Who says you can’t judge based on equivilant wages? That’s the best way to do it.
i don’t understand the issue here at all not only gave he acces to more durable boards he and the clark history forced some shaper to pull the head out of …the last two boards i got are from us shapers even a little more expensive but better than randys imho.
uzzi
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Who says you can’t judge based on equivilant wages? That’s the best way to do it.
It obviously deserves it own thread…but I think you can judge to some degree based on that. At least you can look at it as one part of something.
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Only time will show the historical importance of surftech and Randy French. What has fostachild contributed to the surfing industry? His last post shows ignorance, jealousy and only disrespect for established non arguable facts. In fact he doesn’t even argue my points on the economic impact on the wonderful Thai people because of surftech.
Usually I wouldn’t acknowledge someone who is so blatantly trying to stir the pot, but I’m not going to sit by while you think you just “proved” something to me. First off, whether I’ve contributed to the industry or not has no influence on being entitled to an opinion. Second, what I’ve contributed to the surf INDUSTRY? Well, nothing. I don’t surf for the industry, in fact I’ve never set out to contribute to the “industry”. I make a few boards for stoked individuals here and there and for my friends, and for these people I do the best job I can. When I see someone blast a big turn or even just stand in trim with an ear to ear grin on their face that’s why I do it, and it really makes me feel good to give that to someone. That is pride in your work, OTAY, you think RF still gets that from the thousands of surftechs he sees in the water? Boards with his label on them that he didn’t even touch. Personally I’d rather see oot-saa-ha’s name next to the dimensions.
Yes the industry loves Mr. French, just like you’d love a guy taking your job from you because he’ll work for 1/10 of the wage that you will. It’s great that people are getting jobs, but don’t forget that others are losing them because of it.
Show me something I said in my previous post that constitutes ignorance, jealousy or disrespect. Please. Pretty please.
The reason why you didn’t find me disputing your claims is because with what you listed as fact I agreed, I thought I made that quite clear when I said:
“I’ll give RF some credit, he does hold the third world to a higher standard. I also do believe he wants to make surfboards better (at a price a bunch of cheapa$$es will pay) and that counts for something.”
So the moral of the story is next time you set out to personally attack me at least have your facts straight.
P.S. For future reference you should refrain from using terms like “established non arguable facts”. There are actually very few of those, and at some point your credibility will come into question. Just some advice, take it for what you will.
If OTAY wrote posts without the personal insults, I might be more tempted to read them.
But all that really stands out is that he’s calling everyone clueless or unsafe or ignorant or insignificant.
I wonder if Randy (who I don’t know personally but friends know him & say he’s a pretty good guy in person) knows someone like this is taking on all comers in the name of his company. I doubt he’d be real pleased to have this kind of defender.
hey fostachild… you are a pain in the ass… all you have to worry about is your job!
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I saw Randy French get out of the water on the east side of Santa Cruz about two years ago. He was riding a Surftech fish twin fin of some sort. He was alone. No one said hi to him. As he gathered his stuff together, he looked totally alone. Lots of people milling around, he was like a stranger in his home town.
That doesn’t mean that much. When I lived at Pleasure Point, there were days I didn’t talk to anywone getting out of the water… and I usually talk to everyone. Randy may be pushing Surftechs at surfshops, but at the core, he’s a surfer like the rest of us. He has his “surfing sucks, don’t try it” hat. I’m sure there are days when he gets nods, and days when he finds solitude like the rest of us.
Another SC story - Bob Pearson is a local Santa Cruz shaper, a great surfer, successful businessman, and all-around nice guy. One day he was surfing the lane, and some kid on a thruster calls him a “longboard kook” and tells him to get out of the water. Bob looks over and notices the kid is riding one of HIS BOARDS. Someone tells the kid who he just called kook… He paddles back to Bob and fumbles for an apology… Bob says “f**k you, get off my board”… kid paddles to shore with his tail between his legs.
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and there was no such thing as travelling surfer
If Duke wasn’t the first traveling surfer, NONE of us would be surfing today. It’s easy to want to bar the doors once you’re inside. Regardless of how much we’d like to keep it to ourselves, everyone deserves their slice.
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You guys still have no clue. I am not picking any fight but just pointing out your BS. Other than the asian thing which I removed from the orginal post for taking it out on a different limb…you have provided nothing but your opinion. I am still going to debate you on the Asian thing even with your name calling, but on a different thread.
Back to my economic claims. You can’t compare what wage is earned but what that wage buys in the country it is earned.
It is very simple. Agreed…which is why you compare what those dollars will buy and the lifestyle those dollars buy. Are you telling me that your average lower middle class or working class would want to switch places with those Thai people that work in Cobra?
Last I checked, the manfacturing category of surftech in thailand has nothing to do with the sex trade you rant about. I have no real issue with the sex trade when it’s dealing with conscenting adults. I said sex “slave” trade. Some of the sex slaves in Thailand are as young as eight years old. This is a huge industry in Thailand. Seems like alot of folks were boycotting South African for racial discrimination. I sure am glad there is no sex trade in the U.S. except for the little towns called las vegas, miami, new york…, and on most street corners near you. Internet porn in the u.s. is a billion dollar industry. Not sure what you point is on that one. My point is that when you support certain countries whose only real export is cheap human labor you are indirectly supporting the polcies of that countries governments and adding your dollars to that country and not your own. The amount of jobs you sell to Asia is greater in many cases than the service jobs you create here in the states. With Surf Tech…Global Surf Industries…Boardworks and many others …the only real reason to use Asia is so you can get an extra $100. or so a board. I am not passing judgment on it 100% but I clearly see it for what it is. what is sex wax all about??? and all the other sexual inuendo board wax. Soft porn is throughout most surfmags, but hey we are guys and that’s cool but if it is in Thailand were surftechs are made we need to be indignent about it. Again…Sex slavery. I think the other is silly as well…but conscenting adults can do as they wish.
Again, if your posts, or any others that followed are considered complimentary or postive to surftech, I need to redefine the word compliment and positive. Hey…I took out the Asian reference to be put into another thread on it’s own. There is now nothing negative in this post about Surf Tech. Unless of course your requirment is that I praise Randy French and Surf Tech. Aint gonna happen. I have given the areas I feel they deserve credit. I stand by all of my other post on the subject with the rest of it.
Only time will show the historical importance of surftech and Randy French. What has fostachild contributed to the surfing industry? His last post shows ignorance, jealousy and only disrespect for established non arguable facts. In fact he doesn’t even argue my points on the economic impact on the wonderful Thai people because of surftech. I agree…this has nothing to do with the Thai people as a whole. Where do you get that from? What does Fostachilds contribution have to do with anything. What have you contributed? As for non arguable facts…what might those be?
For such a positive post about surftech, every post to follow excluding mine was all negative. Great work…you really inspire the crew here to your opinions. I didn’t write it to inspire anyone to my way of thinking. I wrote it to create discussion on the subject. It has…so it has been a small sucess. Unlike you appear…I value other opinions as long as they are not given with name calliing. As for the post being negative…maybe Surf Tech is not as popular as you seem to think they are. I see on Transworld surf in an interview…Surf Tech’s spokes person is saying that they are trying to add flex and make them more high performance than they have been. So much for their hype about already being the new and improved best thing in surfboards. Sounds like they are trying to match the ride of handshaped out of date poly boards. Blakestah’s opinion insight of the parking lot incident was very stupid in my opinion. If he is such a chatty cathy why didn’t he have the balls to start the conversation. I am not even sure what RF looks like come to think of it. All quiet people beware, I will feel your pain of loneliness and only hope you can somehow be happy by blakstahs criteria for happiness. I saw it as Blake simply using a situation to make a point. Nothing really nasty about it. In any case he certainly has the right to his opinion.
Yeah, everyone has a right to hold an opinion but it doesn’t protect it from criticism, and in this case to point out pure stupidity of the logic.
Where was Bill Thrailkill gettting those bloke jobs at again?
My New label soon to be on all boards built by me.
No citizen of China or S.E. Asia was harmed or taken advantage of during the construction of this surfboard.
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My New label soon to be on all boards built by me.
No citizen of China or S.E. Asia was harmed or taken advantage of during the construction of this surfboard.
Two of my favorite shapers are half Asian. Hey…thats another lam for a board. Asian made in America.
look OTAY
there no point arguing it
this is home builders and artists stoked websight
your not gunna change anyones mind
the only people that are gunna post good things about surftech are gunna be retailers
and people that work for surftech
i priced a composite in materials
280$ inc finsystems
a surftech cost between 850 and 1200 for a shortboard
that a lot of room for big margin
whats the factory working getting
250 a month
wow
randy must be a really generous guy
randy and the retailers rolling it in
they can get stuffed
actually if randy sold direct
hed have some cred
so retailers dont get money for nothing crowding our breaks
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Quote:I saw Randy French get out of the water on the east side of Santa Cruz about two years ago. He was riding a Surftech fish twin fin of some sort. He was alone. No one said hi to him. As he gathered his stuff together, he looked totally alone. Lots of people milling around, he was like a stranger in his home town.
That doesn’t mean that much. When I lived at Pleasure Point, there were days I didn’t talk to anywone getting out of the water… and I usually talk to everyone. Randy may be pushing Surftechs at surfshops, but at the core, he’s a surfer like the rest of us. He has his “surfing sucks, don’t try it” hat. I’m sure there are days when he gets nods, and days when he finds solitude like the rest of us.
Another SC story - Bob Pearson is a local Santa Cruz shaper, a great surfer, successful businessman, and all-around nice guy. One day he was surfing the lane, and some kid on a thruster calls him a “longboard kook” and tells him to get out of the water. Bob looks over and notices the kid is riding one of HIS BOARDS. Someone tells the kid who he just called kook… He paddles back to Bob and fumbles for an apology… Bob says “f**k you, get off my board”… kid paddles to shore with his tail between his legs.
Ouch.
Couple great posts, Kendall. Wish the old school would punish the rats calling “kook” like that all the time.
The majority of American Caterpillar diesel engines are built in China and have been for a long time . . . in the largest diesel engine factory in the world.
IMO there’s something insincere about all this American ‘concern’ for Chinese and Thai workers. . . . it reminds me of American concern for Iraqi citizens ( sounds good but doesn’t stack up) . . . the concern seems to show up only when there is something to be gained or protected.
If current trends continue the boot will be on the other foot and the Chinese workers will be earning more than Americans. . . they possibly already are as unlike Americans they are actually saving about 25% of their earnings. . . Americans are spending 40% more than they earn. . . . (see thedailyreckoning.com )
As for the boards themelves (surftech) what cracks me up about them is not the construction ( it’s just more foam) but the designs. . . . the longboard designs are such outdated rubbish really, and it’s kind of pathetic that all the ‘great’ American longboard shaping names can’t come up with something more functional than their endless stream of ice cream stick noseriding slowboards . . . . it’s all old hat, and of course the longboards are too light. . . … . all of which is why I like to see other surfers riding them !
Cheers!
Mr. Bloke couldn’t be righter, concern for the Asian workers is a great thing, but on a govermental level take a look at the historical models. Read a little on Vasco Da Gama’s ‘concern’ for the Indian peoples’ eternal souls and their unfortunate habit of dealing spices to Muslims (He sent many thousands to meet their makers and filled ships with pepper into the bargin) or more relevantly, the Opium war period in China. Admittedly we’re fractionally more civilised now but Western financial incursions into the East have a way of turning out badly for the common man somehow.
Asian shapers- well, I rate Jeff Ho as one of the best ever and race has no impact one way or the other. I’m taking my mongrel ass out surfing now. (on a PU board made on the East coast by a probably purely anglo guy to the design of an Aussie, Hooray for diversity- I love it.)
Nice avi!!
Silly, agree to you post. Not trying to change anyones mind. It’s mostly about greed and making as much dough as possible.
We all know that there isn’t much to be made in the building of boards, it is, at our level, something we do for love and enjoyment.
What is one of the biggest savings overseas? The absence of goverment regulations designed to protect the worker.
Who said anything about Asian shapers?
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Mr. Bloke couldn’t be righter, concern for the Asian workers is a great thing, but on a govermental level take a look at the historical models. Read a little on Vasco Da Gama’s ‘concern’ for the Indian peoples’ eternal souls and their unfortunate habit of dealing spices to Muslims (He sent many thousands to meet their makers and filled ships with pepper into the bargin) or more relevantly, the Opium war period in China. Admittedly we’re fractionally more civilised now but Western financial incursions into the East have a way of turning out badly for the common man somehow.
Asian shapers- well, I rate Jeff Ho as one of the best ever and race has no impact one way or the other. I’m taking my mongrel ass out surfing now. (on a PU board made on the East coast by a probably purely anglo guy to the design of an Aussie, Hooray for diversity- I love it.)
Race has absolutely nothing to do with anything. Consafos…great to hear from another reader of history. As for your board…shaped by someone half Asian and one of the best in the business. A great guy…a great surfer…and great shaper. I have never heard anyone say a negative thing about him in 30 plus years. He is a credit to our industry.
So many exellent points on both sides of the coin. It all comes down to individual preference…but it does make for some good discussion.
gday ojshjs
im not a communist and i think eveyone needs to be able to make a buck
ive been in the jewellery industry for my whole life
ive seen a lot of shit in business
i dont trust anyone these days
the nature of rampant capitalism just doesnt agreee wiith me
destruction of forests fisheries etc etc.
everyone that does this shit has some justifaction
but to me the only motive is greed
these people that control us shoud be made accountable
and everyone has the ability to make decisions at the consumer point of sale level
i just wanna make a few boards for myself and the odd one to suplement my income.
its for fun
if customers are difficult or i get too many orders
than its not fun anymore
i dont even know r french and im sure surtech go allright
but thats not the point
its for same reason i dot get into the whole label thing
people are surprized when i tell them im a surfer
(other than being fit and tan lines on my wrists)
its just not that apparent cuz i dont wear surf labels
people that dont surf wear labels and buy surftechs to lean on the wall
so they can identify with the subculture and the cool factor
that doesnt sit right with me really
anyway at the end of the day being in the ocean is what its all about
the crowds thins out pretty quick when its DOH
Like it or not,
The writing is on the wall for the future surfing industry,World wide.
Surftech isn’t the company you should be battling with…
…just go to a ASR show…there’s literally 100’s of offshore popout companies ,not to mention standard built types.
They’re not junk either,as I predicted,they are top shelf products for about 1/2 the US retail price.
As I said in the past… Money wins everytime.
If I could find a shape I really liked… I’d buy it…but that’s one of the biggest reasons I started building surfies…no one builds boards like my own.