Ryan Lovelace

Ryan Lovelace is a self-taught surfboard shaper based between Santa Barbara, California and Kauai, Hawaii. His journey began on his 19th birthday when he gifted himself the materials to shape his very first board, with no mentor, no shop floor experience, and no YouTube to guide him.

He is known for his extreme attention to detail, dedication to hand shaping, and his outstanding ability to blend designs from the past with modern ones to carve out his own niche in the surfing world. His brand, LoveMachine Surfboards, merges traditional hand shaping with modern 3D scanning to replicate each board with precision while preserving the feel of a true custom shape.

It was his viral pressed flower inlays, inspired by his grandmother's leis and Hawaiian quiltmaking, that took his career to a new level, reviving a trend from the 70s and sparking a full rebirth of floral inlays across the surfboard world.

In October 2024, he won the Electric Acid Surfboard Test from Stab Magazine, with pro surfer Dave Rastovich selecting his board above all others. A true craftsman with a cult following, Lovelace is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished hand shapers working today.