At 27, Umdloti’s Kei Weyer is the youngest prominent surfboard shaper in Durban and proof that, through good work ethic and a willingness to put in the hours, young South Africans can still create a future for themselves on home soil.
Raised by a family of surfers, Kei’s dad, Gavin, pushed him into his first wave in Umdloti when he was five-years-old. That first dose of pure stoke would see Kei grow into one of the most versatile surfers – able to ride any board, in any conditions, and always with that trademark steeze, surf-speak for effortless style. Varsity life never appealed to Kei, and he didn’t want to waste his parents’ money on a degree he wasn’t going to use. He knew he wanted to work with his hands and be outdoors, so he chose a different path – one unlocked by a pivotal meeting with Durban surfboard-shaping legend, Peter Lawson, founder of Peter Lawson Surfboards.
Kei had just returned from a post-matric gap year programme in the Eastern Cape when Peter invited him to shadow him at his factory in early 2018. He proved his worth and soon landed a full-time spot on the understanding that he’d stick around and pour the skills he learned from his mentor back into the business.
A New Wave of Creativity
As a grom, Kei had mostly known high-performance shortboards – the kind built for daring aerials and deep barrels on the pro tour. But Peter’s shaping bay opened his eyes to an entirely different universe of surfboard design: varied outlines, fin setups, and retro-inspired forms that blended old-school soul with modern performance. The experience lit a creative fire.
Before long, that spark evolved into Analogy Surfboards – Kei’s own range of alternative, performance-driven boards launched in 2019. With Peter’s full support and a shared respect built on friendship and mutual accountability, Kei was able to grow his brand alongside his full-time work at Peter Lawson Surfboards, complementing, rather than competing with, his mentor’s legacy.
As any entrepreneur knows, timing and luck can matter as much as skill. For Kei, the COVID-19 pandemic and the industry’s shift from high-performance to alternative boards provided just the sprinkle of luck his Analogy brand needed to take off.
Being part of the tight-knit Umdloti community also played a huge role, he says. Local surfers were always willing to support him – spending on boards, offering feedback, and helping him fine-tune his designs along the way. “It also helps that some of my really close friends are world-class surfers who are able to give super detailed feedback,” Kei says.
While staying true to his partnership with Peter Lawson Surfboards, Kei is steering Analogy alongside it, with plans to bring both brands to Cape Town, where the longboard scene is booming and opportunities abound.
Looking back on the path he’s carved, Kei admits shaping surfboards is no walk on the beach. During the November/December rush, he’s often at it from 7:00 to 17:00, seven days straight, just to keep up with the orders. Running Analogy Surfboards solo means juggling everything, including orders, manufacturing, and finances, which can some days be enough to make even the most stoked surfer sweat.
Still, Kei wouldn’t have it any other way. He loves meeting new people and forging connections, whether chatting with clients, learning about their boards, or noticing the small details that turn into perfectly dialled-in custom surfboards.
Words: Jacqueline Herbst