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Ding King – Brian Szymanski

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ENCINITAS, Calif. – If you are Southern California surfer and have dinged your board, there is a good chance you might have taken your board to “Ding King” surfboard repair shop in Encinitas, Calif. Standing on top of the infamous “Hill” on Westlake Street where many shapers and glassers got their start. 

How did the concept for “Ding King” come about?  

The Beacons Buttons (not to be confused with Hawaii’s Buttons) is the original “Ding King” who started back as a fin foiler at Bahne Surfboards/ Fins Unlimited. You can still find “Buttons” at the shop on Saturdays between 9am – 12pm talking, washing his car, and helping customers. (Even retired he can’t get away)  

How long has Ding King been open for business? 

The store was established in 1974.Back when there was nothing between the infamous  “Hill” and the beach. “The Hill” as referred to by locals has seen the likes of Tony Channin of Channin Glassing, Shapers Mike Diffenderfer, Pat Curren,Gary Mcnabb of Nectar Surfboards, Tom Eberly, and Jim Philips “The Genius” who had an article in “The Surfer’s Journal”. That’s the short list, if you shape,glass or do any kind of board production in San Diego you’ve worked on “The Hill”. There’s a lot of history and I am stoked to be a small part of it! 


How long have you been shaping for? Did you have any mentors? 

I was surfing for Sunset Surfboards in the eighties and came up to The Ding King looking for work. I started fixing dings for Buttons and then Tom Eberly discovered me. He took me under his wing and showed me the ropes. I Started with finning, hotcoats, laminating,  sanding just about everything. Pointed me down a carrier of production board building. Then it was all about making myself my own boards, Tom was great at teaching me to shape, those are some great memories! 

How long have you been shaping for?

About  24 years now. I started when I was 20 years old.

How did you get into repair work?

As a team grom for Sunset Surfboards I got a job fixing boards at there old shop on 101.The same place that Moonlight Glassing originated. I always have repairing my own boards as well as my friend’s. From there I started building boards, and shaping custom boards for myself and others. I was renting a shaping room from Buttons at The Ding King for a while until 2002 Buttons wanted to retire, so I bought the business and took over where he left off. I am stoked to see him every Saturday morning! and he’s happy to see the Ding King growing. 

Do you repair Balsa Wood surfboards and other types of boards?

Yes, we repair everything. Regular, epoxy, carbon and wood surfboards! We have 5 dedicated employees at Ding King that I am proud to work with. We have a great group of guys here that makes work fun and interesting at times!

How long does it usually take for repairs on average?

We take pride in our work and craftsmanship. The majority of our boards that are repaired usually have a 2-5 day turnaround. Basically if you brought your board in on Monday you’d be surfing on it by Friday! 

You also make custom surfboards, how did that start? 

Eberly, he was my shaper at the time. So Tom being “Eb a Leisure” lagged on purpose to motivate me to learn how to shape for myself. I just could not wait for him, so I was forced to learn. At a point in my life I refer to as “Back in the Hay Day” I was a production laminator and was doing finish shaping for a variety of  labels and pumping out about 15 lams and then shape for the second half of the day.I currently  run the Ding King, shape for Channel Islands, Design Racing SUP’s for Starboard,and continue to work on new innovations. 

What is your favorite board right now?

It’s called the “Motorboat II” It is Rob Machado’s Channel Island 

Dimensions:  5’5” – 18’ ¾” -  2’ ¼”  

When Rob’s in town he gets into shaping. We end up having fun and designing some cool stuff. Check out the “Board Eat Board” segment.

What is your favorite spot to surf locally?

I am a Cardiff guy so I love surfing Suck Outs, Seaside Reef,and  Swamii’s. I also like Baja Malibu and reef breaks down in Mexico when we get a big swell!

What is it about Encinitas that you love to call home?

I grew up in a tight knit community of Encinitas called “Cardiff –by-the-Sea”. I remember as a grom bombing Birmingham in Cardiff with my surfboard in hand. There was no traffic, I would just put my board out to the side to slow down and pull it back in to go faster.It was great growing up here. Being fortunate to have traveled the world I always come home and realize there is nowhere better than Cardiff. The weather is ideal it has that small sleepy beach town vibe,there’s a variety of things to do. unique food and restaurants, ripable surf and great people! Home doesn’t get any better than that!

As always The Cardiff Kook is proud to have had the chance to interview Brian Szymanski of Ding King and Channel Islands Surboards! Please visit his website at www.thedingkingsurfboardrepair.com or The Ding King Facebook page.


Sandy Eggo

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SAN DIEGO - You know the saying “There is no place like home”. When you or someone you know calls San Diego home, you feel a sense of pride. It shows in our face and smile when people ask “Where are you from?” San Diego rocks plain and simple! Is it our weather, the waves, the people, jobs, our universities? Boasting an average temperature of 70 degrees people from all over the world flock to San Diego to enjoy our beaches, parks, restaurants and more!

San Diego also has the nation’s largest urban cultural park, “Balboa Park”. Home to fifteen major museums, renowned performing arts venues and luscious gardens including the “World Famous San Diego Zoo”. The Park offers an ever-changing calendar of museum exhibitions, plays, musicals, concerts, classes and live art. San Diego wouldn’t be San Diego without our Pads & Bolts. San Diego has been home to the San Diego Padres for 43 years or 76 if you include the Pacific Coast League in which Ted Williams helped win a pennant in 1937. The San Diego Chargers have been here for over 51 years and we hope for 51 more. With no World Series or Super Bowl Championships in 94 combined years of the Padres and Chargers, you get the feeling that locals in San Diego love their teams no matter the case. You can’t lose when you call “DAGO” home?

San Diego pride runs deep. From our slogan “America’s Finest City” to our motto “Stay Classy San Diego” We pride ourselves being the laid back beach town with tons to do! Whether you are out shopping or dining downtown in our “Gas Lamp District” or surfing at one of beautiful beaches with over 70 miles of coastline. San Diego has much to offer everyone. The beaches, deserts, mountains are all located within a few hours of each other. It’s no wonder that Yahoo voted San Diego 9th on June 5th, 2012 for “10 Cities that Spoil Kids The Most”.

San Diegan’s know how to have fun in the sun! The city is amongst the top destination hot spots in the United States with a Mediterranean climate which makes out for a great game of golf, tennis, or just a stroll on the beach. Besides the great shops and restaurants there are little hidden gems and good photo op’s at unique places such as Charles Lindberg’s apartment on 6th & Maple (538 Maple) or Ted Williams house in North Park on 4121 Utah Street. San Diego has some of the most beautiful quaint neighborhoods in the United States. Lucious landscaping and beautiful gardens are just an appetizer to what lies inside the heart of the city.

We all love San Diego and we all want a clean safe environment for us, our children and pets. With so much to do and see, it’s no wonder San Diegans take pride in their neighborhoods, communities, and beaches. With beach clean ups scheduled throughout San Diego County beaches we all can do our part and pitch in to keep trash off the streets and out of the ocean. It’s the little things like the communities and people working together that make San Diego so special to everyone.

San Diego is a tight knit community. True San Diegan’s or native San Diegan’s do not support the Dodgers, Raiders and Angels. We love our Padres and Chargers, surfing, motocross, snowboarding and skateboarding. We do like and invite tourism, friendly smiles, courtesy to locals in the water, and we don’t mind you going to our games to watch your team play our Pads or Bolts. It’s good for all parties and everyone gets to watch the game instead of increasing blackouts on our San Diego Chargers games. It wouldn’t be a game without an opposite team fan to talk smack to anyhow. So if you ever wondered what it is that gets San Diegan’s all fired up… well there you have it.