Eric Arakawa is a legendary Hawaiian surfboard shaper, born and raised in Hawaii. He started surfing in Waikiki at the age of 10 and shaped his first surfboard when he was just 14 years old, already showing exceptional talent and dedication to board design.
With over five decades of experience, Arakawa became one of the most respected shapers in the world. His high-performance surfboards have been ridden by top professional surfers, including Derek Ho and three-time world champion Andy Irons, playing a key role in competitive surfing history.
In the 1980s, he founded the brand Island Classics, which became iconic in Hawaii. He later worked extensively with Hawaiian Island Creations (HIC) and eventually regained creative control of Island Classics.
Eric Arakawa has received several honors, including Surfing Magazine’s Shaper of the Year (2003), and in 2025 he was recognized as an “Icon of Foam” at the Boardroom International Surfboard Show, celebrating his lasting influence on surfboard craftsmanship and surf culture.
