Master shaper, Coronado native, and lifelong surfer, Dan Mann, joins Dave Prodan on The Lineup to pull back the curtain on a career that has taken him from shaping his first boards in the 1990s to working alongside Kelly Slater, Firewire and Slater Designs on some of the most refined high-performance surfboards in the world. Dan Mann has spent nearly three decades chasing the perfect surfboard, and breaks down his path into shaping, the influence of legendary San Diego shapers, like Rusty and Xanadu, the evolution from hand shaping to CNC technology, and why consistency and engineering have become such important tools in modern surfboard design. He also goes deep on his decade-long relationship with Kelly Slater, including the development of models like the FRK, S-Boss and other Slater Designs boards. Mann also takes Dave behind the scenes of Stab in the Dark X, where he built a board for Kelly Slater under intense time pressure, and discusses the aftermath of seeing his work and personality portrayed in the series. He reflects on the follow-up Ethan Ewing edition, where his board earned major praise and helped showcase the depth of his shaping philosophy. The conversation gets deep into the details of surfboard design, from PU vs. EPS and Firewire construction technologies to twins, quads, rocker, bottom contours and fin placement. Dan talks about his current Mannkine and Firewire projects, the possibility of helping develop the next generation of CT surfers, and how “not thinking as much” is his next state of happiness. Follow Dan Mann here. Check out his latest Mannkine shapes on Firewire here. And shop the latest Outerknown merch here! Stay tuned to the Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA, Aug 8-18. Stay up to date with the rankings. Get the latest merch at the WSL Store! Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our YouTube channel. Get the latest WSL rankings, news, and event info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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