Fu Wax

Our Roots: The Beginning of a Dream

Fu-Wax was born out of the golden days of surfing in Brazil. It all began around 1966, when brothers Fuad, Wady, and Elias Mansur were living their version of the Californian dream, embracing the "lay back style" — a philosophy of effortless living, calm minds, and pure wave riding. At the time, surfing idols like Phil Edwards and Paul Strauch Jr. inspired an entire generation. But in Brazil, surf gear was nonexistent. No surf shops. No wax. Those who surfed in the '60s had to make their own surf wax — often slippery and unsafe.

That changed in 1970, when a young surfer, Fuad Mansur, received a tip from a chemist: a specific material could enhance wax traction. He tested the formula, and for the first time, a usable Fu Wax was born.

1973–1987: The Lab Years

The next 14 years became a relentless pursuit of the perfect formula. From 1973 to 1987, the Fu-Wax team — a small group of five surfers — lived inside the lab. They produced just three to five bars of wax per day, each with a different recipe. Then they'd go surf, test, and regroup at sunset to rank the grip on a scale from 1 to 10.

For over a decade, they were stuck at level 3.

According to Edgar Panzoldo, a surfer and former member of the team, Fuad poured every resource he had into the project — including his entire inheritance. None of them had traditional jobs. They lived to create, test, and refine. They lost count of the formulas. They never lost hope.

1987: The Breakthrough

Everything changed in 1987 — thanks to a mistake.

A flaw in the melting point of one raw material created a wax with an unexpected texture. They packed three 80-gram bars and drove 1,600 kilometers south to Torres Beach, near the icy waters of Uruguay and Argentina.

The first wave told the story. Fuad felt traction like never before. Absolute grip. For the first time ever — level 10.

After two hours in freezing water, the wax still held strong. As the others warmed up, Fuad stayed in the sea, mesmerized. When he finally came out, he collapsed from hypothermia and spent two days in the hospital. But he came out with a revelation — and the slogan that still defines us today:

"Traction Taken Seriously."

A Legacy of Passion and Perseverance

Fu-Wax is a 100% handcrafted surf wax factory, built not by a corporation, but by five surfers from the 1960s who gave everything to perfect their product. They later passed the rights to Fuad, whose dedication and resilience led the team through decades of trial and error — and finally, success.

Today, Fu-Wax is respected by pros and beloved by purists. From the slow, dreamy days of early Brazilian surfing to the high-performance demands of today’s competitive scene, Fu-Wax remains true to its roots: honest grip, handcrafted quality, and a relentless love for the ocean.

"Looking back, I truly believe every surfer today owes these guys a wave of gratitude."

— Edgar Panzoldo, friend and former Fu-Wax researcher