POOL HOUSE PROJECT – GIULIO DELETTREZ FENDI

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Isabella Cecconi

Sea, sun, surf. What a threesome. What a flaming riding sport. What a high quality, eco friendly, passion. Surfing  is synonym of beauty, strength, balance, waterlove and respect. A kind of happiness whose aim needs a good mean. A good surfer uses a good surfing board, a board that must be durable of proven, with  contemporary components, with classical shapes. Every surfboard must have unique and crafty details. Giulio Delettrez Fendi, sea lover, surfer and gifted surfboard maker is founder of the Pool House Project. We asked him few questions as he uses a variety of construction techniques and materials. Solid-wood gets worked out and the final result is a crafty board, just for you.

What is Pool House Project? When and How did the idea come to your mind?

Pool House Project is an experiment, in the sense that it is an approach to something relatively new to me. It is a continuous research for new techniques and materials to create a surfboard which I deem functional and appealing. Freedom of trial is amazing. The ability to change and implement is great, the best part happens during the production process, learning new things, this is the real reward. I could say I started considering shaping surfboards while on a surf trip on a remote island of the Maldives, at the end of a good day of surf with friends met on the trip. That day the swell was pumping and a wave smashed the nose of my board on the coral reef. Once back at the island’s town we started repairing dings on our boards while chatting. A Japanese guy next to me had quite a technique at fixing his board, so I asked: “Do you shape boards?” He replied “No way! That’s a really tough job?” That’s when I started searching the web for all the information I could find on making one’s own surfboards. I got most of it from there, along with books and films, occasionally I will talk to people in the business, but mostly for the pleasure, as I believe everyone should come to his own conclusions and do his own thing.

What is surfing to you?

Surfing is time for myself. Well, occasionally I will go surfing with good friends but most of the time I go on my own. Managing a hotel I have quite a hectic schedule and it’s not always easy to organize when waves get to the shore. So when I can, I prefer to grab my board and rush to sea. I find surfing alone quite therapeutic. I love that thunderous silence when I am out there, being immersed in the act of surfing while the most diverse feelings go through my brain. But most important, once I’m done I feel my mind is clean, all thoughts washed away. In this sense, the sea is my silent friend and confidante.

When did you get your first surfboard, and how did you feel when you first stood on it?

I got my first board when I was 13. It was a bumped up old shortboard from an Italian local shaper. I surfed it during the summertime when my family would move to the seaside close to the city. My mother wasn’t too happy about me getting in the water unsupervised, at that time surfing was an act of rebellion to me, even though I had nothing to truly rebel against. It was hard to learn as none of my friends were surfing and there were no tutorials on youtube to watch, there were just some older guys who I would occasionally see in the water. I would try to get a glimpse of their surfing, but for the most it was trial and error. I don’t recall exactly the first wave I stood up on, all I know is that every new summer I was more into it, wanting more waves to better my surf. Eventually my mom had to get over it, and surfing gradually became less rebellious but more an aesthetic act of positiveness.

Who or what inspires you the most?

It all revolves around the surf, the experience and having fun. I shape boards because I want to make the most out of my moments in the sea, and if I can do the same for others this thrills me. Of course some people in the shaping industry, surf film directors or just surfers in general inspire me. I feel that surfing can be an amazing medium of communication since it has no barriers whatsoever. Whoever is able to express through it in a new and personal way, and this aspect attracts my attention. Even though it always gets down to the waves, surfing comprehends a wide array elements. It’s about travel, exploration, friendship, new experiences and states of mind, all this, and much more is what drives me, not only in shaping or surfing, but it defines who I am.

Do you have a favorite surf spot in Italy or abroad?

When travelling and surfing abroad every spot is a different experience, which make up an amazing collection of memories of the time. In this sense it is impossible for me to choose one. For what concerns Italian spots, yes, there is one I love in particular, for the fact that I surf there on my own, and for this same reason I won’t tell you or anyone else.

Thank you Giulio and keep on with your project..and to you, people out there..got the guts to ride? Hang loose then! 

http://www.poolhouseproject.net