aHH i I don’t like surftech . . . it’s very stiff . . . and for a longboard (which mine was) it just wasn’t right. When I got a used Harbour, it was just more enjoyable (plus my skills were progressing incrementally). Plus when riding a wave, and the chop, surftech just bounces around. Sometimes that’s cool, but you can get tired of it.
You have to remember that the top American shapers are running a business. I think it’s weird, they are going the “microsoft” route . . . (taking a long time to bring quality improvements, using propaganda, knowing they will always have a place to stay did you know XP still uses same software architecture as windows 95?). Rather than seeking new ways to do things better, they just rehash old stuff to new.
This outsourcing stuff isn’t new. But with CnC machines, the master (say Rusty and his top ghost shapers) come up with the design. The machine spits it out, and all it needs is the nose / tail block that the machine held the blank to be sanded off and someone to glass it. It’s labor from that end. Unfortunately US labor isn’t cheap, however it is high quality. But outsourcing to areas with similar quality . . . you can see it textiles, mass production lines … stuff that requires doing the same thing over and over again . . . US labor in those areas are expensive (for the same output / quality etc) as compared to 3rd world. Plus outsourcing allows you to get past health / environment / standard biz practices rules, and basically make up your own . . .
Just like Information Technology. I think I must’ve lost 4 jobs because at $18/hr for computer techical support over the phone, most companies realize they go to India where people have good education and pay them at $5/hr, which rocks (for India standard of living) for them.
Rather than capitalizing on the strengths of the American worker and American workplace, they’ve decided to go cheap.
Look at Rusty’s Ads. Foam Fiberglass Fabric Fun. They’re going for the old PU is the way we’ve done it, so we’ll do it the right way. Most of you know the stagnation surfboard industry is . . .
They (surf industry) didn’t see surftech as a threat. Also several of their own were perpetrating in the mix.
But then came along China. World class at copying. Someone posted in another forum, that their surfboards were cheap. But then they have some knock offs of top shapers that look identical, right rocker, rails, tails , , , with excellent glassing.
Now they realize there is competition. There is a threat. But if you can’t beat them, join THEM! Rusty’s decided, we’ll outsource. We’ll use cheap labor they have, lessened restrictions on their soil, plus the Rusty name! Yeah, we’ll get them!
Now everyones in a switch. See American surfboard shapers shouldn’t focus on a weakness (cheap labor), and getting away from strict regulations and use that as leverage in the business place. They should focus on what makes America uber, use that as a leverage point. Like using new technology, the creative and intellectual skillz of Americans.
You don’t fight the way the other guy fights best, like going toe to toe on cheap labor. You don’t focuse on being able to flout environmental, government, societal etc rules, to build better and win. Dude, that’s their strength. They will win. 3rd world n Cobra’s strength is no rules and cheap labor.
You fight on a level you choose, using creativity, which they can’t copy. You fight using well developed technology (computer, manufacturer, robotic, materials etc), which it’ll take them 10-20 years to come around to, if that. You fight with the dedicated American worker, and loyalty to your cause . . . Nike starts paying 4 cents more and Cobra just lost its top car paint mixer. Does Cobra have access to people who surf and can give good feedback? But I hear America does have people who surf. YOu fight using creative and intellectual scope. Can cobra bust out chambered balsa? Or hollow boards al la Jensen. They wouldn’t even know balsa if a block hit them in their face! Do they have nearly 100 years of surf background to draw upon?
I think in the long run this will hurt Rusty . . . And other American shapers that choose their business competition on the advantages that outsourcers posses
Lost is looking outside . . . it’s good to do that . . . There’s other posts in other forums how Aussie shapers get together and have pow-wow’s and form shaping conglomerates and put $$ into R&D into surfboards etc . . . Maybe explains Bert’s mad skillz? The reasoning is there are ‘ghost’ shapers that are well known in the ASP top 44, that are go to’s for magic boards . . . Lost wants a piece of the action, since they don’t want to improve technology wise or material wise, so they need new shapes to go along with it. Look at how they brought back the Mark Richards twin fin . …
Anycase Lost realizes it can capitalize on this . . . using Aussie shapes . . . plus Lost doesn’t have to spend much on R&D, they just wait for the Aussie shapers to do that, then allow them US market penetration and a chance to handle the shapes the top 44 so love.
But Lost is lost because they aren’t really making themselves better. They’ve contained surfboard shaping in a box. Only hand shaping . . . and borrowing outside R&D, instead of their own . . .
I gotta give props to guys like Bert, Segway, Greg L etc for showing us other means of surfboard shaping . . . Like that long post on Flex . . . dang, that was good stuff. . .
Personally I think the surf industry can do better.