From a Garage
on the Gulf Coast
to the Sugar Mill
on the North Shore
Joe DeMarco began shaping surfboards in his parents garage in Sarasota FL back in the summer of 1996. After acquiring a few basic tools combined with the knowledge he got from a surfing book found in the school library, Joe set up shop in the garage and couldn’t wait to get his hands dirty. A self-motivated hands on learner Joe shaped, glassed and sanded his first board with little guidance from anyone. Though it was far from perfect, he was not discouraged. After surfing that first board Joe was hooked on the feeling and wanted to shape again.
Joe spent a year chasing frozen waves in Half Moon Bay California. There he learned and explored shaping and glassing from guys like Jeff Clark and his glasser Joel. Joe went back to Sarasota determined to get his boards looking better then ever. He went to work glassing and sanding for Jaun Rodrigeus of One World Surf Designs, a classic longboard and fin maker. Jaun is a legend and a very skilled board builder. Joe caught on quickly and started building his own boards there too.
After working with Jaun for awhile, Joe decided to create a shaping and glassing workshop of his own. In 2001 Joe opened up a small factory and got to work. He mostly worked by himself building every board from start to finish including all the artwork and graphics. Joe managed to build about 100 boards out of that little crude factory. After about a year Joe decided that to take his quality even further he would merge his factory with Tommy Daniels of NXTC surfboards. Tommy is an amazing shaper and artist who makes beautiful boards, not to mention he had just completed his state of the art new surfboard factory. Joe honed his skills working for Tommy while continuing to shape and glass his own brand of surfboards. In 2003 Joe got a call from another Sarasota buddy who made surfboards, Aaron Malone. Aaron had moved to the North Shore of Oahu and was calling to ask if Joe wanted to work for the HIC factory in Hawaii glassing surfboards. Joe swiftly packed his bags and headed to the North Shore of Oahu with dreams of epic waves and ample work opportunities. Aaron was on another level glassing and the factories in Hawaii churned out boards like nothing Joe had ever seen before. Aaron helped bring Joe up to speed and he quickly adapted to the fast paced production of the factories in Hawaii. Joe earned respect as a highly competent glasser, and he also got noticed for his incredible shaping skills and the custom boards he was putting out. The experience gave Joe the opportunity to learn from and work with dozens of the world’s best board builders. Today, Joe continues to design, shape and glass his brand demarco surfboards on the North Shore of Oahu at the Third Stone Factory. The consistent surf in Hawaii and variety of feedback from many great surfers riding demarco boards has helped Joe’s shapes excel to the highest quality and performance. Having been in the business for 20+ years now, Joe has a unique combination of craftsmanship and experience that he can offer to his clients. When you see someone surf his boards, the smile is contagious.