Also, what some team riders will be using are "prototypes", for next season. So again, these are not the stock models with some feed back going into future boards.

I wouldn't know for mr. Naish, but I would expect him to be using his own customs. He has been using his own customs since the start of time. I think his dad made them or something back in the day.I wouldn't know if he still does, but I would expect his to be customs. The difference now being that his customs will have feed back into what does and doesn't work into the naish production run. Research into future naish boards.

The other big factor is the amount of boards someone can afford to get through. Top riders will have a decent budget and be testing many designs, and given that their colours and graphics are only valid for a year, they can afford to have them built lighter. Your paying customer would want their board to last a little longer. A pro rider may want their board lighter as they could be getting through 5 or more a year anyway.

Firstly, do they actually state they are production boards or are we assuming?
The honest way would be to paint them in their sponsor's colours etc but clearly identify them as Custom Board, shaped by 'whoever' and not pretend they are a Production Board.
If they are winning comps on a production branded board then that is where the false advertising comes in.

IF they were using the Custom Board to produce the Production Board mould then that would be different because WE would be getting the Custom shape as well, in a production board.
The only difference then would be the build quality, weight and strength.

Oh, and the ability to ride it

That's a really great clip, thanks for posting it!

there was a guy on the central coast (n.s.w) that had a shaping machine, he had on file all the current board shapes, you could just ask for whatever and he would shape you a blank, think it was about $200 to get a styro blank in what ever shape you wanted.. fanatic, mistral etc.

The surf industry do the same, i bought a mini mal of a fella from sydney 2 years ago that has a machine, he would fill his van full of shaped blanks and drive up the coast and drop them off at the surfboard shapers, they would clean them up slap on there brand stickers and glass them, then flog them off as there shapes, and it was a few very well know shapers he was heading too.