Meet Ben

Ben Soto is a self-taught surfboard shaper and dedicated waterman based in Orange County, California. What began as a personal obsession with surfing over a decade ago slowly took deeper root, eventually pulling him into the full craft of shaping. From the first cut of foam to the final sanded finish, Ben learned each step through curiosity, repetition, and a stubborn dedication to the craft. Over the last six years, that devotion has grown into a shaping career with a steadily expanding circle of riders who trust his boards in all kinds of waves.

Ben’s life in the water runs deeper than shaping. On July 13, 2025, he prone-paddled across the San Pedro Channel—from Two Harbors on Catalina Island to Cabrillo Beach—a milestone that reflects the same grit, respect, and waterman spirit that show up in every board he builds.

Living and shaping in Orange County—one of the true centers of surf culture—is something Ben treats as an honor. Every board is crafted with the local coastline in mind: the soft shoulders of San-O, the long slides at Doheny, the quiet glass of early mornings, and the rhythm of the tides that only a decade of daily surfing teaches you to feel.

Outside the bay, Ben serves the Doheny Longboard Surfing Association as Secretary and Director of Marketing, and works full days on water patrol at the club’s contests. His commitment to the DLSA is hands-on and heartfelt—an extension of the same values driving Soto Surfcraft: community, stewardship, and giving back to the lineup that shaped him.

Soto Surfcraft isn’t just a surfboard brand. It’s a life lived around waves, tools, and tradition.