James “Chilli” Cheal

James “Chilli” Cheal is an Australian surfboard shaper and the founder of Chilli Surfboards. He began shaping in 1995 and established his brand in 1997, building a reputation for high-performance designs ridden by world-class surfers, including Andy Irons, Mick Fanning and Kelly Slater. With decades of experience, James combines hands-on craftsmanship, modern shaping technology and continuous design development to create boards for everyone, from professional surfers to everyday wave riders.