Born on Portugal’s Atlantic coast in 1988, Polen Surfboards started as a small workshop with a simple dream: to craft high-quality surfboards in Europe that could compete with the best from Hawaii, California, and Australia. From the start, our goal was to blend Portuguese craftsmanship with global innovation, shaping boards that work at all levels while capturing the joy and soul of surfing.

Over the years, Polen has grown together with the European surf scene, earning the trust of some of the world’s top shapers to represent and build their boards in Europe. These include Timmy Patterson, shaper of Olympic and World Champion Ítalo Ferreira; Jon Pyzel, whose boards are ridden by John John Florence; Akila Aipa, known for his fast, flowing Hawaiian designs; Bill Stewart, celebrated for timeless longboards; and Brett Warner, the Australian shaper known for precise, innovative performance boards.

Polen Surfboards has been fortunate to work closely with these legendary shapers, exchanging ideas that enriched our craft. That process helped make our own shapers, Paulo do Bairro and Nuno Surdo, some of the most versatile in the industry, capable of blending international insights with local conditions. All this knowledge is applied directly to our boards, creating models designed specifically for the European waves and market, combining performance, reliability, and the unique spirit of our coastline.

Innovation is in our DNA from experimenting with performance templates to pioneering sustainable materials. One of our proudest achievements was collaborating with Mercedes-Benz and Corticeira Amorim to produce the world’s first surfboard made with Portuguese cork, built for Garrett McNamara and tested on the giant waves of Nazaré. We were also honoured to produce a limited-edition surfboard line for Ralph Lauren, and have undertaken special projects for premium brands including Lamborghini, Tommy Hilfiger, and MEO, delivering bespoke boards that combine creativity, style, and performance.

Surfing has always been at the heart of Polen, and our brand has been supported by an incredible team of athletes and ambassadors who ride boards we build. Current riders include Marta Paço, four-time ISA World Champion in adaptive surfing (VI-1 class); Luís Perloiro, Liga MEO Surf winner; Samuel Igo from Brazil, who broke QS records; Pedro Boonman; big-wave surfer Nic von Rupp, winner of the Best Team Performance award at the 2025 TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge; and Afonso Antunes, winner of the Pantín Classic Pro. Over the years, we’ve proudly sponsored surfers including Frederico Morais, Kiron Jabour, Patric Bevent, and Justine Dupond, while we have also built boards for many other top surfers such as Jadson André, John John Florence, Jack Freestone, Ítalo Ferreira, Filipe Toledo, and Raony Monteiro, each of whom has been part of the Polen journey and helped carry the spirit of the brand.

More than thirty years later, Polen Surfboards remains proudly Portuguese and globally connected. Every board reflects decades of shaping experience, international insights, and the rhythm of the Atlantic. Polen boards are made for everyone from beginners discovering the joy of surfing to experienced athletes chasing performance designed for all levels, waves, and styles. Surfing is more than a sport for us: it’s a way of life, a connection between people, waves, and cultures and as long as there are waves to chase, we’ll continue shaping the boards that make that connection possible.

Polen Surfboards: built in Portugal, ridden worldwide, for everyone.

Head Shaper & Surfboard Designer – Polen Surfboards
Paulo Rodrigues do Bairro has been part of the Portuguese surf scene since its early days, bringing more than three decades of passion and experience to every board he shapes. His story with Polen began long before he joined the shaping team as a young competitor in the early 1990s, he was already riding Polen boards in national surf contests, reaching his first final in 1992. That connection with the brand and the craft of surfboard design grew over the years until, in 2007, Paulo officially became part of Polen, transforming his deep understanding of surfing into design and innovation.
With a background as both a surfer and a craftsman, Paulo brings a unique perspective to every board. His years in the water taught him what surfers truly need boards that paddle easily, respond quickly, and perform in a variety of wave conditions. His technical expertise in production and materials ensures that each board reflects Polen’s commitment to quality, durability, and precision. As the creator of models like the Master, Paulo is known for shaping surfboards that blend accessibility and performance, designed for surfers who want to catch more waves without giving up the feel and control of a high-performance shortboard.
At Polen, Paulo works closely with international shapers and uses the latest CNC shaping technology to ensure every board meets the highest standards of accuracy and consistency. Over the years, his dedication to quality has taken him far beyond Portugal traveling to California to work directly with Timmy Patterson and Stretch Surfboards, and to Hawaii to meet Jon Pyzel. These trips allowed Paulo to exchange knowledge and techniques firsthand, ensuring that every board built under these shapers’ labels in Europe stays true to their original design, performance, and brand standards.
Whether shaping for professionals or passionate everyday surfers, Paulo’s boards carry the same dedication: to build surfboards that surfers trust, rely on, and that help them push their best performance. Today, Paulo stands as one of the most complete and respected shapers in Portugal a craftsman who bridges local surf culture with global shaping excellence. His work represents the essence of Polen Surfboards: innovation grounded in experience, precision balanced with creativity, and an unshakable love for surfing in every curve of foam and resin.