Q: Why wood? Aren’t surfboards made from foam?
A:Wood is better. (Read The future of surfing). Wooden boards are heavier and yet feel more alive in the water. They break chop better and transfer more momentum into the wave. Each wooden board we make is a one of a kind work of art. All in all wood just has more soul than plastic and foam.
A: They’re certainly “green-er”. The word green has ceased to be an adjective and has become little more than and marketing ploy. It is extremely difficult to produce any product without environmental impact. It is even more difficult to do so profitably. Even riding your bicycle is not completely “green” the bicycle was made in a factory, it has many plastic and rubber parts which are petroleum based. It is painted with god knows what…
Is riding your bicycle less impactful than driving an SUV? Absolutely! And so our boards are less impactful than their foam counterparts. By the way, don’t assume that being made from wood makes any product “green”. Wood is irresponsibly harvested every day. Deforestation of our planet is one of the most heinous ills of our time. That’s why we use recycled wood whenever possible and make every effort to insure that the wood we do purchase comes from renewable and responsibly harvested sources. The epoxy we use is non toxic in its cured state and the fiberglass we use, well, we’re working on that…
Q:They must cost a fortune right?
A:Not necessarily. The materials that go into one of these are relatively inexpensive and the manufacturing procedures are fairly simple. No fancy factories and heavy machinery are required. What you are paying for is primarily the cost of labor and the skill of the artisan. A lot of work goes into one of these babies and the quality you get from an experienced builder will be reflected in the cost of the board. There are master builders out there who produce museum quality work and for that you will pay handsomely. As with any art form its “worth” is measured only by what someone is willing to pay for it. For those who can appreciate it and can’t live without it it is worth every penny. In general however, you should expect to pay about the same or maybe a little bit more than you would for an equivalent foam production board.
Q:What’s that thing?
A:That “thing” as everyone seems to call it is a vent. Because these boards are hollow, and water tight, they contain a fair amount of air trapped inside of them. As you take your board from the hot beach to the cold water and back again the air inside expands and contracts. Over time and under extreme conditions this can damage your board. To prevent this damage we must have a way to equalize the pressure without letting water enter the cavity. The vents we use are made by the Gore company. They are perfect for this application because they let air pass into and out of the board without allowing water to do the same.
Q:What if I get water in my board?
A:Unless you remove your vent while your in the water (don’t) you should never get water inside your board. If you do, it means that your board has become damaged in some way. Your hollow wooden surfboard is durable but it is not indestructible. A hard drop in the parking lot or a heavy hit on the rocks could damage your board and cause it to leak. If this happens its not the end of the world but it does require prompt attention to avoid permanent damage. Remove your vent and drain the water as quickly and completely as possible. You may even need to drill a small hole in one end of the board to get all of the water out. When you are sure that the board is completely dry inside, you can repair the damage (and the hole you drilled). In most cases this can be done easily with a small amount of five minute epoxy and some patience. For more extensive damage you can take it to anyone who does fiberglass (your local shaper or boat builder) or you can always bring it back to the original builder. In most cases the leak can be repaired cheaply or even for free. For more extensive repairs a fee in accordance with the time and material required to make the repair may be charged.
Q: Where’d you get that funky logo?
A: Our logo is an obvious adaptation of a symbol that is very prevalent in eastern philosophy. Commonly referred to as “Yin and Yang” or simply “Yin-Yan” it is universally recognized as a symbol of harmony and balance. We’ve modified it slightly by superimposing the image of a surfer upon it. In doing so, the shaded area becomes the ocean wave, the white space becomes the sky and the smaller circle within each half becomes the sun reflecting on the water. The surfer straddles the line between the two halves and so achieves balance.
The logo is a simple reminder of how surfing has helped to bring balance and harmony into our lives and how we must in turn strive to maintain that balance. A surfer maintains his balance on the wave not by a single act but by a series of subtle adjustments that flow smoothly from one to another. Likewise balance in our lives is not something we gain all at once and then have forever. We must make constant subtle adjustments to find and keep our balance. In a perfect world as on a perfect wave we could sail along forever gracefully surfing through the turmoil of life. But this world is not perfect and we all wipe out sooner or later. The trick we learn from surfing is hop back on the board and paddle right back into the lineup. In the end its not the wipeouts we remember but the rides we catch along the way.
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