Chilli Surfboards – Quality Boards for All Conditions

The spicy pepper sitting on the deck of Chilli surfboards is easily spotted at most breaks around Australia, as well as many other surfing destinations around the world. With such a wide selection of boards, this brand has something suitable for surfers of all levels and in all kinds of conditions. From its humble beginnings in the late 1990s, Chilli has developed into one of the most popular surfboard brands going around.

The history of Chilli Surfboards

Chilli Surfboards was founded by Jamie Cheal, an avid surfer who learned his craft in the waters of the sunny Gold Coast. A little under a decade later, he would begin to learn a new craft out of the water. Cheal shaped his first board at the in 1995 at the age of 22, and much to his surprise, it was a success. That proved to be a one-off and the ensuing 20 went like ‘wet towels’, according to the man himself, but he stuck with it nonetheless. 

In 1997 he officially began his business in Brookvale, and demand for his boards began to grow soon after. The first great testament to the success of the developing brand came in 2004, seven years after it was founded, when the late, great Andy Irons rode one throughout the year which ultimately produced his third world title. Since then, Chilli have only continued to grow, and today have an extensive team of world-class surfers riding their boards.

Who surfs Chilli Surfboards?

A number of quality surfers have strutted their stuff on the world stage with a Chilli under their feet over the years, perhaps most notably the aforementioned Andy Irons, but the biggest name they have today is former world champ Adriano de Souza. De Souza took out his first and only world title in 2015, and though he has recently retired he’s still flying the flag for Chilli. The rest of Chilli’s team is centred predominantly in Australia, though they have put their proverbial flag down in a few places around the world, with names including Tiago Pires and Teresa Bonvalot of Portugal, Balaram Stack of the USA, and Kayu Vianna of Indonesia all representing their brand. 

What do Chilli Surfboards sell?

A brand called Chilli Surfboards, as you might have guessed, specialises largely in surfboards. And they’ve got heaps of them. For founder Jamie Cheal, as rewarding as it is to have the world’s best surfers riding the world’s best waves with his boards, he gets just as chuffed by making them for run-of-the-mill, you and me type surfers. The result is a range which caters for everyone. Among the Chilli Surfboards we sell at Southern Man are:

  • Faded 2.0 – the second incarnation of the Faded model, this board is suitable for a myriad of conditions. While not ideal for beginners, anyone with a little experience through to accomplished pros will enjoy this board. A relatively full front section means that this board paddles like a step-up, but once you’re up and riding you’ll have all the freedom of a shortboard, making it suitable whether you’re surfing 2 or 3-foot mush or 8-foot barrels. 
  • BV2 – The BV2 is the adaptation of the popular Black Vulture board, and is designed with summer in mind. A full nose gives it plenty of paddle power and speed, while its straight rail line into the tail ensures you’ll have plenty of control when turning. This board is suitable for surfers of all abilities in the smallest of waves up to around 4-5 feet.
  • Rarest Bird TT EPS – If you’re after versatility, look no further than this one. The Rarest Bird evolved, unsurprisingly, from the Rare Bird, which was a board designed with high-performance in small waves in mind. The versatility of the Rare Bird quickly became clear, with surfers able to ride it in overhead Indonesian barrels one day, and mushy slop the next. Chilli added a little more foam and volume to that board, and voila; the Rarest Bird was born.
  • Mid Strength – Mid strength isn’t exactly a term which elicits a whole lot of enthusiasm in many people, but this board should generate a little more excitement than its alcoholic namesake. The Mid Strength was created when shaper James had a knee injury and couldn’t surf to his full ability. It’s a performance mid-length board which paddles easily, while maintaining the manoeuvrability of a shorter board. It’s also a great example of the versatility of Chilli Surfboards, and is suitable for anyone who can stand up on a wave.
  • Volume II – If your local break has the tendency of not dishing up perfect, overhead conditions every single day of the year – a common problem – then the Volume II is worth checking out. The second version of the Volume range, this board was designed for surfers looking for a board which enables them to surf at a high level in subpar conditions. If that sounds like you, this board is certainly worth checking out.

While boards are clearly Chilli’s primary product, they do dabble in clothing a little bit, too. They sell a few t-shirts, hats and tote bags adorned with the recognisable Chilli logo, so if you want to do a bit of pro bono advertising for Jamie Cheal and co, the option is there.

Chilli might not have the global recognition that some of the bigger brands like Channel Islands do, but from their beginnings in a humble factory in northern Sydney a quarter of a century ago, they have nonetheless developed a loyal following in many parts of the world. With guys like Andy Irons surfing their boards to world supremacy in the early parts of the century, to Adriano de Souza more recently, Chilli Surfboards has been able to make an imprint on the global surfing industry in a way that founder Jamie Cheal would never have dreamed possible when he first put together a surfboard – a board he himself admitted to having little confidence in. Now 25 years old, the company churns out some of the best high-performance boards in the world, but it’s their commitment to producing boards suitable for the everyday surfer which have helped them develop into such a successful brand.