Last updated on October 11th, 2026 at 10:38 am
Project · Downing Designs · Tampa, Florida
The Cutback Board
A solid glass surfboard, lit from within. Not made to float. Made to glow.
This is the board that started it all: an eight-foot surfboard in 1.5″ hand-textured glass, lit from both sides, with rails by a master guitar maker and fins patterned after a shark. Everything we build in the Glass Surfboard collection traces back to this piece.
At noon, it’s sculpture.
At midnight, it’s an event.
Where It Began
It started on a trip to Newport Beach, California, where we installed a large kitchen and bar countertop. Surfing is a way of life there. Early one morning I talked with a few surfers about a project we were imagining: how do you capture the dynamics of surfing in a static piece of glass?
Over and over, one word came back: cutback. So we set out to build the aura of the cutback into the glass itself. Hand-texturing in the kiln gave us the texture we wanted in 1.5″ glass, and the shape was waterjet-cut to about eight feet.
Lit From Both Sides
Our lateral lighting technique plays against the peaks and valleys of the texture. Because each side of the board is lit separately, we control starboard and port independently, a dual palette inside a single piece of glass. It shows off every hand-carved curve.
To conceal the LEDs, we brought in Doug Pringle of Pringle Guitars, a master maker of hand-built guitars, who accepted the challenge and shaped zebrawood and maple side rails for the board.
Watch Out for Sharks
The surfers gave us one more word: “Watch out for sharks.” So we patterned the fins after a shark and serrated their rear edges. A few days of skilled fabrication later, the board was spectacular. Judge for yourself.
Glass doesn’t have to stay on the countertop. Step into our world of surfboards, where the same kiln-formed texture, color, and light travel from the bar to the beach. Explore the Surfboard Collection →
Now if only we could convince Kelly Slater to try riding the unrideable, sinking, guaranteed-NOT-to-float glass surfboard.
Why Glass
Wood has a beautiful relationship with light: it reflects it. Glass has a different one: our boards don’t just catch light, they become part of it. Turn the lights off and the board changes. Turn them back on and it changes again.
Wood can be shaped, grained, and inlaid, but it can’t be lit from within, and it can’t hold a texture the way glass under heat can. Every mark stays exactly where the tool left it, permanently, with nothing added or painted over it afterward.
From This Board to Yours
The cutback board became the Glass Surfboard collection: four sizes, from a wall-mounted Malibu to a fully bespoke J-Bay commission, each with its own texture, fins, rails, and lighting. Pricing, options, and the live board builder are on the main Glass Surfboards page.
FAQ
What is the Cutback glass surfboard?
It is the first Downing Designs glass surfboard: an eight-foot board in 1.5″ hand-textured glass, lit from both sides with LEDs, with zebrawood and maple rails and glass shark fins. It was inspired by conversations with surfers in Newport Beach, California.
Why is it called the Cutback?
Surfers in Newport Beach kept using the word “cutback” when we asked how to capture the dynamics of surfing in a static piece of glass. The hand-textured surface was developed to carry the motion of that turn.
Who built the rails?
Doug Pringle of Pringle Guitars, a maker of hand-built guitars, shaped the zebrawood and maple side rails that conceal the LEDs and wiring.
How does the lighting work?
LEDs light the board from each side, so port and starboard can be lit independently. The lateral lighting contrasts the peaks and valleys of the hand-carved texture, and the colors can change.
Does it float or work in water?
No. It is a solid glass sculptural piece, several hundred pounds of hand-textured glass, built as art and functional furniture, most commonly displayed as wall art or used as a coffee table. With proper supports, a board is strong enough to be stood upon by several people at once.
Can I commission a glass surfboard of my own?
Yes. Downing Designs builds the Malibu, Rincon, Pipeline, and fully bespoke J-Bay glass surfboards. Boards start at $5,000, and J-Bay commissions start at $29,000. The options and a live board builder are on the Glass Surfboards page.
Design Yours
Choose the shape, texture, fins and lighting, then see it glow.