Luka, who are the people behind Flikka and how did it all start? It all started in 2001 when I wanted to build my own boards because standard boards were too expensive and short-lived for me. Over the years, they got better and better and it wasn't long before people from outside were asking for boards. In 2006, I founded Flikka Boards with a few friends and our team has continued to grow ever since. We thought internationally right from the start and co-operated with some top riders, which opened doors for us. Today, shape legend Peter Thommen supports us with the slalom boards and worldcuppers such as Kenneth Danielsen, Dario Ojeda and Edvan Souza give us further feedback. Over the years, everything got bigger and bigger and we were able to invest in our production facility. Fortunately, my father, who worked in metalworking, knew his way around CNC milling perfectly, so that since 2010 we have been able to mill all shapes computer-controlled and thus reproduce them perfectly. Looking back, I can't imagine shaping everything by hand again.
You are based in Ljubljana/Slovenia - is everything produced there or do you have to buy in certain components? Right from the start, we wanted to produce all parts of the boards entirely in Europe and not rely on cheap components from the Far East. That's why, in addition to the boards, we also manufacture CNC-milled fins, fin boxes and the plugs ourselves. Torn loop plugs are therefore not an issue. We buy in straps and pads, but these also come from Europe.
At Flikka you have off-the-shelf boards, but completely customised shapes are also possible. Tell us briefly what options your customers have. Many of our customers come to us because they either want a board that is tailored to their specific dimensions and needs or one that is significantly lighter or more stable than the standard production boards. Others buy the boards because of the designs and because they want something less "mainstream". Buyers also appreciate the fact that we don't change our designs every year for marketing reasons - that way you don't feel like you're riding an old board a few months later and the board retains its value for longer. Over the years, we've got a good feel for what works for what people want. Over time, you learn to categorise and immediately have a concept in mind that fits the wishes of that particular customer. In general, any special request is possible, but we also have a range of boards that perfectly cover the needs of most customers. Each shape is available in different designs and prices. Put simply, we use three different components: "Glass S" (reinforced with carbon and Dyneema), "Full Carbon" and "Full Dyneema". Each of these constructions is available in light, normal and extra stable versions. For example, if you want an 85-litre thruster for the wave, you can get it as a full carbon version in "extra light" with 5.1 kilos or as an extremely stable hardcore Dyneema version with 6.2 kilos.
How do the prices within your constructions differ? An example: A normal S-Glass construction costs 1800 euros, as "extra strong" it costs 100 euros more. A hardcore Dyneema board in "extra strong", our most stable construction, costs 2200 euros and includes a two-year guarantee against breakage.
Critics of custom boards claim that you're always buying a pig in a poke with a custom... I can understand this point of criticism! If a small custom shaper only builds and sells a handful of boards a year, you can be out of luck. In order to attract attention, such shapers often have to go to extremes and the boards that come out are sometimes anything but ideal for the average surfer. But we are long past this stage - people know us and our boards and they can be seen at many spots and beaches around the world. Accordingly, we also get a lot of feedback, which flows back into our new developments.
Website www.flikkaboards.com
