor. Luis was encouraged to enter his first tournament at 20-yrs old. His win marked the moment he fully committed himself to the sport.

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Surfing & Jiu Jitsu together laid the foundation for the rest of his career. They were the two disciplines he’d been searching for. The two that profoundly shaped his personality & character.

Over the years he said that his experiences from both practices have influenced his mental, spiritual, & physical development. While surfing & Jiu Jitsu are distinct disciplines, Luis sees them as spiritually connected, saying that one unfolds in the water; the other on the earth.

Surfing teaches flow, patience, & harmony with nature. Jiu Jitsu teaches resilience, strategy, & control. Together, they complement one another— water & earth working in balance.

Luis continues to find joy in both pursuits. He looks forward to trying his new Schaper longboard & sharing waves with good friend & training partner, Scotty Fong, who gifted him the board.

Those shared moments in the ocean and on the mat remain deeply meaningful to him.

The Schaper CSS Machine

While talking story with Carl about his CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine, he paused mid-sentence and his ears perked up. A change in the humming and vibrations caught his attention like a baby sound monitor would to a parent in another room hearing a subtle breathing change or faint cry.

Carl then left the showroom to tend to this machine— it’s not a simple plug and play after all.

In a way, his CNC machine is his baby. He knows its quirks and nuances intimately like no one else—and he should. Together they  have been cutting and shaping boards for over 30 years.

Over the years, Carl’s CNC machine evolved.  The original Schaper machine was built in 1995 by Carl’s brother Greg who had a doctorate in Computer Science.

Since then, the machine had gone through several modifications, including one in 2004 when it acquired parts from the first Digital Surf Designs (DSD) machine.

DSD is a CNC system manufactured specifically for shaping surfboards. Created by Brazilian surgeon Luciano Leao, the machine was the first to be made available to the open market.

Carl’s CNC machine is not just a work robot. It’s a time machine—not the kind that can transport you to emptier beaches of the past, but one with parts that can take you back to very exciting periods of board shaping evolution. All you have to do is listen.

Let the good times roll and let us help you design your new favorite surfboard. Come by the shop (Thur, Fri, & Sat, 11-4pm) and meet the man and the machine for some art and science. 

Jeff Johnston Drops In

Carl & Jeff

What a sight to behold. Collectively, Carl and Jeff Johnston have been surfing, shaping boards (and glassing) for nearly a century. That’s about 100 years of of surf experience and knowledge.

Not only colleagues, the two have been friends and grateful to be each other’s sounding board (some pun intended) when it comes to design and functionality—the basic essentials of a rippable board!

About Jeff

Jeff Johnston is a master surfboard builder. Jeff is recognized as one of the best shapers and glassers around. He is sought out by many of Hawaii's top shapers to glass boards for their best pro riders. Jeff was also a successful competitive surfer, winning the NSSA nationals in 1978 and competing professionally for a number of years after that. Jeff began glassing boards as a young kid in the late 1960's. 

When he was surfing pro in Hawaii in the early 1980's, he was always breaking boards. In order to get boards in one day, he learned how to shape and since then he has gone on to shape for brands like Town & Country in Hawaii and Pukas in Spain.

He has shaped thousands of boards, including for riders like Andrew Doheny, Kanoa Dahlin, Adriano de Souza, Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson, Fred Patacchia Jr., Sunny Garcia, Tom Curren, Dane Kealoha, Andy & Bruce Irons, Johnny Boy Gomes, Chris Ward, Matt Archibald, Brian & Rusty & Buffalo Keaulana, Ross Williams, Lance Hookano, Kahea Hart, Jason Shibata, Keala Kennely, Lisa Anderson, Shawn Briley, Dayton Segundo, China Uemura, Danny Fuller, Jeff Hackman, Myles Padaca, Mark Occhilupo, Buttons Kaluhiokalani, Pancho Sullivan, Elijah Young, Allen Sarlo, Fred Pattacchia Sr., Gary Elkerton, Russel Winter, Michael Lowe, Armando Daltro, Marcelo Nunes, Jamie O'Brien, David Riddle and many more.

Surfer Dr. Benji Darrow at Maverick’s on one of the first round of tow boards shaped by Jeff more than 25 years ago.