Ha! Scared y’all didn’t I? I’ve been reading all the posts about EPS and I keep wondering, “What’s Grubby think of all this?” I mean the guy’s not stupid. He has to be monitoring all this. Is Clark doing any R+D? Industrial espionage? Negative PR? This is the first product (EPS Epoxy) to come around that could really collapse his empire. I’m sure he’s not just sitting behind his big desk napping. Would it be hard for him to shift manufacturing techniques? I’m all for the little guys and the upstarts, but who’s watching big brother?
Negative PR?
If you’ve read any of Mr Clark’s annual updates, the answer is pretty obvious. He has probably done as much to advance surfboard material technology as anyone over the past 20 years but the times (and attitudes) are changing.
There has literally been an army of manufacturers dutifully standing in line to join the chorus. We’ve all heard the arguments.
Interestingly, even a few of his most loyal are checking out other options. Al Merrick and Rusty putting out models using Cobra technology must surely have some (especially in the industry) wondering???
Jeff…
I don’t see Mr. Clark making any changes to his operation in the near future to convert to EPS foam. As the process between the poly and EPS are quite different, the change would require all new tooling/molds to accommodate the modification. The large capital investment is probably not on the horizon of the company unless they are looking at expanding into other products and markets.
But then again…who knows???
Ken
Here’s an interesting question but where does Cobra get it’s EPS foam.
do they blow their own in the molds? or do they buy them from somewhere else and stick them in the molds for the skins? seems like I’ve seen the later somewhere…
and if so couldn’t they experiment by blowing with different weights of EPS?
Wouldn’t it be simple for Clark to provide their entire blank catalog in EPS equivelents? All they would need would be a simple automated hotwire machines to cut the blanks out of blocks. That doesn’t sound very expensive to me.
Slim…
You are correct, it could be done, but what I was referring to was more of the process of making a shaped blank in a tool/mold. Clark would either have to invest in the infrastructure to make the EPS foam or purchase the foam from another vendor and make the hot wire cuts.
Ken
clark foam’s illustrious patriarch periodicly posts,ala mass mailings,
concise fact filled updates on the surfboard industry.
some indeterminate time in the past ol gordon,grubby, Clark
had some comments about epoxy and styrofoam and new processies.
my lasting impression is that it was a been there done that kinda conclusion.
Essentially new to who? he was convinced he ,clark foam ,
gleaned the info from the tests and moved on, and poly urethane was better stuff.
Sure he can make it light.But if’n you gonna glass it lightdont do so and expect hi durability
…ambrose…
go g.clark