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Slightly off thread, but of some interest. Yesterday was one of the
most significant days in surfing history (since the switch from Balsa
Wood to Foam). Clark Foam, witch supplies 95% of the blanks used in
surfboard manufacturing has closed its doors. This is the equivalent
of being told that effective today the production of guitar strings
will end! Since I have been involved in the production of kustom
surfboards for the last year, I am trippin' out! This is huge news,
with many complicated implications. Only time will tell how the
industry will adapt. One thing is for certain, the cost of a
traditional surfboard just jumped up by $100 overnight! ~Mike
i just posted this on cowabunga so i'll post it here too. my husband
and i have both been part of the surfboard industry for over 30
years......
>
>clark foam provides about 80% of all the foam blanks used in
surfboard production in the US and has had basically a monopoly on the
business since the 1960's. a lot of us in the industry have been
waiting for this to happen for years and many of us on the east coast
prepared for the day it did....our hot wire didn't have any dust on it
as we've been offering custom epoxy boards for years(we can make our
own blanks for these)..........we hear the california manufactorers
are in turmoil..........definitely a big day in the history of
surfboard manufactoring.....carol
--- In , "gunkadisc" <Mike@A...> wrote:
>
> Slightly off thread, but of some interest. Yesterday was one of the
> most significant days in surfing history (since the switch from Balsa
> Wood to Foam). Clark Foam, witch supplies 95% of the blanks used in
> surfboard manufacturing has closed its doors. This is the equivalent
> of being told that effective today the production of guitar strings
> will end! Since I have been involved in the production of kustom
> surfboards for the last year, I am trippin' out! This is huge news,
> with many complicated implications. Only time will tell how the
> industry will adapt. One thing is for certain, the cost of a
> traditional surfboard just jumped up by $100 overnight! ~Mike
>
That is bad news, Mike. My brother is a board shaper in San Clemente and used
their stock. Do you know for what reason Clark called it quits? I'm guessing
it's not competition if they had the monopoly. Did someone retire, die, did
invironmental restrictions choke 'em outta biz?
-Marty
----- Original Message -----
From: gunkadisc
To:
Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2005 10:50 AM
Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Black Monday, the Day the Surf Stopped(?)
Slightly off thread, but of some interest. Yesterday was one of the
most significant days in surfing history (since the switch from Balsa
Wood to Foam). Clark Foam, witch supplies 95% of the blanks used in
surfboard manufacturing has closed its doors. This is the equivalent
of being told that effective today the production of guitar strings
will end! Since I have been involved in the production of kustom
surfboards for the last year, I am trippin' out! This is huge news,
with many complicated implications. Only time will tell how the
industry will adapt. One thing is for certain, the cost of a
traditional surfboard just jumped up by $100 overnight! ~Mike
.
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I talked to someone who read Grubby's 7 page fax today. She said it
almost made her cry. I guess he is in deep trouble with the EPA, and
expects to spend the rest of his years in court or Jail (he's in his
seventies). If I get a chance I am going to see if I can find it
online later tonight. Maybe it's on the Surfer Magazine message
board. I'm thinking that the way we consider classic reverb drenched
surf instro as the real deal is how you will think of a foam/colored
resin/fiberglass surfboard as classic in the near future. Get some
roots under ya kids! ~Mike
--- In , "Marty Tippens"
<mctippens@e...> wrote:
>
> That is bad news, Mike. My brother is a board shaper in San
Clemente and used their stock. Do you know for what reason Clark
called it quits? I'm guessing it's not competition if they had the
monopoly. Did someone retire, die, did invironmental restrictions
choke 'em outta biz?
>
> -Marty
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: gunkadisc
> To:
> Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2005 10:50 AM
> Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Black Monday, the Day the Surf Stopped
(?)
>
>
> Slightly off thread, but of some interest. Yesterday was one of
the
> most significant days in surfing history (since the switch from
Balsa
> Wood to Foam). Clark Foam, witch supplies 95% of the blanks used
in
> surfboard manufacturing has closed its doors. This is the
equivalent
> of being told that effective today the production of guitar
strings
> will end! Since I have been involved in the production of kustom
> surfboards for the last year, I am trippin' out! This is huge
news,
> with many complicated implications. Only time will tell how the
> industry will adapt. One thing is for certain, the cost of a
> traditional surfboard just jumped up by $100 overnight! ~Mike
>
>
>
>
>
> .
> Visit for archived
messages, bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
>
>
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------
> YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
>
> a.. Visit your group "SurfGuitar101" on the web.
>
> b.. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>
>
> c.. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms
of Service.
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------
>
>
>
> __________ NOD32 1.1314 (20051206) Information __________
>
> This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
That's so sad. I hope the surf industry steps-up and helps him.
G
> I talked to someone who read Grubby's 7 page fax today. She said it
> almost made her cry. I guess he is in deep trouble with the EPA, and
> expects to spend the rest of his years in court or Jail (he's in his
> seventies). If I get a chance I am going to see if I can find it
> online later tonight. Maybe it's on the Surfer Magazine message
> board. I'm thinking that the way we consider classic reverb drenched
> surf instro as the real deal is how you will think of a foam/colored
> resin/fiberglass surfboard as classic in the near future. Get some
> roots under ya kids! ~Mike
This really sucks.
And the wheel keeps spinnin' round......
---- Gavin Ehringer <> wrote:
> That's so sad. I hope the surf industry steps-up and helps him.
> G
>
> > I talked to someone who read Grubby's 7 page fax today. She said it
> > almost made her cry. I guess he is in deep trouble with the EPA, and
> > expects to spend the rest of his years in court or Jail (he's in his
> > seventies). If I get a chance I am going to see if I can find it
> > online later tonight. Maybe it's on the Surfer Magazine message
> > board. I'm thinking that the way we consider classic reverb drenched
> > surf instro as the real deal is how you will think of a foam/colored
> > resin/fiberglass surfboard as classic in the near future. Get some
> > roots under ya kids! ~Mike
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> .
> Visit for archived messages,
bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
--- In , <scanman@a...> wrote:
>
> This really sucks.
> And the wheel keeps spinnin' round......
>
>
>
>
>
>the california and hawaii surfboard manufacturors will be hit the
hardest as they seem to have been the most resistant to changing over
to different types of foam and resin over the years. it appears
everyone else will be fine. we are in good shape because we've always
used a variety of foams and resins for our board building and we don't
have a huge production because we don't wholesale our product. we do
about 400-500 boards a year, start to finish, many of them being
custom shapes.......carol
From today's Wall Street Journal:
Wipeout for Key Player in Surfboard Industry
By PETER SANDERS and STEPHANIE KANG
Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
December 8, 2005; Page B1
Panic struck beaches from Malibu to Oahu's North Shore this week,
but there wasn't a shark fin in sight. Instead, it was the real
prospect of a sudden surfboard shortage that roiled the waters of
the surf world.
The cause for concern was the sudden shuttering on Monday of the
company that is the world's largest supplier of the polyurethane
cores found inside most surfboards manufactured today. Clark Foam,
of Laguna Niguel, Calif., had been in business since 1961. Until
this week, it provided an estimated 80% or more of the cores used to
make surfboards in the U.S. and was a major supplier world-wide.
But without warning to its surfboard-maker clients from California
to Japan, Clark Foam abruptly padlocked its doors earlier this week.
In a seven-page letter faxed to customers Monday, Clark Foam's 72-
year-old founder and owner, Gordon "Grubby" Clark, said he was
folding his tent because the company is under scrutiny from the
Environmental Protection Agency and California state and local
agencies for pollution and fire code violations. Those agencies,
however, dispute his assertion and in fact say Mr. Clark's company
was generally in compliance with laws and regulations. Mr. Clark
didn't return calls seeking comment.
Either way, the move quickly sent the surf industry reeling, as
manufacturers, retailers and surfers faced the sudden prospect of a
severe near-term shortage of the base material, known as blanks,
used in the crafting of surfboards. Manufacturers quickly mobilized
to secure alternative materials from much smaller facilities as far
away as Australia, South Africa, Spain and Brazil.
Clark Foam's wipeout was painful for surfers, as well. Some retail
shops, anticipating a shortage, quickly increased the price of a new
board by as much as $100. Retail prices of surfboards generally
range from about $300 to $900.
"This is total chaos," says Dave Hollander, co-owner and president
of Becker Surf, of Torrance, Calif., one of the larger surfboard
manufacturers. "The supply [of blanks] we have now is going to be
gone in a week, and nobody's getting any for the next six months in
California."
The turn of events is testament to the degree to which Mr. Clark has
loomed over the industry for more than 40 years. Reclusive and
independent, Mr. Clark has a reputation as a pioneer of modern
surfing. At a time when most surfboards were made of balsa wood, Mr.
Clark, along with legendary surfboard shaper Hobie Alter, created a
way to mass-produce foam cores that could then be shaped into a
surfboard.
A former chemist and engineer, Mr. Clark and Mr. Alter in 1958 had
co-founded a company manufacturing the foam. Three years later, Mr.
Clark went off on his own and revolutionized the process of making
surfboards. He invented his own machines and processes to make the
industry's most desirable foam "blanks."
Industry observers estimate that before it closed, Clark Foam's 100
employees annually manufactured about 300,000 foam moldings. Prices
of these blanks ranged from about $45 to $150 depending on the
length of the board -- a small fraction of a surfboard's retail
price.
Mr. Clark's dominance was such that he periodically sent unsolicited
state-of-the-industry reports to his customers, long letters that
ran many pages. He used the dispatches to riff on everything from
surfing's place in pop culture to competitive threats from foreign
manufacturers -- especially those in Asia, a pet concern. According
to manufacturers, Mr. Clark was worried that mass-produced boards
made by Chinese and Thai competitors would flood the market and make
his customers, who hand-shape each board from Clark Foam cores,
obsolete.
Now, the fear is that, with Clark Foam out of the picture, the
storied handcrafting process will be caught in the undertow. The
industry is already hard-pressed, by low profit margins and high
labor costs, to maintain its manufacturing customs.
"I've got grown people in tears," said Brian Lindsey, founder of Pro
Cam Inc., a surfboard maker in Huntington Beach, Calif. Because of
the short supply, his six-person team is currently out of a
gig. "We're all standing around," he said. "If the foam stops coming
in, we stop working."
The story is much the same at Surf Source Inc., of Atlantic Beach,
Fla., a distributor of Clark Foam blanks. Owner Dale Christenson
says his 10-employee operation now will focus on selling surfboard-
repair kits, given the prospect of hand-crafted boards going by the
wayside.
"Gordon's had a diverse, excellent product line, his customer
service was great and that's gonna be a very tough act to follow,"
says Rusty Preisendorfer, founder of Rusty Surfboards, a San Diego
manufacturer. "Unfortunately there isn't a real graceful transition
for all of us." Mr. Preisendorfer says the company used Clark Foam
exclusively in its boards, and he has spent the past few days lining
up alternative suppliers. "In general, the consumer public has taken
for granted a steady and reliable source of good foam."
The trauma unfolded in an instant this week after Mr. Clark sent a
detailed letter to his clients explaining his abrupt exit. Mr. Clark
has long used a toxic chemical called Toluene diisocynate, or TDI,
which manufacturers say made Clark's foam core light yet sturdy. In
the last 20 years, the use of TDI has declined significantly as
federal and state agencies have placed increasingly stringent
restrictions on its use.
In his letter, Mr. Clark admits his company "emits TDI fumes into
the air" and adds that he purchased a $50 million insurance policy
to protect himself against liability in the event of a spill.
Further, his letter added, "our official safety record as an
employer is not very good" and went on to detail workers'
compensation claims against the company and a separate claim "made
by the widow of an employee who died from cancer."
"For owning and operating Clark Foam I may be looking at very large
fines, civil lawsuits, and even time in prison," Mr. Clark said in
the letter. He decided to suddenly shutter his business, the letter
says, because "the State of California and especially Orange County
where Clark Foam is located have made it very clear they no longer
want manufacturers like Clark Foam in their area." He added
that "there is a very good chance that I will spend a lot of time in
courtrooms over the next few years and could go to prison."
But both the Orange County Fire Authority and the EPA disputed Mr.
Clark's assertions that they have been targeting him as a violator
or for criminal or civil prosecution. Representatives from both
agencies said the company has never been fined and has been
generally compliant. The EPA says Mr. Clark came into compliance
after the agency issued a 2003 notice of violation for several
infractions.
People who work with Clark Foam say Mr. Clark in recent years has
been more detached from the business. People in the industry guess
the closely held company may have booked annual revenue in the $20
million-to-$30 million range and was profitable.
It is clear Mr. Clark got rich on the business. Though long a surfer
with homes in Hawaii and Southern California, Mr. Clark in 1993
purchased a 50,000-plus-acre ranch in Oregon, where he now spends
much of his time. According to several people who know him well, Mr.
Clark operates a working ranch complete with Black Angus cattle and
about 3,000 sheep tended by Peruvian shepherds.
With his dispassionate shutdown on Monday, Mr. Clark likely ushered
in a new era of surfboard manufacturing. "The only apology I will
make to customers and employees is that I should have seen this
coming many years sooner and closed years ago in a slower, more
predictable manner," he wrote. "I waited far too long, being
optimistic rather than realistic."
Write to Peter Sanders at and Stephanie Kang
at
URL for this article:
I'm surprised the surf industry, or someone in it, has not offerd to buy the
"secrets" of the blank process. Then move it to Nevada. If it revenues so
much yearly, then why not. Unless the old booger is taking it with him to
the end.
----- Original Message -----
From: "ipongrac" <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2005 9:26 AM
Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Re: Black Monday, the Day the Surf Stopped(?)
> >From today's Wall Street Journal:
>
> Wipeout for Key Player in Surfboard Industry
>
> By PETER SANDERS and STEPHANIE KANG
> Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
> December 8, 2005; Page B1
>
> Panic struck beaches from Malibu to Oahu's North Shore this week,
> but there wasn't a shark fin in sight. Instead, it was the real
> prospect of a sudden surfboard shortage that roiled the waters of
> the surf world.
>
> The cause for concern was the sudden shuttering on Monday of the
> company that is the world's largest supplier of the polyurethane
> cores found inside most surfboards manufactured today. Clark Foam,
> of Laguna Niguel, Calif., had been in business since 1961. Until
> this week, it provided an estimated 80% or more of the cores used to
> make surfboards in the U.S. and was a major supplier world-wide.
>
> But without warning to its surfboard-maker clients from California
> to Japan, Clark Foam abruptly padlocked its doors earlier this week.
> In a seven-page letter faxed to customers Monday, Clark Foam's 72-
> year-old founder and owner, Gordon "Grubby" Clark, said he was
> folding his tent because the company is under scrutiny from the
> Environmental Protection Agency and California state and local
> agencies for pollution and fire code violations. Those agencies,
> however, dispute his assertion and in fact say Mr. Clark's company
> was generally in compliance with laws and regulations. Mr. Clark
> didn't return calls seeking comment.
>
> Either way, the move quickly sent the surf industry reeling, as
> manufacturers, retailers and surfers faced the sudden prospect of a
> severe near-term shortage of the base material, known as blanks,
> used in the crafting of surfboards. Manufacturers quickly mobilized
> to secure alternative materials from much smaller facilities as far
> away as Australia, South Africa, Spain and Brazil.
>
> Clark Foam's wipeout was painful for surfers, as well. Some retail
> shops, anticipating a shortage, quickly increased the price of a new
> board by as much as $100. Retail prices of surfboards generally
> range from about $300 to $900.
>
> "This is total chaos," says Dave Hollander, co-owner and president
> of Becker Surf, of Torrance, Calif., one of the larger surfboard
> manufacturers. "The supply [of blanks] we have now is going to be
> gone in a week, and nobody's getting any for the next six months in
> California."
>
> The turn of events is testament to the degree to which Mr. Clark has
> loomed over the industry for more than 40 years. Reclusive and
> independent, Mr. Clark has a reputation as a pioneer of modern
> surfing. At a time when most surfboards were made of balsa wood, Mr.
> Clark, along with legendary surfboard shaper Hobie Alter, created a
> way to mass-produce foam cores that could then be shaped into a
> surfboard.
>
> A former chemist and engineer, Mr. Clark and Mr. Alter in 1958 had
> co-founded a company manufacturing the foam. Three years later, Mr.
> Clark went off on his own and revolutionized the process of making
> surfboards. He invented his own machines and processes to make the
> industry's most desirable foam "blanks."
>
> Industry observers estimate that before it closed, Clark Foam's 100
> employees annually manufactured about 300,000 foam moldings. Prices
> of these blanks ranged from about $45 to $150 depending on the
> length of the board -- a small fraction of a surfboard's retail
> price.
>
> Mr. Clark's dominance was such that he periodically sent unsolicited
> state-of-the-industry reports to his customers, long letters that
> ran many pages. He used the dispatches to riff on everything from
> surfing's place in pop culture to competitive threats from foreign
> manufacturers -- especially those in Asia, a pet concern. According
> to manufacturers, Mr. Clark was worried that mass-produced boards
> made by Chinese and Thai competitors would flood the market and make
> his customers, who hand-shape each board from Clark Foam cores,
> obsolete.
>
> Now, the fear is that, with Clark Foam out of the picture, the
> storied handcrafting process will be caught in the undertow. The
> industry is already hard-pressed, by low profit margins and high
> labor costs, to maintain its manufacturing customs.
>
> "I've got grown people in tears," said Brian Lindsey, founder of Pro
> Cam Inc., a surfboard maker in Huntington Beach, Calif. Because of
> the short supply, his six-person team is currently out of a
> gig. "We're all standing around," he said. "If the foam stops coming
> in, we stop working."
>
> The story is much the same at Surf Source Inc., of Atlantic Beach,
> Fla., a distributor of Clark Foam blanks. Owner Dale Christenson
> says his 10-employee operation now will focus on selling surfboard-
> repair kits, given the prospect of hand-crafted boards going by the
> wayside.
>
> "Gordon's had a diverse, excellent product line, his customer
> service was great and that's gonna be a very tough act to follow,"
> says Rusty Preisendorfer, founder of Rusty Surfboards, a San Diego
> manufacturer. "Unfortunately there isn't a real graceful transition
> for all of us." Mr. Preisendorfer says the company used Clark Foam
> exclusively in its boards, and he has spent the past few days lining
> up alternative suppliers. "In general, the consumer public has taken
> for granted a steady and reliable source of good foam."
>
> The trauma unfolded in an instant this week after Mr. Clark sent a
> detailed letter to his clients explaining his abrupt exit. Mr. Clark
> has long used a toxic chemical called Toluene diisocynate, or TDI,
> which manufacturers say made Clark's foam core light yet sturdy. In
> the last 20 years, the use of TDI has declined significantly as
> federal and state agencies have placed increasingly stringent
> restrictions on its use.
>
> In his letter, Mr. Clark admits his company "emits TDI fumes into
> the air" and adds that he purchased a $50 million insurance policy
> to protect himself against liability in the event of a spill.
> Further, his letter added, "our official safety record as an
> employer is not very good" and went on to detail workers'
> compensation claims against the company and a separate claim "made
> by the widow of an employee who died from cancer."
>
> "For owning and operating Clark Foam I may be looking at very large
> fines, civil lawsuits, and even time in prison," Mr. Clark said in
> the letter. He decided to suddenly shutter his business, the letter
> says, because "the State of California and especially Orange County
> where Clark Foam is located have made it very clear they no longer
> want manufacturers like Clark Foam in their area." He added
> that "there is a very good chance that I will spend a lot of time in
> courtrooms over the next few years and could go to prison."
>
> But both the Orange County Fire Authority and the EPA disputed Mr.
> Clark's assertions that they have been targeting him as a violator
> or for criminal or civil prosecution. Representatives from both
> agencies said the company has never been fined and has been
> generally compliant. The EPA says Mr. Clark came into compliance
> after the agency issued a 2003 notice of violation for several
> infractions.
>
> People who work with Clark Foam say Mr. Clark in recent years has
> been more detached from the business. People in the industry guess
> the closely held company may have booked annual revenue in the $20
> million-to-$30 million range and was profitable.
>
> It is clear Mr. Clark got rich on the business. Though long a surfer
> with homes in Hawaii and Southern California, Mr. Clark in 1993
> purchased a 50,000-plus-acre ranch in Oregon, where he now spends
> much of his time. According to several people who know him well, Mr.
> Clark operates a working ranch complete with Black Angus cattle and
> about 3,000 sheep tended by Peruvian shepherds.
>
> With his dispassionate shutdown on Monday, Mr. Clark likely ushered
> in a new era of surfboard manufacturing. "The only apology I will
> make to customers and employees is that I should have seen this
> coming many years sooner and closed years ago in a slower, more
> predictable manner," he wrote. "I waited far too long, being
> optimistic rather than realistic."
>
> Write to Peter Sanders at and Stephanie Kang
> at
>
> URL for this article:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> .
> Visit for archived messages,
> bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
--- In , "Monty Roach" <monty@r...> wrote:
>
> I'm surprised the surf industry, or someone in it, has not offerd to
buy the
> "secrets" of the blank process. Then move it to Nevada. If it
revenues so
> much yearly, then why not. Unless the old booger is taking it with
him to
> the end.
>
grubby clark is definitely 'different' and could possible take all his
formulas to the grave. for someone to set up an operation like clark
foam today they would have to take it out of the country....there are
other foam manufacturors in the world who are probably going to be the
winners in all of this.......plus the stryrofoam/epoxy surfboard long
poo-pooed by many a board builder may suddenly become the 'new'
thing...carol
Nevada? Sweet. We could surf and gamble in the same day!
What's shakin' Monty? I'm still recooperatin' from Phil's retirement bash!
How bout you?
B-B-O
Have carne asada, will travel........
>From: "Monty Roach" <>
>Reply-To:
>To: <>
>Subject: Re: [SurfGuitar101] Re: Black Monday, the Day the Surf Stopped(?)
>Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2005 09:51:27 -0800
>
>I'm surprised the surf industry, or someone in it, has not offerd to buy
>the
>"secrets" of the blank process. Then move it to Nevada. If it revenues so
>much yearly, then why not. Unless the old booger is taking it with him to
>the end.
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "ipongrac" <>
>To: <>
>Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2005 9:26 AM
>Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Re: Black Monday, the Day the Surf Stopped(?)
>
>
> > >From today's Wall Street Journal:
> >
> > Wipeout for Key Player in Surfboard Industry
> >
> > By PETER SANDERS and STEPHANIE KANG
> > Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
> > December 8, 2005; Page B1
> >
> > Panic struck beaches from Malibu to Oahu's North Shore this week,
> > but there wasn't a shark fin in sight. Instead, it was the real
> > prospect of a sudden surfboard shortage that roiled the waters of
> > the surf world.
> >
> > The cause for concern was the sudden shuttering on Monday of the
> > company that is the world's largest supplier of the polyurethane
> > cores found inside most surfboards manufactured today. Clark Foam,
> > of Laguna Niguel, Calif., had been in business since 1961. Until
> > this week, it provided an estimated 80% or more of the cores used to
> > make surfboards in the U.S. and was a major supplier world-wide.
> >
> > But without warning to its surfboard-maker clients from California
> > to Japan, Clark Foam abruptly padlocked its doors earlier this week.
> > In a seven-page letter faxed to customers Monday, Clark Foam's 72-
> > year-old founder and owner, Gordon "Grubby" Clark, said he was
> > folding his tent because the company is under scrutiny from the
> > Environmental Protection Agency and California state and local
> > agencies for pollution and fire code violations. Those agencies,
> > however, dispute his assertion and in fact say Mr. Clark's company
> > was generally in compliance with laws and regulations. Mr. Clark
> > didn't return calls seeking comment.
> >
> > Either way, the move quickly sent the surf industry reeling, as
> > manufacturers, retailers and surfers faced the sudden prospect of a
> > severe near-term shortage of the base material, known as blanks,
> > used in the crafting of surfboards. Manufacturers quickly mobilized
> > to secure alternative materials from much smaller facilities as far
> > away as Australia, South Africa, Spain and Brazil.
> >
> > Clark Foam's wipeout was painful for surfers, as well. Some retail
> > shops, anticipating a shortage, quickly increased the price of a new
> > board by as much as $100. Retail prices of surfboards generally
> > range from about $300 to $900.
> >
> > "This is total chaos," says Dave Hollander, co-owner and president
> > of Becker Surf, of Torrance, Calif., one of the larger surfboard
> > manufacturers. "The supply [of blanks] we have now is going to be
> > gone in a week, and nobody's getting any for the next six months in
> > California."
> >
> > The turn of events is testament to the degree to which Mr. Clark has
> > loomed over the industry for more than 40 years. Reclusive and
> > independent, Mr. Clark has a reputation as a pioneer of modern
> > surfing. At a time when most surfboards were made of balsa wood, Mr.
> > Clark, along with legendary surfboard shaper Hobie Alter, created a
> > way to mass-produce foam cores that could then be shaped into a
> > surfboard.
> >
> > A former chemist and engineer, Mr. Clark and Mr. Alter in 1958 had
> > co-founded a company manufacturing the foam. Three years later, Mr.
> > Clark went off on his own and revolutionized the process of making
> > surfboards. He invented his own machines and processes to make the
> > industry's most desirable foam "blanks."
> >
> > Industry observers estimate that before it closed, Clark Foam's 100
> > employees annually manufactured about 300,000 foam moldings. Prices
> > of these blanks ranged from about $45 to $150 depending on the
> > length of the board -- a small fraction of a surfboard's retail
> > price.
> >
> > Mr. Clark's dominance was such that he periodically sent unsolicited
> > state-of-the-industry reports to his customers, long letters that
> > ran many pages. He used the dispatches to riff on everything from
> > surfing's place in pop culture to competitive threats from foreign
> > manufacturers -- especially those in Asia, a pet concern. According
> > to manufacturers, Mr. Clark was worried that mass-produced boards
> > made by Chinese and Thai competitors would flood the market and make
> > his customers, who hand-shape each board from Clark Foam cores,
> > obsolete.
> >
> > Now, the fear is that, with Clark Foam out of the picture, the
> > storied handcrafting process will be caught in the undertow. The
> > industry is already hard-pressed, by low profit margins and high
> > labor costs, to maintain its manufacturing customs.
> >
> > "I've got grown people in tears," said Brian Lindsey, founder of Pro
> > Cam Inc., a surfboard maker in Huntington Beach, Calif. Because of
> > the short supply, his six-person team is currently out of a
> > gig. "We're all standing around," he said. "If the foam stops coming
> > in, we stop working."
> >
> > The story is much the same at Surf Source Inc., of Atlantic Beach,
> > Fla., a distributor of Clark Foam blanks. Owner Dale Christenson
> > says his 10-employee operation now will focus on selling surfboard-
> > repair kits, given the prospect of hand-crafted boards going by the
> > wayside.
> >
> > "Gordon's had a diverse, excellent product line, his customer
> > service was great and that's gonna be a very tough act to follow,"
> > says Rusty Preisendorfer, founder of Rusty Surfboards, a San Diego
> > manufacturer. "Unfortunately there isn't a real graceful transition
> > for all of us." Mr. Preisendorfer says the company used Clark Foam
> > exclusively in its boards, and he has spent the past few days lining
> > up alternative suppliers. "In general, the consumer public has taken
> > for granted a steady and reliable source of good foam."
> >
> > The trauma unfolded in an instant this week after Mr. Clark sent a
> > detailed letter to his clients explaining his abrupt exit. Mr. Clark
> > has long used a toxic chemical called Toluene diisocynate, or TDI,
> > which manufacturers say made Clark's foam core light yet sturdy. In
> > the last 20 years, the use of TDI has declined significantly as
> > federal and state agencies have placed increasingly stringent
> > restrictions on its use.
> >
> > In his letter, Mr. Clark admits his company "emits TDI fumes into
> > the air" and adds that he purchased a $50 million insurance policy
> > to protect himself against liability in the event of a spill.
> > Further, his letter added, "our official safety record as an
> > employer is not very good" and went on to detail workers'
> > compensation claims against the company and a separate claim "made
> > by the widow of an employee who died from cancer."
> >
> > "For owning and operating Clark Foam I may be looking at very large
> > fines, civil lawsuits, and even time in prison," Mr. Clark said in
> > the letter. He decided to suddenly shutter his business, the letter
> > says, because "the State of California and especially Orange County
> > where Clark Foam is located have made it very clear they no longer
> > want manufacturers like Clark Foam in their area." He added
> > that "there is a very good chance that I will spend a lot of time in
> > courtrooms over the next few years and could go to prison."
> >
> > But both the Orange County Fire Authority and the EPA disputed Mr.
> > Clark's assertions that they have been targeting him as a violator
> > or for criminal or civil prosecution. Representatives from both
> > agencies said the company has never been fined and has been
> > generally compliant. The EPA says Mr. Clark came into compliance
> > after the agency issued a 2003 notice of violation for several
> > infractions.
> >
> > People who work with Clark Foam say Mr. Clark in recent years has
> > been more detached from the business. People in the industry guess
> > the closely held company may have booked annual revenue in the $20
> > million-to-$30 million range and was profitable.
> >
> > It is clear Mr. Clark got rich on the business. Though long a surfer
> > with homes in Hawaii and Southern California, Mr. Clark in 1993
> > purchased a 50,000-plus-acre ranch in Oregon, where he now spends
> > much of his time. According to several people who know him well, Mr.
> > Clark operates a working ranch complete with Black Angus cattle and
> > about 3,000 sheep tended by Peruvian shepherds.
> >
> > With his dispassionate shutdown on Monday, Mr. Clark likely ushered
> > in a new era of surfboard manufacturing. "The only apology I will
> > make to customers and employees is that I should have seen this
> > coming many years sooner and closed years ago in a slower, more
> > predictable manner," he wrote. "I waited far too long, being
> > optimistic rather than realistic."
> >
> > Write to Peter Sanders at and Stephanie Kang
> > at
> >
> > URL for this article:
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > .
> > Visit for archived messages,
> > bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
HAHA, yes my man Billy. Dude, stuff has been crazy for me since then. Good
stuff that is, so its ok. That was by far the best show ever for me and my
bro's that where there to. Next time I'm sticking around for more of your
"Billy's Famous Chicken". By the way, Thank you Adrien (CHUM) for the new CD
and Bill from the Lava Rats thank you for the CD and the ride back to our
hotel. You saved us brother.
Mont
----- Original Message -----
From: "The Detonators" <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2005 9:06 PM
Subject: Re: [SurfGuitar101] Re: Black Monday, the Day the Surf Stopped(?)
> Nevada? Sweet. We could surf and gamble in the same day!
> What's shakin' Monty? I'm still recooperatin' from Phil's retirement bash!
> How bout you?
> B-B-O
> Have carne asada, will travel........
>
>
>
>
>>From: "Monty Roach" <>
>>Reply-To:
>>To: <>
>>Subject: Re: [SurfGuitar101] Re: Black Monday, the Day the Surf Stopped(?)
>>Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2005 09:51:27 -0800
>>
>>I'm surprised the surf industry, or someone in it, has not offerd to buy
>>the
>>"secrets" of the blank process. Then move it to Nevada. If it revenues so
>>much yearly, then why not. Unless the old booger is taking it with him to
>>the end.
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "ipongrac" <>
>>To: <>
>>Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2005 9:26 AM
>>Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Re: Black Monday, the Day the Surf Stopped(?)
>>
>>
>> > >From today's Wall Street Journal:
>> >
>> > Wipeout for Key Player in Surfboard Industry
>> >
>> > By PETER SANDERS and STEPHANIE KANG
>> > Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
>> > December 8, 2005; Page B1
>> >
>> > Panic struck beaches from Malibu to Oahu's North Shore this week,
>> > but there wasn't a shark fin in sight. Instead, it was the real
>> > prospect of a sudden surfboard shortage that roiled the waters of
>> > the surf world.
>> >
>> > The cause for concern was the sudden shuttering on Monday of the
>> > company that is the world's largest supplier of the polyurethane
>> > cores found inside most surfboards manufactured today. Clark Foam,
>> > of Laguna Niguel, Calif., had been in business since 1961. Until
>> > this week, it provided an estimated 80% or more of the cores used to
>> > make surfboards in the U.S. and was a major supplier world-wide.
>> >
>> > But without warning to its surfboard-maker clients from California
>> > to Japan, Clark Foam abruptly padlocked its doors earlier this week.
>> > In a seven-page letter faxed to customers Monday, Clark Foam's 72-
>> > year-old founder and owner, Gordon "Grubby" Clark, said he was
>> > folding his tent because the company is under scrutiny from the
>> > Environmental Protection Agency and California state and local
>> > agencies for pollution and fire code violations. Those agencies,
>> > however, dispute his assertion and in fact say Mr. Clark's company
>> > was generally in compliance with laws and regulations. Mr. Clark
>> > didn't return calls seeking comment.
>> >
>> > Either way, the move quickly sent the surf industry reeling, as
>> > manufacturers, retailers and surfers faced the sudden prospect of a
>> > severe near-term shortage of the base material, known as blanks,
>> > used in the crafting of surfboards. Manufacturers quickly mobilized
>> > to secure alternative materials from much smaller facilities as far
>> > away as Australia, South Africa, Spain and Brazil.
>> >
>> > Clark Foam's wipeout was painful for surfers, as well. Some retail
>> > shops, anticipating a shortage, quickly increased the price of a new
>> > board by as much as $100. Retail prices of surfboards generally
>> > range from about $300 to $900.
>> >
>> > "This is total chaos," says Dave Hollander, co-owner and president
>> > of Becker Surf, of Torrance, Calif., one of the larger surfboard
>> > manufacturers. "The supply [of blanks] we have now is going to be
>> > gone in a week, and nobody's getting any for the next six months in
>> > California."
>> >
>> > The turn of events is testament to the degree to which Mr. Clark has
>> > loomed over the industry for more than 40 years. Reclusive and
>> > independent, Mr. Clark has a reputation as a pioneer of modern
>> > surfing. At a time when most surfboards were made of balsa wood, Mr.
>> > Clark, along with legendary surfboard shaper Hobie Alter, created a
>> > way to mass-produce foam cores that could then be shaped into a
>> > surfboard.
>> >
>> > A former chemist and engineer, Mr. Clark and Mr. Alter in 1958 had
>> > co-founded a company manufacturing the foam. Three years later, Mr.
>> > Clark went off on his own and revolutionized the process of making
>> > surfboards. He invented his own machines and processes to make the
>> > industry's most desirable foam "blanks."
>> >
>> > Industry observers estimate that before it closed, Clark Foam's 100
>> > employees annually manufactured about 300,000 foam moldings. Prices
>> > of these blanks ranged from about $45 to $150 depending on the
>> > length of the board -- a small fraction of a surfboard's retail
>> > price.
>> >
>> > Mr. Clark's dominance was such that he periodically sent unsolicited
>> > state-of-the-industry reports to his customers, long letters that
>> > ran many pages. He used the dispatches to riff on everything from
>> > surfing's place in pop culture to competitive threats from foreign
>> > manufacturers -- especially those in Asia, a pet concern. According
>> > to manufacturers, Mr. Clark was worried that mass-produced boards
>> > made by Chinese and Thai competitors would flood the market and make
>> > his customers, who hand-shape each board from Clark Foam cores,
>> > obsolete.
>> >
>> > Now, the fear is that, with Clark Foam out of the picture, the
>> > storied handcrafting process will be caught in the undertow. The
>> > industry is already hard-pressed, by low profit margins and high
>> > labor costs, to maintain its manufacturing customs.
>> >
>> > "I've got grown people in tears," said Brian Lindsey, founder of Pro
>> > Cam Inc., a surfboard maker in Huntington Beach, Calif. Because of
>> > the short supply, his six-person team is currently out of a
>> > gig. "We're all standing around," he said. "If the foam stops coming
>> > in, we stop working."
>> >
>> > The story is much the same at Surf Source Inc., of Atlantic Beach,
>> > Fla., a distributor of Clark Foam blanks. Owner Dale Christenson
>> > says his 10-employee operation now will focus on selling surfboard-
>> > repair kits, given the prospect of hand-crafted boards going by the
>> > wayside.
>> >
>> > "Gordon's had a diverse, excellent product line, his customer
>> > service was great and that's gonna be a very tough act to follow,"
>> > says Rusty Preisendorfer, founder of Rusty Surfboards, a San Diego
>> > manufacturer. "Unfortunately there isn't a real graceful transition
>> > for all of us." Mr. Preisendorfer says the company used Clark Foam
>> > exclusively in its boards, and he has spent the past few days lining
>> > up alternative suppliers. "In general, the consumer public has taken
>> > for granted a steady and reliable source of good foam."
>> >
>> > The trauma unfolded in an instant this week after Mr. Clark sent a
>> > detailed letter to his clients explaining his abrupt exit. Mr. Clark
>> > has long used a toxic chemical called Toluene diisocynate, or TDI,
>> > which manufacturers say made Clark's foam core light yet sturdy. In
>> > the last 20 years, the use of TDI has declined significantly as
>> > federal and state agencies have placed increasingly stringent
>> > restrictions on its use.
>> >
>> > In his letter, Mr. Clark admits his company "emits TDI fumes into
>> > the air" and adds that he purchased a $50 million insurance policy
>> > to protect himself against liability in the event of a spill.
>> > Further, his letter added, "our official safety record as an
>> > employer is not very good" and went on to detail workers'
>> > compensation claims against the company and a separate claim "made
>> > by the widow of an employee who died from cancer."
>> >
>> > "For owning and operating Clark Foam I may be looking at very large
>> > fines, civil lawsuits, and even time in prison," Mr. Clark said in
>> > the letter. He decided to suddenly shutter his business, the letter
>> > says, because "the State of California and especially Orange County
>> > where Clark Foam is located have made it very clear they no longer
>> > want manufacturers like Clark Foam in their area." He added
>> > that "there is a very good chance that I will spend a lot of time in
>> > courtrooms over the next few years and could go to prison."
>> >
>> > But both the Orange County Fire Authority and the EPA disputed Mr.
>> > Clark's assertions that they have been targeting him as a violator
>> > or for criminal or civil prosecution. Representatives from both
>> > agencies said the company has never been fined and has been
>> > generally compliant. The EPA says Mr. Clark came into compliance
>> > after the agency issued a 2003 notice of violation for several
>> > infractions.
>> >
>> > People who work with Clark Foam say Mr. Clark in recent years has
>> > been more detached from the business. People in the industry guess
>> > the closely held company may have booked annual revenue in the $20
>> > million-to-$30 million range and was profitable.
>> >
>> > It is clear Mr. Clark got rich on the business. Though long a surfer
>> > with homes in Hawaii and Southern California, Mr. Clark in 1993
>> > purchased a 50,000-plus-acre ranch in Oregon, where he now spends
>> > much of his time. According to several people who know him well, Mr.
>> > Clark operates a working ranch complete with Black Angus cattle and
>> > about 3,000 sheep tended by Peruvian shepherds.
>> >
>> > With his dispassionate shutdown on Monday, Mr. Clark likely ushered
>> > in a new era of surfboard manufacturing. "The only apology I will
>> > make to customers and employees is that I should have seen this
>> > coming many years sooner and closed years ago in a slower, more
>> > predictable manner," he wrote. "I waited far too long, being
>> > optimistic rather than realistic."
>> >
>> > Write to Peter Sanders at and Stephanie Kang
>> > at
>> >
>> > URL for this article:
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > .
>> > Visit for archived
>> > messages,
>> > bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
>> >
>> > Yahoo! Groups Links
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
>
> .
> Visit for archived messages,
> bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
