Our Crew
They say it takes a village to raise a child…well if it takes a village to raise a child then what does it take to build the most sustainable shred sleds?! Meet our crew, a dedicated eclectic cast of characters that surf on the daily, love the ocean, have combined decades of board building and are committed to building boards that use the best materials we can get our hands on. Everyone of us cares what goes into the Boards and are making a conscious effort to reduce our carbon footprint building these boards on a daily basis. Having a committed team of passionate and avid surfers building these sustainable boards is crucial to the building process because we understand how subtle variations in glassing techniques and the board building process affect not only the quality of the end product but how it feels under foot in the water.
Meet our crew…
Ryan H Harris
The leader, the elder statesman, the founder, the developer…just don’t call him the boss!  As the owner and founder of Earth Technologies, Ry Harris Shapes and H2SUP, Ryan typically doesn’t sleep that much. Constantly striving for greener and more sustainable materials to build boards with,Ryan has been committed to building Eco Boards since before it was even a think. As a leader and one of the original driving forces in the green board movement he has been building eco friendly surf craft with alternative materials for the better part of a decade. Passing his knowledge on of what exactly makes an eco board, sustainability and craftsmanship for the next generation. “This is the team I have assembled. My dream team of sustainable board builders.”
Marcelo Tchelo Gagliardi
New father, husband, Pit bull lover and MMA fighter…our production sander is an all around bad ass. A perfectionist who’s meticulous commitment to the Best Sand Job, Marcelo is plays a vital role in our team. One of the toughest jobs in the surfing industry is that of the production sander. Covered in sanding dust on the daily his talented hands are the ones the get the edges perfect, the swirl marks out, and makes the scratches disappear. He’s spent many years perfecting the art of sanding while growing up in Brazil or on the East coast in Florida. He has worked for some of the best in the industry from a Hayden to Lost and now he’s with us! Oh yeah, he also shapes, and glasses when he’s not covered in sanding dust or taking someone out with a vicious arm bar!
Ryan Demoff
Another East Coast transplant, Ryan is our most recent addition and is much welcomed addition. Husband. Surfer. Shaper. Laminator. Sander. Craftsman. Perfectionist. Ryan is another “jack of all trades” and essentially a one man shop. He plays a pivotal role in the Earth Technologies family. Having worked for a number of major labels and top brands in the surf industry Ryan is another epoxy specialist who is not only one of our production laminators but also oversees production management. His commitment to perfection is another reason he oversees quality control.
Ryan Cabral
Los Angeles local and USC alum, Cabral as he’s called around the shop makes up Ryan Cubed. There are 3 Ryans in our shop running around on any given day of the week! Cabral is a passionate waterman and former Division 1 baseball player who met Ry over 6 years ago when the original E-Tech Factory was just getting started. With a passion for bodysurfing, Cabral has been making eco friendly Handplanes for years. By utilizing our foam scraps, fiberglass off cuts, and other excess glassing materials (resin and even sandpaper) Cabral has demonstrated for many years now, how to help us reduce our carbon footprint even further by literally taking what would typically be trash and upcycling it into usable wave riding equipment. He also does the vast majority of our repair work, shapes, sands and glasses as well.
Bailey Pittard
South Bay local young Mr. Pittard is a committed college student with a passion for surfing and building his own shred sleds under the label Pittard Shapes. He’s also one insanely talented fin installer and hot coat specialist which is his day to day roll here at Earth Technologies. Bailey is another original crew member as he started as an intern for Ryan in the old E-Tech factory when he was in high school several years ago. He has learned many of the different construction methods and new tech that Ryan has invented along the way over the years and is a valued asset! Vacuum laminating, and glassing are some of his other key roles.
Christian Castagnola
Another South Bay local, Christian is a young board builder who is bright, passionate and to put it bluntly, a bundle of positive energy. Ever see the movie “Over The Hedge”?…Christian is our Hammy (highly animated fast squirrel)!! Through his own Off Balance Boards label, Christian makes his own non traditional shred sleds… from twin fin fish, single fin mid lengths and longboards to Asymmetric experiments. A true artist at the core he has a great eye for color work. Like a sponge this young man has been soaking up knowledge in the past year and some change he has been part of the crew. He is one of our color laminators and vacuum bagging technicians. He’s also one of Ry’s favorite test pilots as he’s not afraid to ride something crazy…a soul surfer at the core.
Regina Partin
The woman behind the man. It’s all her fault! Regina is Ry’s life long partner and the driving force behind why he’s doing what he’s doing. “She gave me the extra push and support. Told me to quite my day job as a bartender and pursue my passion full time”. It was about 10 years ago when Regina wisely told our founder to quit making drinks and go all in on board building. As Earth Technologies has re-launched she manages the day to day behind the scenes operations. She also somehow manages to keep Ry sane!