Walk into Cole Simler's surfboard shaping operation in San Clemente, Calif., and you'll find a business that appears to be just barely eking out an existance. It's not some bombastic factory like the Burton-owned Channel Island operation in Santa Barbara, and Simler may not have the notoriety of ...Lost Surfboard's Matt Biolas, who builds his boards just a few blocks away. Located in a non-descript corner building in San Clemente's "surfboard ghetto," Simlar's business, like the man himself, is humble.

Blame the economy -- everybody does -- but that's not the case. "We're just the right size," says Simler, a satisfied Cheshire cat grin spanning his mug.

Blow back the foam dust a little and it's evident Simler knows full well what he's doing, and his business is in fact thriving as a result. He estimates that he shapes about 2,000 boards a year, most of which come from custom orders from his dedicated stable of customers. He's mastered the art of keeping the overhead low, reinvesting his earnings in more blanks instead of slick marketing campaigns, an all-star team or more plush shaping accommodations.

"I started making boards for friends back in college, and that's just kind of kept on going," he says. And therein lies his secret. For Simler, and a lot of surfboard shapers of similar ilk, satisfaction comes in the form of seeing somebody enjoy their craft, and success comes in repeat business from said stoked individuals.

That's not to say he hasn't fired up the planer for his fair share of surf stars. Locally bred talent like Matt Archbold and Nathan Fletcher are well aware of how well his boards work, and hanging over the front desk of his shop are shapes he's made Bruce and the late Andy Irons. But the board that reveals the most about the man and his skills is stashed away in a seemingly forgotten rack.

Known more for his small-wave, six-foot and under designs, he recounts, "I made this gun for Sion [Milosky], but as I was shaping it I noticed there was something funky in the blank, like it wasn't true, and I didn't feel good about it, so I told him I was going to get a new blank and shape him a new board."

I couldn't in good conscience let him risk his life on a board I didn't feel good about," he continues. "But then he had his accident at Mavericks [Milosky drowned on Mar. 16, 2011]. I don't know what to do with this board now. I want to give it to his widow."

Pop-outs from China, SUPs, corporately owned mega board builders, and a sour business environment ensure that it's not an easy time to be a small-scale shaper, but Simler's weathering the storm better than most. His operation is lean, his boards well made, and his heart's in the right the place. So when you're considering buying your next board, think local. Simler makes a good case for supporting the working man, and here's bound to be a character like him shaping in your neighborhood, and at the end of the day, a hand-shaped, custom board is a special thing.