Chris Bauer grew up surfing in San Diego, learning surfboard shaping and construction the way it’s always been done: by doing the work, starting at the bottom, and learning from the people who shaped the industry.

He got his start in 1997 as a shop grom for Tim Bessell, running errands, sweeping floors, and soaking up everything he could. From there, Chris was brought into Joe Roper’s operation—one of the most respected names in surfboard repair —where he learned the fundamentals of sanding and fixing boards right. In 2000, he moved into sanding work with Jeff Alexander at Island Girl Glassing, continuing to build his craft.

In 2001, Chris headed north to Santa Barbara and was hired by Clyde Beatty Jr. as a sander and laminator.

Around the same time, he also started working with Steve Walden, sanding and glassing at Walden Surfboards. These years weren’t about ego, they were about reps. About being in the bay, watching, asking questions, and learning from some of the legends in the industry.

By 2005, Chris was running the glass shop at Christenson Surfboards, managing production and continuing to refine his process. He followed that with time at Bob Haakenson Fiberglass and Epoxy Pro Oceanside, where he honed his laminating and glassing techniques, learning from one of the best in the business.

At the end of 2007, Chris relocated to Sequim, Washington, to be close to his family, but the move didn’t slow him down. He launched a professional ding repair business in 2012 and began shaping under his own name in 2014. By 2019, he opened Last Stop Glass Shop, a full-service build and repair facility in Port Angeles, WA.

In 2024, Chris moved into a larger shop space and narrowed his focus to refining a catalog of tested models, shaped by years of real feedback in real conditions. Today, Bauer Surfboards are available direct at www.bauersurfboards.com and through respected Pacific Northwest surf shops like NxNW Surf Shop (Port Angeles, WA), Urban Surf (Seattle, WA) Cleanline Surf (Seaside, OR), Base Camp Board & Bikes (Seabrook, WA), and The Surf Shop (Westport, WA).