90% of the working population are still employed, the governments of this world have billions of tax payer dollars to throw at various non essentials but no one has any money? Can you say bullshit? I think this is an industry that is driven by consumers of whom the vast majority of just want to play and not pay. A couple of wetsuits per year (summer and winter), no problem. $500 on some new surf wear over the course of the year, no worries. Forking out once a year for the pleasure I get from a new surfboard? Not fucking likely…
There’s no money in making surfboards. Hope you have a real job? Buy heaps of Lotto tickets so when you win you can make surfboards until all the money is gone!
Make boards for the love of it and only for those who truely apreciate your work.
It’s not that Consumers are greedy they just have less cash than before however want to live the same as it was. Don’t lower your price and don’t make boards for people who can’t afford what they are worth.
It’s financial suicide to base your livelyhood on building surfboards
Keep all of it in perspective and have fun with it!
Recessions are part of a economic cycle. Its all a big wave. Its a good time to experiment with materials, shapes, fins, designs and get things ready for the coming boom, figure out this new media and how to make it work inexpensively for you. The survivors will be those who innovate and differentiate themselves from the pack who can get their message out to a new pack of people …ie market share
Well thats my qualified response
SD,
I respectfully disagree with your statement in the context of which you wrote it. I understand what you are saying but I don’t think that you qualified your statement and therefore it is a little misleading.
There IS money in making surfboards because nobody does it for free (or at least not many). Money is exchanged for a product. OK, so this is obvious and just not said in your post. What I think you mean to say is that … there is not a lot of PROFIT in making surfboards in the U.S. (more specifically California). Now, that is a statement I can agree with. But the real question/issue is WHY?
I know this is a Surf forum but please, indulge me for a moment and let’s talk about some basic accounting. PROFIT is defined as Revenue (Sale Price) MINUS Cost of Goods (Materials) MINUS Labor MINUS Overhead (Rent, Utilities, Fringes, taxes,etc.). In a nutshell, your Profit is what is left over after all of your expenses have been paid for.
This is a pretty simple equation. There are only 2 ways to change the equation to make it more favorable to the Manufacturer- either you increase the revenue (SALES PRICE) or you decrease your expenses (Materials, Labor, etc.).
Well, a lot of people thought that by going to China (or wherever) would/could be a way to reduce the expenses. While that may be true because the workers in some of these 3rd world countries only make $2.00/day and the raw materials may be cheaper the quality of the products diminished. In addition, the Sales price was also lowered (not sure if the prices were lowered due to a dimished quality of product or if that was just part of the business model but that’s what happened.
This I believe results in a negative impact in the marketplace because consumers see a low price tag BUT still expect to see the quality. So, now we have a bunch of consumers that are expecting a $375 Board that has the same quality that a Local would create. Obviously this is not going to happen.
What’s happening in the Board Building industry is really just a microcosm of what’s happening to the whole U.S. Manufacturing sector. It just costs too much to make things in this Country. Automation and machinery can help sometimes-which is a HUGE reason (I.M.O.) why there are so many CNC machines out there right now. Everyone thought that with a machine they could make a lot more boards faster. This helped a few guys but is the shaping the real bottle neck in the board building process? Glassing is still a totally manual process with raw material costs
The real issue is how do we turn it around and compete in a global market that is yanking the friggin’ rug out from underneath our feet?
Like I said previously there are only 2 ways to change your profit- reduce expenses or increase Sales price. Can anybody do anything about these variables?
Do you remember last year when we were all paying $4.50 for a Gal of gas (what a ripoff that was). We had no choice if we wanted gas. What if every U.S. Board builder did the same thing and raised their prices? Of course this would be highly unlikely to get every manufacture to concur with this philosophy and I’m sure there would be a few outlaws who would ‘low ball’ but eventually they would ‘get it’ and get on the bandwagon.
“Desperate times call for desperate measures” of course the alternative is to do what you suggest-find a way to do it for fun and don’t worry about it. That’s cool but I’m afraid that eventually the majority of our Surf Culture will just disappear from So Cal (Kinda like Old Downtown HB-remember the ‘Golden Bear’)?
This must have been how the Americans Indians felt when they saw the ‘White Man’ colonizing America.
Just my $.02
Thx for reading,
HD
SD,
I respectfully disagree with your statement in the context of which you wrote it. I understand what you are saying but I don’t think that you qualified your statement and therefore it is a little misleading.
There IS money in making surfboards because nobody does it for free (or at least not many). Money is exchanged for a product. OK, so this is obvious and just not said in your post. What I think you mean to say is that … there is not a lot of PROFIT in making surfboards in the U.S. (more specifically California). Now, that is a statement I can agree with. But the real question/issue is WHY?
I like your comments however we have a disconnect? I agree with your comments and maybe Profit is the word that should have been used. It’s funny you mentioned the Golden Bear because when I had a my contractors licence in the 80’s I bought the bricks from the Gold Bear tear down and used them on a home in Corona Del Mar.
Take the 1,000 of board builders and name the ones that make any real money other than:
Merrick, Rusty, Stretch, Biolas, Pearson the rest are struggling even after years of Branding and fine board building. Even before the crash there wasn’t any real money to be made. Real Money, Profit whatevr you want to call?
I named five. So I hope I wasn’t misleading Deanbo. I was only trying to say it’s hard to support a family building surfboards.
Do you really think their is real money in Surfboards?
I’ve made over 3,000 and made profit on most of them except the ones I made for my son…
$40,000 profit over 8 years = $5,000 per year pretty cool for a garage guy.
The bigger companies need to make 10,000 boards a year to cover Marketing and Advertizing plus general overhead and salaries.
I was in the Rip Curl Store that just opened in HB and it was full of DHD boards with Rip Curl Lams. Pretty well made boards I might add. The Kid selling them said that they were made in San Diego? $425.00 for a 7’4 with color? Retail? That’s my wholesale price factory direct? To pay the high rent on PCH that board cost them less than $200.00. I don’t think it was made in California?
No Moon Light Glassing Lams? Made in San Diego? Made in California?
You might make a ton of $$$ I don’t know?
What’s your secrete?
I’m just trying to look out for Deanbo.
SD
I’m certainly not feeling mislead. I’ve just had enough of customers who think they are doing people a favour because they bought one surfboard after expecting this that and the other for nothing and then complaining about the price. It’s an all about the consumer world for pretty much all parts which leaves me to wonder what’s in it for the producer? I can see why some companies only make models now.
After all, why would you go to the effort to make someone a custom surfboard for what you get in return? Maybe this was what Gordon Clark was talking about in regards to the oceans drying up. Only maybe he was referring to surfboard producers and custom surfboards when he said oceans?
Hodad
what you are talking about is industry collusion. there are a few reasons that this wont work in the long run. it is discussed in depth in an econ/industrial organization course. it is best described using game theory but basically if every firm in the industry agrees to set the price of their product above the equilibrium price they will all clearly enjoy larger profits. but, with everyone selling their goods at a higher price one firm will have an incentive to break from the agreement. by lowering the price of their goods they will steal market share from their fellow colluders and enjoy higher sales volume and therefore increased profit. in short this will start a chain reaction of retaliation from other firms eventually lowering the price back to the equilibrium level.
also the biggest barriers to collusion are the number of firms in the industry- the more firms the harder to collude and cost of production, if different firms have different operating costs establishing an agreeable collusion price is hard to do.
the most common example of working collusion is OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) and they often experience problems and disagreements.
SD, while i am new to the industry (i have been working for Haut surfboards/ Santa Cruz Board Builders Guild for a year) i have hoped to build a career in the field i love. your statement that basing your livelihood on building surfboards is financial suicide is rather disheartening. i know many people who are not in your list of five that have made a successful career from building boards- just not at a national/international level. i think you can make it work if you are innovative and hard working. i have a label on the side but work as a laminator for SCBBG and am able to produce all my boards start to finish which significantly lowers my cost of production. i am still learning to shape and mostly making boards for friends and family but hope that one day i can carve out a local niche. maybe i am young, naive and inexperienced but i do hope (with utmost respect) that your statement was incorrect.
That is your choice of words, not mine. Collusion infers secrecy, conspiracy, fraud and/or illegality. I want to be clear that I am suggesting NOTHING of the kind.
While you site some good reasons why it won’t work, there are some companies and industries where an ‘understanding’ helps achieve a SUSTAINABLE point of equilibrium. Shipping Companies (UPS, Fedex,), Airlines, Tires, Dairy (Milk, Cheese, etc) and of course your example- Oil. I could go on but I think we all get the point.
There is not much we can do about our costs. Some have more overhead than others but reality is everyone is pretty much on the same playing field because the cost of the materials is the largest expense.
I think the one thing we all seem to agree on is that the Sale Price of a surfboard is simply too low. As long as everyone is willing to hock their boards for $300 to then we can never move past this and NO ONE has reason to complain. We are shooting ourselves in the foot and bitching that the bullets work too well.
SD- I love the fact that a part of the ‘Bear’ was ressurected someplace-cool!
So you named a few that DO make money- have you ever asked yourself, “How do they do that”? Let’s face it, Boardbuilding is a Cottage industry and most builders do not have the business acumen to organize and manage a profitable business. Please don’t misunderstand, I do not mean any disrespect. I think that most Builders are ‘Craftsman/Artists’ and generally speaking, business administration is diametrically opposed from Art/Creativity. Those who you mentioned became successful because they found a formula/system for maximizing their profit into something that take them to the next level.
So because the industry is full of builders that can’t seem to find this “magic” system does that mean that the industry is faulty or ???
The business is out there. According to the latest study regarding the surfing population… there are an estimated 20 Million Surfers worldwide. How long does the ‘average’ board last? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that there is a demand for WAAAAAAAAAY more than the 10K boards per year that you say is required to keep a company profitable.
Somebody is making good/enough $$ building boards, unfortuneately right now it ain’t us and all I can say is that selling 7’4" to a shop for $200 is not gonna make things better.
las Olas: You sound like a very intellegent person. Please don’t get discourage from my comments. However if you say make $150 per board how many boards do you need to make per year to support a family?
That is a mortage in California near the beach because you have to surf to stay core. Car payments, private school for your kid or kids because the public school system will pollute their minds with false information.
Basically you need over a hundred thousand a year for a normal live style to live in California if not more?
Now having said that if you stay single you have nothing to worry about. Make boards build a label and live in a comerical industrial unit where you have your shop. Many do that! Control your overhead.
I don’t want to bum you out or anybody for that matter. However it’s so saturated today compared to years past.
If you can be the next big board builder God Bless you! I hope you fullfill our dream. I really do! Even if you master all aspects of board building and design what is going to separate you from let’s say a Stretch (The man is brillant) or a Rusty (Very intelligent guy) how about a Al Merrick? He has the best surfers in the world riding his boards. Or a Bob Pearson? (One of the best Longboard builders on the Planet). Then you have Matt Biolas the best Marketing Guru in the Surf Industry. There are others like a Gerry Lopez/ Ron House team that kill it. All these guy’s have a name and are so well branded. They will continue to make it and are the exception to the rule. If you have the Star Power like these guy’s have then power to you. There are other examples in OZ as well. Then again their are Five over there as well. In the grand scheme of things to stand out and really make your mark is going to take a miracle! It’s like trying to be a movie star in Hollywood. Your chances of being the next big brand are like being the next Brad Pitt. Don’t get me wrong I love this business however I’m realistic as to what it will offer. I’m surrounded by shapers who think they are going to be the next big thing since Greg Noll! I love all these guys and hope one of them goes to the big time! The situation is different now and much harder to get established now than say back in the 70’s or 80’s. In 2009 with the import capabilities it’s nearly impossible to become established as a Mayjor Player in this game. If you already have a name for youself your are set for the long haul. If your just getting started you better have a good marketing plan as well as some serious capital to lauch your product and establish your brand.
I don’t want to name all the other big names because I don’t want to embarass anybody. There are guys that are great craftman and decent business men that can barely make their house payments if they even have a house? Many have made over 20,000 boards! .Plus guys on the WCT riding their boards.
It’s a hard road so you better be exceptional!
Why does the truth stir up so much debate?
If your needs are small and you get to surf everyday then your a richer man than most!
Hodad, i think that i would have to respectfully disagree with your statement that material costs is the biggest expense. it has been my experience that many shapers farm out their glassing to glass shops who charge $200 for the most basic glass job. most of that $200 is going to paying the laminator, fin/hotcoat guy, sander and polisher (if applicable). i think that labor is the most expensive input.
i would agree that $300 for a new board is low but considering most production level shapers can knock out a $300 short board in 30 to 45 min then send it off to be glassed and not touch it again till they hand it to the customer it might not be so bad. i think that the main problem is that surfboards are looked at more as a piece of sporting equipment than an art, craft or whatever. in some ways however, spending half an hour on a board contributes to that notion.
$300 does not reflect the years and years of time these people spent honing their craft and perfecting their designs (use of CNC machines accelerates that learning curve- IMO to the detriment of the industry but thats a whole other topic). i do think that prices should reflect the time these craftsmen spent learning their trade, but it is hard to work that into pricing/cost.
i also feel that many people will pay more than $300 for a surfboard from a shaper who has sat down with them and made them a specialized and personalized surfboard.
this is all based on a $300 stock shortboard, longboards are a whole different story.
SD, thank you for being direct and truthful, i respect that greatly. i agree with much of what you say however i dont really feel that one needs to be a rusty or a merrick to make it in the business. personally i dont wish for an opulent lifestyle. if i am able to feed and spend time with a family, pay my bills and surf when i please i will want for little. i dont have delusions of being the next Greg Noll, times are different and things have changed. the beautiful thing about the surf industry (at least in the past) is its ability to sustain many smaller producers. there are dozens of shapers in santa cruz alone who are not mentioned above who are able to carve out a piece of the market enough to sustain themselves and their families. some of them supplement their incomes with other work or the income of spouses but are nonetheless able to scratch out a living in a rather expensive town. not to mention the laminators, and sanders who make a living glassing their boards.
maybe i am idealistic and inexperienced. but i think that i am young enough to try my luck, i have more than one iron in the fire so i figure i’ll roll the dice and see what happens.
PEOPLE are greedy by nature. Everybody is looking for a deal. It’s basic horse trader mentality. Stage a garage sale and watch as some little old lady asks if you’ll take 50 cents for an item priced at a dollar that’s worth ten. (Get outta town… I’d rather keep it or burn it.)
SURFERS are cheap to boot. It goes with the lifestyle… surf more, work less and all that.
Building boards is a rush I personally love it! Make customs and enjoy it. Just have another source of income to substain a decent life style. Sure their is a lot of other builders that do ok. In Santa Cruz you have some really good craftman as other parts of the Golden State. Santa Barbara, LA//South Bay, Orange County, San Diego County all have pockets of board builders. Please don’t charge $300 for a custom shortboard because it hurts the experienced board builder. The normal rate is $425.00 or $375.00 factory direct.
Charge sales tax because the IRS is starting to crack down on the cottage industries.
Let’s all work together to make board building respectable!
SD
SD,
I agree with you 100%. Low-balling is the equivilant of ‘pee-ing in the punchbowl’.
In addition, I have seen threads on Sways where Custom Builder’s have ragged on some of the ‘Biggies’ for charging $600+ for their products. I have read comments that indicate that they are overcharging. Ragging on the competition for charging what SHOULD be charged is counter productive. If someone can get $600 for their product I say, more power to them and the rest of us should just shut up and be thankful that there are some customers out there who are willing to pay these prices. Collectively as an Industry we NEED to figure out a way to change public consumer perception of Custom Surfboards so they will pay more.
In the Art world if you want an Original Van Gough you’ll pay millions-if you want a Litho- Thousands (or Less) if you want a Color copy- a few bucks. Somehow/someway the Surfboard customer needs to learn this.
I know I am most peoples enemy, (producer of imported boards)
But I think most of you have left out a major fact.
If you enjoy building boards, creating artwork, seeing your name in writing … etc …
LABOUR COSTS IS YOUR PROFIT !!
Beyond that should be considered a bonus!
Remember, you could be working at a pig farm shovelling shit, FOR LABOUR COSTS…
But instead you work your own hours, get to draw your own artwork, create your own logos, live and work near the beach, meet and talk to cool people, get much praise for your work, plus many more bonuses of running your own bussiness,
I am trying to quote someone above, (perhaps not correctly) but
if I had a job that I made 20’000 profit on a year, as well as paid for my labour costs (basically a workmans wage)
I would be very happy indeed.
if that was the case, I would gladly shovel pig shit, for a wage (labour costs) if I got an extra 20’000 a year, because I liked doing it.
So dont give up, there is nothing better than being paid to labour your own bussiness, you even get to set the wage.
…
Interesting thread…aren’t ALL consumers greedy? Us included? Don’t we all want first of all Value and then (if we can) a Bargain? However…
"A couple of wetsuits per year (summer and winter), no problem. $500 on some new surf wear over the course of the year, no worries. Forking out once a year for the pleasure I get from a new surfboard? "
“It’s not that Consumers are greedy they just have less cash than before however want to live the same as it was”
There have been a few years of rampant consumerism, unsustainable…and we’re all just monkeys with pants, eh? Depending on where you live you have to spend something on a wetsuit, used ones are sketchy…but there are used boards all over the place…and especially used shorty boards (ubiquitous 6’2" thruster or whatever). This may make the price of a new board a sticking point, especially for the less knowledgeable or committed - and that’s where the money comes from for all the bigs and maybe most of the smalls in the business. Ignore or abuse these customers at your own financial peril…and it’s a bad time to be changing careers.
“also the biggest barriers to collusion are the number of firms in the industry- the more firms the harder to collude and cost of production, if different firms have different operating costs establishing an agreeable collusion price is hard to do.”
In the U.S. collusion is also seen as “restraint of trade”…legally actionable. Won’t happen. Shouldn’t, for that matter…the biggest losers if it did would be the smaller people who will get litigated or trade-warred out of business.
“i have hoped to build a career in the field i love. your statement that basing your livelihood on building surfboards is financial suicide is rather disheartening.”
Hey, be glad you aren’t in aerospace, banking, real estate, general retail, construction, automobile sales or manufacturing…you get the picture I’m sure. A wise Sway vet has discussed with me at length that “having an outside source of income” can be a great thing, liberating…
**"PROFIT is defined as Revenue (Sale Price) MINUS Cost of Goods (Materials) MINUS Labor MINUS Overhead (Rent, Utilities, Fringes, taxes,etc.). In a nutshell, your Profit is what is left over after all of your expenses have been paid for. **
**This is a pretty simple equation. There are only 2 ways to change the equation to make it more favorable to the Manufacturer- either you increase the revenue (SALES PRICE) or you decrease your expenses (Materials, Labor, etc.). **
Well, a lot of people thought that by going to China (or wherever) would/could be a way to reduce the expenses. "
One of the problems that I see whenever I have the chance to see inside surf businesses is that, and this is true with virtually any business that grows out of people who have a love for something, there is usually little influence from outside the niche. Many or most shop owners or manufacturers these days have not spent a couple of years in similar businesses outside surfing and aren’t exposed to how other industries operate. They learn on the job within the niche. There is a huge world of experience out there.
I’d like to rewrite the thought quoted above a little bit. You can increase your revenue by decreasing your expenses while maintaining your current sales price. For the past decade the aerospace industry has pushed a program called “lean manufacturing” that relies on increasing manufacturing efficiency to reduce cost of production to in turn hopefully solidify parts suppliers financially and (this is wildly hopeful) increase their profitability to the point they can both grow their businesses and provide price reductions to their customers. Query “lean manufacturing” on a search engine…
“i also feel that many people will pay more than $300 for a surfboard from a shaper who has sat down with them and made them a specialized and personalized surfboard”
CUSTOMER SERVICE! Foundation of any good business.
Nels
SD, my $300 board argument was based on wholesale price, not direct to the consumer.
trust me nels, i am. i graduated with a degree in economics in december 2007- groomed for the financial sector, and rather than entering a field that was hemorrhaging capital and labor i decided to try something i had been doing for a while and that i loved.
but as an industry aren’t we IN manufacturing?
i agree that in many other industries buying a one-off custom piece of equipment (car/hotrod, musical instruments, art, ect.) will command a significantly higher price than a similar item off the shelf. my question is how do we set up a similar pricing structure in our industry? so far the best way i have found or can think of (again i am still very new to the industry) is product differentiation. make those custom boards stand out, put in that extra effort and add that little touch to make it different. i think those compsand guys are on their way to that, i try to do it with resin work in the lam and other small touches.
then i worry about someone who has set up in china coming and ripping(knocking) off what i do. -mitch that was not directed at you. furthermore how do we as builders charge $500 to $600 for a new shortboard when there are boards coming over from china, thailand or wherever that retail for $400. i’ve been thinking of moving to longboards.
i think the compsand guys are pretty safe because those things are labor intensive and if you dont get them right they dont really work. on second thought i have seen surftechs with wood veneers so perhaps i am wrong.
i guess i really just wonder how or if we can change the consumers outlook on surfboards and/or shift the valuing system to reflect everything that goes into producing a “magic” custom surfboard.
"but as an industry aren’t we IN manufacturing? "
As a disclaimer, I’m not “in” the industry in any way, shape, or form at this point…and much happier for the distance. Worked for me. And all my manufacturing experience was outside surfing.
My earlier point about manufacturing as done in other industries is that there is a world of things to be learned to the benefit of the surfing/surfboard industry, which still mainly appears to run much like the model that came from Velzy, Hobie etc. Arguably, I suppose a case could be made that all the “manufactured boards” (Surftech etc style) are perhaps the most successful “new” surfboard building technology based on the numbers…and that tech originated from sailboarding, which kind of died in the U.S. 20 years ago. And that’s an industry that really began with surfboards…
There’s room for improvement.
"i graduated with a degree in economics in december 2007- groomed for the financial sector…
i guess i really just wonder how or if we can change the consumers outlook on surfboards and/or shift the valuing system to reflect everything that goes into producing a “magic” custom surfboard."
Hee hee hee…you got the degree, now time for the education, eh? What you are asking is how do you convince the customer that paying 50%-100% more than they are used to is in their best interests…and trying to do it in a huge recession. With other boards of reasonably similar quality available for much less.
It would obviously be in your best interest, but that isn’t what it’s all about for your customer. At this point you are out of the realm of economics and into the grinding meat reality of human beings.
"i agree that in many other industries buying a one-off custom piece of equipment (car/hotrod, musical instruments, art, ect.) will command a significantly higher price than a similar item off the shelf. my question is how do we set up a similar pricing structure in our industry? so far the best way i have found or can think of (again i am still very new to the industry) is product differentiation. make those custom boards stand out, put in that extra effort and add that little touch to make it different.
There are two obvious ways of doing something like this, not limited to the surfing world just as you say. One is sheer mind-boggling craft…and I think that has to be to the level of being obvious and appealing even to people outside the sport: art. And few people function at that level - personally I think you would have to have been at it for years with demonstrable success. That also requires the infamous 110% effort into the production of the work. But living requires another 100% effort to sell the work. Giving 210% takes a lot of the “love” out of the equation…
The other way is sales/marketing - which is where I would see “product differentation” you mentioned fitting in. Nothing wrong with this. See my last comment above. Trying to set up a pricing structure for retail would be like herding cats though. Better to expend that energy on customer relations. Efficient, quality manufacturing and good honest reliable customer experiences are gold, especially for the smaller outfits. Being able to divide the workload between people either by actual workload or job duties can be very helpful, too.
Nels
“What you are asking is how do you convince the consumer that paying 50%-100% more is in their best interest.”
well there is the problem. clearly paying more for a board is NOT in the consumers best interest and there is no way to (honestly) convince them otherwise.
so, i guess i would like to pose another question: what if your form of marketing is to offer cheaper boards rather than spend all kinds of money for advertising that is in no way proven to work (this is purely hypothetical)? another way to segment the market is through price differentiation. newer, less experienced builders charge less for their product and established, proven builders charge a premium for theirs. people who are getting into surfing for the first time go to shapers who are still plying their trade and purchase a cheaper board and as they progress in their surfing move to more experienced builders. maybe this is a an idealistic view of the world and would not work in practice, im just tossin around ideas here.
so, i guess i would like to pose another question: what if your form of marketing is to offer cheaper boards rather than spend all kinds of money for advertising that is in no way proven to work (this is purely hypothetical)?
That’s a valid was of doing things. If it was me, I’d make real sure the customers would know why my boards are less expensive than others available. I’d want them to know how I keep the price low and quality high - or even quality in-line with price/value. That could be explained on a website and/or a simple one-page copy of what in effect would be a form of mission statement.
Advertising these days is a real crapshoot. You really have to know and target your customer. I’m not sure how I’d go on that today.
another way to segment the market is through price differentiation. newer, less experienced builders charge less for their product and established, proven builders charge a premium for theirs. people who are getting into surfing for the first time go to shapers who are still plying their trade and purchase a cheaper board and as they progress in their surfing move to more experienced builders.
Well, that’s pretty much how things are today in the non-Surftech style boards I think. Others here know more precisely than me and can maybe elaborate or correct me if I’m off.
I think a lot of people want to work to the very enviable Skip Frye business model…I’d like to myself…people beating the bushes to throw money at my feet and loving everything I turn out. The trouble with that business model is that most of us didn’t have a stellar “surfing career” in a specific era, followed by decades of board building experience, followed by a monster resurgance of interest in the type of boards we originally cut our teeth on, followed by other slightly smaller resurgances of interest in subsequent board designs. And without knowing Frye or his family I have come to understand that some aspects of his personal life may also help him be that much in control of his work - I know speaking for myself it has been a great help to have a wife who had a job that provided access to health insurance for example, so whatever I was trying to do didn’t require 29 days a month of income to buy crappy coverage.
There are heaps of amazing craftspeople out there. I went to the recent Sacred Craft shindig and got my mind boggled just like everybody else. And that event didn’t - couldn’t- include everybody. There are examples out there of people in the most B.F. Egypt locations creating magic…maybe making marginal livings, but still making magic. Maybe this is the best advice:
“Just do it like you know” -Jerry Jeff Walker
Nels