First off I’d like to say I`ve had the oppurtunity to scrutinize the costco boards at close range, unwrapped. Not just one or two, a whole room full of 'em. Being a connisseur of glass work, I was very impressed. They have finish work(unglossed) down pat! Couldn’t find an air bubble on one of ‘em. They were very well made boards! As for the shapes, well, their not bad either. A bit bland but not bad. If it was the only board around and there was surf,I’d ride it in a heartbeat. So, basically, What everyone is talking about is this is a major wake up call for the domestic board builders. Don’t wanna look at new ways to build boards? If your into volume (stock) sales…you better. Guys in the higher end glassing world, the tudors/takama/velzy type guys probably won’t be effected so much. It’s the lightweight/sand finish/6’2" squashtail guys that’ll feel it the most. If you read between the lines,from guys like Bill Bahne, (who have been warning for years), you’ll see that the message is-(can’t screw around anymore) Gotta step up. Identify your product, and seperate it from these mass produced boards. Creative marketing, customer service, repair policies, and exceptional craftmanship could be a few places to start. Many manufacturers just aint got their sh!t together enough to step it up! In fact, many are barely pullin’ it as it is. I see alot of material waste in the shops I visit. I also find many using outdated equipment,but have recently acquired a japanese account(who are gonna go over 'em with a fine tooth comb)!?! Our business would love to advertise and market more. But not enough $$$. So time to do a business analysis,and see were we can cut costs without cutting quality. You are kind of in more control of your destiny than you may think. Good way to stand outta the crowd- is don’t stand in the middle of the crowd! You think the terrorists just came over, hijacked planes, and flew 'em into the trade centers? Hell no, they researched it, saw how lax the security here was, and executed their plan. This is excactly how the pop-out overseas thing happened.We let it. They came here and saw that the quality level with boards was not only easy to compete with, but easy to equal and even surpass. Hopefully we can begin a program where we can promote our stuff to the masses as the “best” available… anywhere!
“If it was the only board around and there was surf,I’d ride it in a heartbeat” well no crap, I don’t think there’s a person on this site that wouldn’t. If I was stuck on a desert island and surf came through I’d ride a piece of treebark if I had too. But it isn’t the only board around…
I think you’ve posted this exact same thing before. Wondering, Do you work for REALM? I have seen the boards, and they are pretty crappy. The only guys in trouble are the back yard types. Even then, most experienced surfers wouldn’t be caught riding one of those, at least around here.
I have seen these boards in costco and i think a sams club. dont know if the same brand. but the shapes in both places were the same. For some kid that just wants a first board im sure they would be good. they probobly do surf good. But i dont know about that perfect down to a t glass job. I did see many pinholes more then on most on the shelf sanded boards in a shop. and also airbubbles. i knowits imporrible to eliminate both 100 percent, but most back yard guys do just as good or better at the glassing. I dont see what thy hype is on these boards. nothing special. Just a cheaper board. good for some… not for others.
Yo Re Run this whole sight is about board building and beleieve me the imports will do nothing to hurt the “backyard guys”.If you add up all of the small local builders you will probably find that its about 50 per cent of the Clark Foam Customer base. R.B.
yes, and by from what I hear from inside Clark, it’s already starting to take volume away. Most of the larger guys are maintaining the same volume.
More and more I’m seeing Boardworks and Surftechs in the racks along with conventional boards at just about every shop I’ve set foot in lately. Over the past year I’ve seen a couple shops that have increased the BW and ST inventory to the point that conventional boards are actually outnumbered in the racks. The writing is on the wall gang… Average Joe surf consumer doesn’t give a shit where it’s made or what it’s made of - if it’s cheap, strong and surfs OK they’re on it. Outsourcing is the name of the business game and surfboards are just a tiny part of the big picture. Even “Milwaukee” tools (Wisconsin, right? Doesn’t the name just ooze domestic?) is planning to outsource production of some of their power tools to Mexico. Ironically, even Milwaukee Tool Company is owned by Atlas Copco AB - a Swedish corporation! http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=7951346&BRD=1838&PAG=461&dept_id=104621&rfi=6
I do agree for a kid for a frist board that its a great board n such, but dood, man my cousin had one of those boards i checked it out. Sure was light, but man when gave it the “Lets see if I can crush it with my thumbs test” whoaa man, that thing is soft, soft, I was barley pressing on it and it pressure dented. The cheepness of manufacturing these things is what they are going for. The cheepness of the boards is what the “new to surfing type is out for” because they dont know much about qualty boards. donno,thats just what i think. corb.
I have to agree with cleanlines. If you havnt noticed lately Clark is putting the effort into catering to the small backyard shaper. For one, the newly modified Clark/Hitachi planer and the blade exchange service they are now offering they (Clark Foam) are thinking about us little guys the prices are still fair as can be to keep the little guy goin. If you keep up with whats goin on you’ll know that Clark is coming out with a vaccum system set-up, i dont think its for mass producing shaping machines. Guess what! its for us the backyard builder. I had made comment once about the Costco/realm boards to the guy who glass’ my boards, he was like “i wouldnt even sweat it, the guy who has recently learned to surf will by one but once he figures it out he will eventually want a custom stick”. That changed my attitude a bit, I still think the boards suck! but when i see someone riding one i see a future customer for one of us. Aloha 808shapes http://home.hawaii.rr.com/makani808shapes/
donno,dood
I v’e done the unethical so slap me, but I had to do it. I was in Costco and had to did my nail into the glass job. Brittle as hell! Point…I would never buy one. I would rather buy one noce pair of leather shoes than two dozen pair of vynil sweat shoes…
The thing that is missing with todays popout board building is the love for building a better board. l beleive that the so called “backyard board builders” even though they might be a bit rough (and most people are when they are learning)have only one thing in mind and that is to build a better board,(mostly for themselves or their friends)it might take them a while to achieve it but atleast they are doing it fot the right reasons. These popout board manufactures are doing it for money and money only, it is up to the public to stop being sheep as these guys are not in it to advance what was once a lifestyle of creation and learning but to turning it into an autographed baseball bat. To learn is to be taught and these popout manufacture’s are cheating on their exams. LONG LIVE SMALL BUSINESS as it breeds experimentation. KR
Yeah that’s true a competent surfer in the know wouldn’t buy one, but the kook/little kid learner/birthday present from mom and dad market will throw one on the cart at Costco along with a Realm Springsuit. These are the ‘best customers’ not trying to get a bro deal, stoked to be talking to a real shaper, stoked to not be intimidated by a cool surfshop rat…gonna miss the easy money…oh well! Can’t believe Tom Curran rides with a Realm sticker showing.