Meet Koz Mcrae

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Koz Mcrae a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Koz, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

My work ethic comes from both my Mom and Dad, for sure. As far back as I can remember my Mom and Dad have worked hard to provide a wonderful life for myself and my older sister Korlynne putting us both through college. – Mike McRae was up early listening to the weather radio for the buoy report (basically listening to see if there was gonna be surf) and planning out his work day as a pioneer in the thermal water heating solar business for both domestic and commercial use. Since 1974 Mac Solar has been family owned and operated in Santa Barbara, California by my Mother and Father. I grew up in the work trucks, digging ditches and post holes, pluming pipe, repairing leaks, sweeping job sites, cleaning and organizing the work trucks, installing solar systems, building hill side solar racks on ranches in the Santa Ynez Valley or great estates in Monticito, I feel more comfortable climbing a ladder or walking on a wet roof than I do doing this interview 🙂 Its been a real gift to spend much of my youth working along side my dad learning from him and understanding the reward and gratification of working with your hands and building a reputation as an honest trust worthy person that does great detailed work. Looking over the foothills of Santa Barbara on a hot summer afternoon looking to my left and seeing my brother-in-law Tony and my nephews Diego and Joaquin along with my dad all working together, three generations it’s a special moment. Something we all share thanks to my dad’s honest, strong work ethic.

My Mom on the other hand, she was and still is the glue of our family. She kept me in line, made sure I made it to baseball, soccer, basketball practices and that wasn’t enough she drove me all over the state to compete in travel roller hockey tournaments. She cooked dinner almost every night, Did all the laundry my uniforms and clothes were always clean, gardening, she has the greenest thumb – she’s an amazing woman who still puts on roller skates and gets moving. An unreal softball player for many many years. She’s an amazing artist with an eye and attention to details and seamstress – making my halloween costumes for years – sometimes two ‘a school appropriate costume and a second one not so school friendly’ non- stop energy and toughness thats my mom, Cheryl McRae – She’s my biggest fan.

I now carry that same work ethic as an artist, surfboard builder, actor, craftsman, father and husband. That voice in my head is always strong and clear “The harder you work, the luckier you get” – My Dad. It doesn’t matter the job or commissioned project . I do strong honest work, I show up on time, I communicate and discuss the details prior to the project to make sure I’m able to build, create, make, paint the best final product I possibly can. Because that’s the life of a full time artist.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m Koz McRae, born and raised in Santa Barbara California. My youth was spent in one of the most beautiful places, being a third generation Santa Barbara native my roots run deep there. But now after college in San Francisco and about fifteen years in Los Angeles working as an actor, writer, artist and film maker I even had a shop in Chinatown where I built custom surfboards along with wood and metal commissioned furniture pieces. I currently live in the town where my wife grew up, Laguna Hills – I never thought I’d end up in Orange County. After my time in Los Angeles I thought I’d move back to Santa Barbara as a successful name actor (as one does) but during covid our small two bedroom Los Feliz apartment was shrinking by the day as our 6 month old daughter was growing and well we were lucky enough to ‘escape LA’ do to the fact that the home my wife grew up in became available. And in the five-ish years we’ve been here, we’ve added a second daughter, put a new roof and solar on the house, built garden boxes, planted about fifty plus fruit trees and vegetable plants through out the yard. One of my goals when we moved here was to have plenty of food growing in the yard so my daughters can walk around just eating fruit and veggies right off the plants and this last year its really been happening. I built out part of the garage into a professional shaping bay where I hand shape custom surfboards for surfers all around the world. The rest of the garage is set up with a sewing and embroidery machine, silk screening equipment along with all of my professional woodworking and welding equipment – next to art supplies, kids bikes, surfboards, my wife’s crafts and wrapping paper supplies – in the house we even have a sound / voiceover booth. It’s a constant make a mess and clean up situation. But since I’ve moved down here it’s been nice to share the beaches and ocean with my little girls and I’ve really pushed myself to take myself as an artist more seriously – trying to create every day but also not being hard on myself it my full day’s energy and attention is directed towards my kids and wife. Because that balance is becoming more and more clear to me.

I’m at a very special time in my creative life right now, for the last almost twenty years I’ve been mostly pushing myself in the actor, writer world but these last few years things have been slow and my life has changed tremendously, I don’t live directly in the world of Hollywood trust me the energy of that place is real. I have two kids and my artistic goals seem to be leaning in different directions – I’m taking a print making class because I’ve always been interested in that form of art and I want to learn it. Shaping custom surfboards has been something I truly love doing and I think that my craftsmanship, aesthetic and reputation as someone who makes quality honest goods is being noticed and I’m very proud of that.

I still write somewhat regularly when my brain has the energy for it, two little kids drain you pretty quick. But I’ve written two screen plays since I’ve been here in the O.C. And I’ve began chipping away at my first book.

As far as the current projects I’m in the “seeking funding” part of a large scale artist project currently called “A quiver of artists” I’ve shaped nine of my surfboard models and I will be giving each one to a different artist to paint or create what they want. Each board will then be glassed as a proper working surfboard with glassed on fins and all. The finish project will be nine artist pieces on nine of my boards, a coffee table book featuring each artist, a documentary film and tour down the California coast showcasing the finished boards at various surf shops or venues. Unfortunately due to the loss of my cinematographer’s home in the horrific Palisade’s fire, all of our footage so far has been lost. We’re hoping to get back on track in the near future when the time is right.

My surfboard brand is Koz McRae Surfingboards. I specialize in hand shaped custom surfboards, I make all sorts of classic, retro or experimental boards. Pretty much everything but a standard thruster. I really enjoy the connections I make with my customers, walking them through the process, talking over idea’s, explaining design and building techniques. For a long time the surfboard industry didn’t have the most “open door” vibes but I think it’s really important to connect with each of my customers on a deeper level than just reading their info off an order card or an emailed over board order sheet. I know I make better boards when I have a connection to the person I’m making it for. I try to source all my materials locally by local craftsmen, like my fins are made by southern California master fin makers, my blanks are sourced from a company that is here in souther California that follows the states environmental standards, they are also built in a solar powered factory. I try and make conscious decisions about every factor of my business.

you can find me at

website: www.kozmcraesurf.com
instagram:@kozmcraesurfingboards

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. Don’t stop learning / ask questions – information is everywhere

2. Take risks / don’t be afraid to fail

3. Do the work

I’d say be yourself, do what you’re into don’t feel like you have follow. When everyone is doing the same thing then well everyone is DOING THE SAME THING! Make sure you’re doing what you’re doing for the right reasons – be true to yourself. It’s 100% free to be a nice person.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

patients, being present – in the last year I’ve really wanted to become the best husband and father I can be. As my life moves forward I’m realizing that when my wife is feeling loved and happy and I’m present and putting my kids and family first my mindset and energy is in the right place and things begin happening without the stressful struggle of pushing to hard or stressing that my work isn’t good enough. I shape better boards and I am confident and able to concentrate on what I’m making and not stressing or overthinking what others are doing or where they’re at in their journey. I know that when I’m feeling good and that I’m making those around me lives better I’m able to produce and live in a better place.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kozmcraesurf.com/
• Instagram: @kozmcraesurfingboards

Image Credits

main photo : Nick Rasmussen

Shaping photos: Brandon Yee