For better or worse, the world changes based on the ability, or lack thereof, to make money. You either adapt or do soemthing else. Moral absolutes like right and wrong, ‘the way we used to do it’, or even nationalism, are meaningless arguments that carry no weight in this arena. I started in my business with a trinagle and T square, and now do the same work on a computer. I miss the tactile sensation of pen on paper, and lament a younger generation of designers that have no sense of graphic communication except that which the 'puter gives them. And ya know what? BFD. I will continue to adapt as situations are presented to me as best I can, with respect for the past - not regret. Like any other busineess, surfing will continue to develop and adapt as new technologies arise. It’s what we have been doing for hundreds of years. One thing for sure, it’s a bitch when it’s YOUR pig gettin stuck.
The overseas producers have paid a very small price for the Brands and shapes that they now produce. Just wait when the first rounds of imports bearing Brand names arrive without the brand owner being paid. It’s going to happen. And the shapes they purchased will be marketed under any old name and sold mainly on price. These shapes will be around for years or as long as surfing is an attractive “lifestyle.” Things change though and for those of us who smell the rotten stink of media-portrayed surfing, we need to focus on innovation. That’s one thing that the imports will pick up on last. By that the surfing fad will have ebbed like it did in the late 80’s and early 90’s. During this next “down period” the imports will find another industry to destroy. Now is the time for innovation and craftsmen. Italians still make wonderful violins, fountain pens and shoes. In the future Californians will still make wonderful surfboards. Lets hope that there will be an obvious quality difference from the popouts. Am getting tired about this subject. We need new editors of surfing media and greater comsumer awareness of surfboard quality. Rob Olliges
Yesterday, I heard of Government agency “sweeps” being concluded throughout Southern California. Workmen’s Compensation Insurance, payroll taxes, legal/illegal employee status etc. were checked. My source says that at least one place’s owners bailed and ran, leaving imported labors to fend for themselves. Any verification on this?
Commies can’t shape…or surf.
keep doing the right thing, work hard, take care of your family. my point is don’t blame the regular working chinese people. the people who are sending the jobs to china and elsewhere are here in the US and they are not Chinese. you, at heart, probably have more in common with the guy working in the factory in asia than you do with the uppermanagement import/export businessman. the forces that are behind unfettered international trade would rather that you hated the working guy in china who, like you, is just trying to put shoes on his kids feet rather than see who is really making the money- hurting both you and the workers in China. Stay out of Walmart/Kmart/7-11. buy from people you know, don’t vote for assholes who push open international trade. It’s the only hope we have. I was a vegetable farmer for 20 years- I couldn’t take it anymore-hang in there
The solution… make a better product than they can. Technology… Up the anty.
The solution… make a better product than they can. Technology… Up >the anty. Further thoughts (and no, we haven’t gone over the topic enough as long as people still care): For the most part nobody seems to think the knockoff manufacturers have 100% better quality and certainly not that they are leaders/innovators. To add to Greg’s answer, and expand upon other observations about the cycles in the Surfing-Industrial Complex (you heard that here first), perhaps the best thing to do for the craftsmen and women is to simply SURVIVE the present challenges. These challenges are from within and without - like my earlier post and those of others point out, the whole U.S. business culture is a throbbing infected wound at the moment. Maybe that means upping the technology, or maybe that means taking the plunge and opening a small storefront - sell your favorite clothing line (if they will stock you) to help support the boardbuilding. Or music, or guitars… The other thing is also key within surfing and the coutside world: EDUCATION. I hold surf shops (as a whole) accountable for not educating their sales staff, and for not being professional in their sales conduct. Beyond that, if every surfboard for sale had a manufacturing information sheet taped to it giving the specs in detail plus the names of the people who built it, buyers would much better be able to ask questions and make judgements on their potential purchase. It would explain why one board might have a $500 sticker and another $650 - this could potentially raise the living standards of everyone involved. http://vagabondsurf.com/MWSurfer8_02PowerIssue.html
So imagine you were a business magnate in a third world country where the business market relied on a climate of religious zealotry and terrorism. You made $billions selling products to Americans. You’ve heard that you can trust the American stock market not to cheat you. So out of loyalty to your trading partners you invest most of your profits in Wall Street. Ten years later your investments turn to sh!t because of these “legal” Ivy League conspirators. You lose 2/3 of your investment, and find the remaining 1/3 of your life savings residing in New York’s finance district in somebody else’s account. What would you do?
Being a poor, simple person I would stick with land, mortgages, government bonds and some commodities such as, say a Jensen or Philips surfboard. I have little faith in financial advisors who think diversification means buying a different mutual fund. Accordingly, I would not be in the above situation. However, if I was I would hope to be holding the mortgage on the Wall street advisors Long Island beach front home. He would be wise not to miss a payment. Patrick
Mandrake, have you ever wondered why I only drink distilled whiskey and pure rain water? Have you ever stopped to consider that you and I are made of 99 percent water? How important is it then, to maintain purity of our precious bodily fluids? Mandrake, have you ever heard of fluoridation? In 1954, Congress passed a law to fluoridate our drinking water. 1954, Mandrake! How does that fit with your post-war, communist conspiracy…
The way a lot of you write l can tell that you dont even work in this industry, most of the people that l know who have been making boards all their life didn’t get past year 10 of schooling and where in board factories learning how to make a surfboard from start to finish at 15 years of age. The smarter people stayed at school and now earn upto 20 times more than we do, we payed our due’s and learnt a craft that made the smarter folk boards that they loved to ride but somehow these guys dont think that we are worth what we have dedicated our lives to, maybe it’s jelousy of not being able to do it themselves or maybe they just look down upon us because they feel that we didn’t do it as tough as them. l really dont beleive that because you have done more schooling you deserve more pay, you should be based on how good you are at what you do, l have seen people who are way above the average at what they do and receive the same amount of pay as the guy who dose’nt give a shit. KR
Surfboard builders that don’t like the pop outs of the chinese boards should not sell to shops that carry them. When I had my shop, I could have carried both of them and I decided not to. The only reason I got into the business was because I loved the art of surfing and I loved the quality of boards made by the master shapers. Those overseas products are about nothing but money and “the deal” lets make,“the deal”. Shops have to be able to pay the bills, but surfboards never have done that. Overpriced, overhyped, over rated clothing manifacters do that. The shops have made these boards acceptable to surfers who otherwise would never consider paddling out on one. Shame on the shops for letting them in, and shame on the boardbuilders for giving these people their lifes work on a silver platter. It does not matter if their product is as good as American. It’s not American. The money goes overseas, it does not stay in America. Just like many other jobs in America are going to India and Mexico etc. Greg L. made a good point, but once the tech. is out whats to keep the same people from getting that made over their as well. The way to fight this is the way they have become popular. Hype. If enough boardbuilders and pro surfers start sqawking about it, the kids and the public will follow, but if I know my surfing industry, they are going to get what they can out of it while it’s the thing and sqawk later when the thing is out of their control.
You know, funny thing is, they’ll blame this whole thing on them free market Republicans. Huh huh… I donnow any more’n you fellas. Heck, I didn’t know anything 'til I read it in your newspapers… honest. Huh huh.
the free market republicans and the free market democrats, and whitey and the Man. ofcourse someone will blame the jews