Profile of a Rider: Kevin Mileski

Photos by Nathan Edwards

Like many surfboard shapers, Kevin Mileski, 32, owner of Black Pearl Creations, had some rearranging to do after Clark Foam, the leading supplier of surf board blanks, closed in late 2005. After having to duck out of the wholesale market and slim down to a one-man factory, he plans to restock surf shops with his creations and maybe start a shop of his own.

Drift: Take us through making a board.

KM: I start with talking to the customer. My customers are the more sophisticated kind of surfer. I tailor-make them a board, feel them out. That’s the starting point. From there, we scheme up the board.

He takes up upstairs in his factory, where naked foam boards stand in a row.

KM: If you’re a painter, this would be like the blank canvas. Clark foam used to supply every blank. Now we have all these companies supplying it.

Drift: So Clark shutting down was a good thing?

KM: Now I use US Blanks, which is basically Clark foam. I only really use US Blanks for long boards. For smaller, high-performance boards, I use these others (among them Tercel, Byron and Eskimo)

We step into the shaping room, a blue space illuminated by two florescent tube lights mounted waist-high. Curved templates lay on shelves, and a snowy layer of foam dust coats the floor.

KM: This is where I draw on the board and cut it out. It starts off pretty aggressive. I use a Skill 100, an old tool from the ‘50s and ‘60s. It’s actually a wood planing tool that has been discontinued. Nothing does that job like that.

There’s still an art to hand-shaped boards. A real shaper is passionate about his tools and his craftsmanship. It’s still something I’m really passionate about. It feels really good turning out a board.

The next step for a surfboard is the shaping and airbrushing room.

KM: I use the dyed resin on the long boards, which is kind of the old style. Long boarders will almost always dye their boards. That’s kind of what this place is known for.

After a board is glassed, it goes to sanding.

Sanding work is very fine. Then the customers come and get you happy, when he’s like, “Aw, man, there’s my board.” You sit there and enjoy that moment.

Drift: How did you get into surfing?

KM: I’m a farm boy from Ohio. I think I appreciate the peace and quiet of nature, of being left alone. I was always into BMX biking. I moved to central Florida when I was 13.

I met the creators of Black Pearl when they were just starting. I was the first legitimate customer. I got board No. 9.

Drift: Where do you like to surf?

KM: I surf at the pier, just because it’s close. Or the north or south side of Matanzas. I like surfing in the state park.
That’s when I see my friends, when I surf. I’m out there all the time. If there’s waves, I’ll surf two hours a day. Usually if there’s an incoming tide, I’ll disappear if there’s a wave.

The crew moved to St. Augustine and Mileski dropped out of high school to be a team rider and help in the shop.

KM: We started this place. I started shaping, glassing and basically became the manager. The airbrusher, who was also the owner, offered for me to buy (the company). He was basically over it. He wanted a wife and kids and that whole lifestyle. This is a whole different lifestyle.

I have no business education whatsoever. I never ever in my life wanted to own a business. All I really ever wanted to do was to be a shaper and surfer and travel. It’s tough. Now that I am a business owner and in control of every aspect of my passion,there is so much more I would love to accomplish with this. The surfboard industry is tough but I’m tough and more than willing to face the challenge of this. I really feel this is what I’m here to do and that is a amazing feeling.

Drift: Have you taken any business classes?

KM: At the School of Hard Knocks.

Through his education, Mileski has come up with a plan to revive his business after the scaling down. He’s been building up a stash of boards, models he’s created off the He’ll premiere his line at the four-day Surf Expo in Orlando in January.

KM: I’m just kind of laying-low for a while, and when I come out, I want to come out with my guns blazing. For quite a while, I’ve been working on a big array of boards. This is a big year for me.