Kyle Carrier is a surfcraft builder and multimedia artist based in southern Maine, working under the moniker Carrier Craft.

Carrier’s practice positions surfcraft at the intersection of form, function and artistic concept, exploring their potential as both vehicles for human performance and art objects. Informed by the canon of surf history, his work engages with sculpture, painting, fiber and textile design to question dominant narratives of surfboard production. Rather than adhering solely to the norms of the modern surfboard factory, which prioritize mass production, commercial storytelling, and synthetic materials, he prioritizes artistic intent, reconsidering materials and historic designs in a contemporary art context. His practice extends beyond craftsmanship, addressing the year-round cold-water surfing sensory experience in Maine and New Hampshire’s natural landscape. 

Carrier examines how surfcraft materials evolved in response to major world events, particularly the post-World War II petrochemical boom of the 1940s, which shifted production away from natural materials. As performance-driven design overtook sustainability, he challenges this shift by striving to use regionally sourced materials, drawing from 15th century Hawaiian surfcraft philosophy, which prioritized native materials, and the early regionally sourced wood longboards of the 1920s - 1940s. Revisiting moments of rapid surfcraft innovation during the transition from longboards from the 1950s - 1960s, to the shortboard revolution of the late 1960s and early 1970s, he reinterprets historical techniques and shapes through a contemporary lens that emphasizes ecological awareness and material-conscious design.

His process includes plant-based dyeing techniques, foraging wild flora, seaweed, algae, and berries, as well as sourcing locally farmed waste from Maine and New Hampshire to create natural pigments. These dyes are applied to thin transparent cotton textiles, which are laminated into his boards - sometimes incorporating raw plant matter. Inspired by the soft pigment tints of surfcraft from the early 1950s, this approach generates a visual language that connects surfcraft to regional landscapes and ecological systems, without the use of traditional synthetic pigments. 

Carrier also experiments with natural fiber reinforcements as alternatives to fiberglass in fin composite  construction. His latest fins integrate raw sheep’s wool from local farms and upcycled densely felted wool from turn-of-the-century industrial milling equipment, drawing inspiration from George Greenough’s late 1960s studies of tuna fins, which led to biomimetic high aspect ratio fin designs. 

Using bio-epoxy (Entropy Resins) derived from renewable plant-based sources such as pine and conifer sap, he reduces petroleum reliance while maintaining durability and performance.

Beyond surfboard construction, Carrier’s practice extends into field research through formal portraiture, using photography, video, and sound to document the experiences of local surfers, surfcraft collectors, and builders in Maine and New Hampshire. This work highlights the significance of documenting history, mentorship, and spoken craft knowledge. Through consensual portraiture and recorded conversations, he preserves the presence, philosophies, and relationships of those engaged in surfcraft, building both a personal archive and a record of disappearing handmade traditions. 

By blending historical techniques with experimental materials, Carrier repositions surfcraft as artifacts of history, ecology, and creative expression. His work challenges the conventions of mass production, offering an alternative approach that reconnects surfcraft with their natural origins, fostering a dialogue between tradition and contemporary innovation.

Carrier acknowledges that he lives and creates in the Piscataqua region, the ancestral homelands of the Wabanaki, including the Abenaki and Pequawket peoples. He recognizes their enduring connection to this land and honors their stewardship, resilience, and teachings by striving to uphold his responsibilities to this place.