Class of 2004 ECS Hall of Famer Pete Dooley Honored
The 2025 Florida Shape-Off was hosted by Surf Expo and produced by ECS Hall of Famer Ricky Carroll (kneeling, front), honoring Hall of Famer Pete Dooley (sitting). Invited shapers included Bob Rohmann, Allen White, Greg Loehr, Scott Busbey, Tommy Maus and Chris Birch.
The Florida Shape-Off, under the watchful eyes of organizer Ricky Carroll, takes place every year at the January Surf Expo in Orlando, Florida. The Shape-Off promotes the art and craft of hand-shaping surfboards by honoring one shaper and one model surfboard made popular by that shaper, by inviting a half dozen other prominent shapers to recreate the honoree’s masterpiece, The shaped replica deemed closest to the original is declared the winner.
For 2025, Pete Dooley was chosen to be honored. Pete, as many know, was the co-founder and frontman of Natural Art Surfboards, who, along with partner Scott Busbey and NA shaper Greg Loehr, built Natural Art into the most prominent East Coast board builder in the history of surfing, and a global leader in wave riding equipment.
Invited to compete in the Shape-Off were Busbey, Loehr, Florida’s Bob Rohmann, Tommy Maus and Chris Birch, and Virginia’s Allen White. White, who has competed in previous Shape-Offs at Surf Expo, finally took home the first place prize and $2,000 as his replica was declared the winning board.
The 2025 Florida Shape-Off honoring Pete Dooley was also a time for many friends from up and down the East Coast to spend time with the man who has earned respect from all and is a dear friend to many.
Photos by: John Hughes, Mike Vuocolo, and Tom Warnke.
