About Us
As a young punk growing up in Juno Beach, Fl. back in the 70’s, I Skated, Biked, and Surfed nearly every day. The heat always kept me in the salt water. Before I was 15, I must have surfed every board shape made, If I didn’t have one, one my friends did. I started surfing in 1975 on a boogie board at the age of 4. Having been raised by my mom in a lower income family, yet artistic home, my quiver consisted of primarily used boards found at Garage sales or from a friend that I repaired. Fortunately, having surfed so many boards in a short time, I figured out what worked and why.
I started to travel, seeking the perfect wave, as a teen Costa Rica, California, New York, Rhode Island, Maine, North Carolina, and all over my home state Florida. From steep reef peelers to sand rock shore brakes, I was immersed in the salt water surf culture. I grew up in South Florida and the state has a wave to offer everyone. We get Mush, Slop, Chop, Low and High pressure Swells, Boat wake and Massive Hurricane Mayhem. Juno beach, Reef Road and Pump House on Singer Island, Fl. were my testing facilities.
The name Crowd Control was born on a day of a predicted large north swell back in the mid 80’s. The night before my board was in the middle of a quick nose repair in which I hung my board from the leash and simply dunked the nose of it into a cone shaped water cup of resin and let it dry. That following day the Surf was up and I had no time to sand it down so I tore the paper off and left what looked like a spear head, My buddy saw the board and laughed “Now that’s what I call Crowd Control!” Thus was born Crowd Control. I never did sand down that tip and coincidentally was in 2 car accidents and spearing through a windshield in one incident . That board survived both accidents!
I was fortunate to have mentors that developed my sense for materials and processes. My Grandfather was a carpenter and my Dad followed his footsteps and I learned to work with my hands from them both. My Mom and Grandmother are talented Artists and they showed me the other side of creating. I grew up working along side of boat builders, fiberglass pros, wood workers, metal fabricators, carpenters and artists thru my teens and into my 20’s.
With these technical principals such as mixing resin, increasing hull strength, manipulating materials, converged with my knowledge of board design, and wave conditions and an artist eye I was able to develop ideas that I surf and suggest to this day. My fascination with form and artistic placement was a direct influence of my Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Uncle all of which have made their living from their artistic gift. My desire was for the surf community to go beyond the logo and focus back into the “Art of Shaping.” I felt it was my time to grind. My early shaping days local influences were Doug Soveril, Skull Frog, and Eric Rumaner, I watched and learned the industry techniques. Eventually, I was confident enough to invest in the materials, and I got my first blank in 1997. I have been shaping ever since, 1 board at a time, each with a unique artistic twist. I now have many Expert Shapers that I have talked shop and studied with from around the world, Dick Catri, Edwin “CARTON Villalobos and Reno Abilerra to name a few. Making Custom Sticks is my game. If I know your weight, height, skill level, and expectations, I can make you a “Magic Stick.” I can also replicate any “favorite board” that may be to worn out to ride anymore.
My boards are one of a kind, a history of experience that can only be told in a story. I would never claim my style to be the best however, my boards fly and, are affordable, built to shred, and can be hung on the wall with artistic world class craftsmanship. Hand shaped, airbrushed, glassed, and sanded, under 1 roof.
Crowd Control Surf Co. Palm Beach, Florida
Brett Prinz
