Swellcycle Hits Full Stride: Record Expansion Week, Major Partnerships, and 100% Reorder rate
Swellcycle, a pioneer in sustainable surfboard construction and manufacturing, announced the results of its largest expansion week to date following a Southern California delivery run that yielded a 100% reorder rate across every account visited. The milestone reflects the startup’s strategic focus in the first half of 2026 on pushing performance standards and proving out its construction technology.
Major Entertainment Client
Swellcycle delivered a custom 5-by-10-foot component to a major entertainment client, arriving lighter than internal projections. The client immediately put the part to work in fitment testing and confirmed the value-to-cost ratio outperforms their existing vendor relationships.
World-Class Shaper Partnerships
Two 9-foot boards were delivered to a legendary longboard shaper — one printed as a single piece — and the shaper has already submitted a new model for production. A kneeboard delivered three months prior showed zero pressure dings and required no deck pads, a result that surprised the shaper and validates the durability of the Swellcycle’s construction approach.
Duke Aipa Collaboration
Duke Aipa, the son of Ben Aipa, one of surfing’s most iconic figures received a glassed board and a Disciple core. Aipa entrusted Swellcycle with a shape that carries deep personal and family significance. A collaborative video produced during the delivery generated 75,000 views, 182 comments, and 500 new followers. Aipa described the company’s shaper equity program and wave pool strategy as the most interesting thing he has heard in the industry. He is sending a Supernova model to print and is scheduled to test his board this week.
Additional Surf Industry Clients
One glassed board and three cores were delivered to another major shaper client. The most significant signal of the trip: this shaper is building a dedicated glass shop specifically because of the company’s cores, and inquired about purchasing the company’s printers outright. The shaper stated repeatedly that he sees this technology as the future of the industry, with new models already in queue.
A Midlength shape was delivered to a surf and outdoor lifestyle brand partnership. The clients were enthusiastic about the board’s weight, are currently testing it, and have already submitted two new shapes for production.
A board for a high-profile professional surfer is scheduled for pickup this week.
Making Waves
The company held meetings in Venice with a wave pool industry operator regarding wave pool applications and large-format entertainment set components. The operator believes wave pools are positioned to become the largest buyers of surfboards in the coming years — exactly the kind of high-volume, repeatable demand the company’s manufacturing platform is designed to serve.
Fundraising Gains Momentum
Swellcycle has a term sheet currently in legal review and is moving toward closing. The startup is targeting a fast close once terms are finalized.
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