by Sean Panella
Opala
Encinitas, CA, USA
About Opala
Based in Encinitas, California, Sean Panella is a lifelong surfer whose passion naturally extends beyond the ocean. When winter rolls in, he trades waves for mountains - bringing the same flow, creativity, and intuition into the world of powder.
Sean is the mind behind Opala, a brand rooted in craftsmanship and a deep respect for nature. Working primarily with wood, he has been designing and shaping powder boards that reflect a surfer’s approach to riding snow: fluid, expressive, and driven by feel.
Lately, Sean had been searching for more.
He wanted a material that would allow him to push shapes further: lighter, more responsive, and capable of unlocking new sensations in deep powder. At the same time, sustainability has never been optional in his process. While traditional foam-based materials were available, they didn’t align with his environmental values.
For Sean, Swellcycle’s technology offered something unique: the ability to innovate without compromise.
With 3D-printing from sugar-based plastic, Sean can explore entirely new board designs - refining performance, experimenting with outlines, and dialing in feel - while staying true to his commitment to sustainability.
The result is a new generation of powder boards that merge surf-inspired riding with forward-thinking materials.
Sean has been putting these boards through their paces in real conditions—deep powder, varied terrain, and everything in between.
The feedback so far?
They feel great.
Fluid. Responsive. Alive underfoot.
And this is just the beginning.