Hypocrite Alert: Parmenter goes to China

Industry Talk
21
Quote:

Dave Parmenter has epoxies being made for him in China…

http://www.boardworkssurf.com/…pers/c4waterman.html

Yeah, I know, welcome to 2007. But I thought this development was particularly hypocritical, given what Parmenter has written in the past.

Here’s a taste of Mr. Parmenter’s opinions on the boards he’s now endorsing:

“In this instance I feel that troops have marched into Poland and that I must not be silent…you know that you have never met an individual less concerned about wringing money from this quaint little cottage industry than I. I have no desire at all to be the next Rusty or Al Merrick; nor do I want to branch into some megalomaniac surfwear company.

That being said, I still care deeply about the historic traditions of the custom surfboard industry, and always will. As a shaper firmly in control of that destiny I can say with some assurance that any future innovations I enjoy will stem almost entirely from actual design refinements that I concoct or borrow from another shaper, and not from materials changes or surf media hype.

I am deeply worried that the current trends will profoundly affect the evolution of future surfboard design, and feel a certain responsibility -as one of the few remaining present-day surfer/shaper/designers - to face and counter these threats.

…If I ever see a surfer that has one of these Chinese Costco boards with a Surfrider Foundation decal on his car I’m gonna let the air out if his tires….

I say this to all those surfers who - for whatever reason - applaud the ideology of the molded pop-out board a’la SurfTech/ Cobra: If you have somehow lost the thread of progressive surfboard design in your middle years, fine, go ahead and ride one of those Hasbro surfcraft - it’ll look nifty in your garage next to your other emblems of faltering commitment gathering dust there, such as your Tupperware kayak and Chinese-made mountain bike…

All you good and experienced surfers out there who are trapped on a stamped-out, look-alike surfboard that is someone else’s idea of what a good board is, I offer you this: Once you have decided that you would surf better with some design changes you will want to take your spiffy pop-out board to a custom shaper and ask for, say, less rocker or a wider tail.

However, if the doors are chained up and the shaper is now cleaning pools for a living or there is a Starbuck’s where the shop used to be - well, you’ll know who to blame. …And you can go down to the docks and sit there to wait for the container ship to bring you - on the slow boat from China - a business man’s idea of the “hot new” model you will soon be riding.”

Taken from an E-mail rant Dave Parmenter wrote to a “friend” who had the audacity to say positive things about the performance of epoxy composites. Way to stand by what you believe in, Parmenter! What a sorry kook.

DP Expressed what he thought at the time. The choices for those wanting to make a living selling surfboards are not vast. He chose the best option for making money as Boardworks allows you to own the molds and make more money. Double if you sell them retail. The fact is…boardbuilders and this will include the backyard gurus have been shaping pretty much the same uninteresting thruster design for bread and butter for over 30 years now. Until recently…almost nothing else was even acceptable. Now you can get popouts or chinese made mass produced versions of the same redundant stuff cheaper built for more profit. Without waiting for the surf to go flat before the guru will finish your board. Retailers don’t have to wait out a shaper’s damaged ego to get their product and etc.

The entire industry is built on hype anyway…

The same old basic fundamentals remain the same. Does it float you, is it right for your type of surf, is it made well enough to last until you get it wired. Paddle, take off, bottom turn…then…the choice is yours. Enjoy the pulse of the earth and don’t think it something it’s not.

I don’t see this thread as trolling at all. Doraspawn has posted a legitmate opinion on a legitimate topic. If you don’t like it…don’t respond to it.

I don’t know if DP is a hypocrite. If I had an idea that I thought would work…I wouldn’t worry about what others thought of my idea. I suspect DP who has paid his own dues feels the same. Spend years shaping boards to an non appreciating public and then judge DP for moving to Asia. Writers write about ideas. I suspect thats what Dave was doing.

22

Reading comprehension 101,… as I commented and others have commented after the original poster doraspawn and 2nd poster, no one was complaining about Surftech, or riding any other pop-out…The complaint was simply not to deride others then join the party.

23
Quote:

goes out of his way to criticize Surftech and Boardworks on a deep, soul vs crass commercialization basis, and then signs on with one of them purely for commercial reasons.

WRONG! Nothing against anyone here but this is statement is very far from the truth. I almost responded to the last thread about Dave working with C4 but held back. Dave and I talked about this kind of hypocrit fallout long before any decision was made and trust me on this… It was one of the hardest things for him to do and the money is definetly not part of it. Dave is not a material kind of person. I saw the deal and the money side isn’t that good anyway… We have a couple out of season of swells hitting the North Shore right now so I need to get out there and go surfing. When I get back I’ll try and shed some light on this subject and everyone will at least know the truth. July with solid way overhead NS??? AHWOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

24
Quote:

Why do you care? Why do you flame it here? Most of us make our own boards anyway, what do I care if Parmenter makes a popout paddleboard???

Exactly…If the top shapers in the World want to all drink the popout Koolaid, I’ll bar tend for them. If they all disapeared today, I’ll still be surfing the best surfboards in the World for me. Every one pain stakenly custom designed and glassed by someone who cares about every detail, no defects here, no leash plugs pulling out here, no f-up’s fin toe here. I also hope that the retail cost of a board sky rockets to $5,000. There going to need to make some cash, real quick let them all sign up, let them all have there names on cheep looking surfboard. This reminds me of baseball gloves. Today, only the cheapest models of baseball gloves have players names on them now. In the old days getting a specific model of glove ie “Mickey Mantle Rawlings” was a good thing. Now the real gloves are signature less, you just look for the quality. Trust me, you can always tell quality when you see it, you don’t need a stick or label to point it out. When you turn a custom quality item into a price point commodity item, the only person that wins is the person who can do it cheaper than the next guy, its all about margins, cheaper materials, do it faster, ship it in large quantities, offer only the best selling sizes. What we are seeing is the private labeling of the surf industry. Soon no one will care about the names on the popouts, and where will our Masters be? Would you buy a 9’6" Surftech Brewer Gun for 900.00. So…Drink up boys, I think todays flavor is Grape it’s cold and delicious, get you fill today…because tomorrow it might be bitter and warm or worse. No hard feelings, everyone’s got to feed the kids and keep a roof over there heads. It’s too bad shapers aren’t better business men

25

not the first time "soul shaper"DP has done an about face. when he showed up on the central coast he was the spearhead of the multi-colored boards AND wetsuits, championing the cause for professional surfing and all it’s glory…a few years later he went off on pro surfing, etc. and became the underground soul shaper, etc., etc.

26

"Old man take a look at my life

I’m a lot like you

I need someone to love me

the whole day through

Ah, one look in my eyes

and you can tell that’s true"

27

It’s a big investment in plugs, molds and time. It fits in the market share and doesn’t effect the flow with the constant custom work load. Nobody’s slowing down. Carve Nalu is right on saying that they don’t make great money at this, just help stem the demand.

28

I’m pretty sure RR is sold over there.

You could ask GreG.

29

I have tons of friends who ride the ST’s not one carves as well as they do on a PU or modified PE board. I think it all has top do with too much floatation kinda like trying to ride a board to thick for you in the yester years. I don’t care if they want to surf worse that’s their prerogative!

I’m surprised about DP and JT. The almighty dollar does rule all! Sad hey!

30

[Tuna] Nothing from France is OK, not French toast, not French Country Decor, not your BIC, not even their women.

Standard French Army Rations

Over 400,000 Americans died fighting in WW2, in large part fighting to free France from German occupation…in one of the most cowardly acts in history, France surrendered to Adolf Hitler and the German government without even so much as a single gunshot. To make matters worse, the French government rounded up all their Jewish citizens and handed them over to Germany.

-French men and women only bathe on a weekly basis, smoke like a chimneys, and they are arrogant beyond belief.

Just last night, while down at dog beach in Del Mar, I realized that I hate French Poodles more than any other dog.

31

Listen to CarveN and EP.

At the last local Steinlager surf contest at Queens I believe there were over 80? entrants in the SUP division including women with everyone ripping. The Cline Mann paddleboard race was also packed with participants. The sport is blowing up big time here as there must now be hundreds and hundreds of folks getting into SUPs. More and more unreal SUP riders are showing up with every event. And they are coming from the ranks of lifeguards, firemen, hula dancers, nurses, doctors, professional longboarders and anyone else who comprehends the benefits of the core training and overall body exercise this watersport provides for their other daily and profesional activities.

The great thing is because of guys like the c4 crew, Blane and the early adopters here people are gravitating toward it for the fitness, fun and challenge aspect of it. Just like folks here took to paddleboarding, open ocean swimming, one man canoe racing and regular canoe racing SUPs are now becoming a true fitness and leisure phenomena in the islands. It isn’t just about surfing anymore and that’s a good sign.

Every boardbuilder who see’s this is desperately trying to get into the game and with making these beasts being such an effort why not pursue a way to support this exploding mass market while concentrating on your R&D and custom board development for contests with these like any other shaper is doing here and elsewhere with regular equipment.

I can now see that SUP activity is Hawaii will redefine what is viewed as watersport as it merges and unites a whole conglomerate of different local water activities into a simple and unique process.

In the future I predict molded clear lexan versions (like those kayaks) for both the ecotourism and fishing offshoots as well as versions used for traveling interisland or coastal exploration. Just look at the ULI version demoed on the C4 Waterman site by Todd. The accessory market for this watersport is just starting… I bet SUPs will eventually replace the single canoe/kayak phenomena here in Hawaii. This whole industry is blowing up big time especially with the new health conscious and descretionary income laced boomer market getting involved.

Once the concept of the SUP gets beyond the surfboard market if it hasn’t already it’ll explode.

I predict a SUP exercise DVD replacing all the other core training stuff in the making soon if it’s not done already with big name stars and surfers talking the health market…

I’m glad these guys are spending so much time promoting the non-surfing aspect even though it’s totally mind blowing how fast the performance level is escalating along with the design changes. I’m sure Blane can atest to where things are at today versus just a year ago.

There a place for everything in the water.

And you notice you don’t see any of Dave’s other phenomenal designs like his malolo or performance longboards showing up on Boardworks. I bet those all stay custom like before…

32

I posted a few weeks ago about this and met the same sort of response. I’m just one of many who felt slighted over the years by DP’s mean spirited stuff. He is the one who put himself on a pedestal as soul shaper extradinaire while ridiculing the pool toy gang. I just find it interesting to see him stepping down and wonder what he has to say about all that pool toy stuff now?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-gGZfLulOI

33

I think it’s all about suppy & demand. I wanted a DP shape bad, but a local paddlesurf ripper (who is a very big guy in the surf biz) waited over six months for his to come in. Last week I went down to BW and picked up a 10’0" C4. ACheateaux is also making me a sweet ten foot quad fin so we’ll see how they compare.

There’s a lot of big names coming out with ST, BW, and Aviso SUP models soon. There’s a big demand, it’s a hell of a lot of foam to mow and glass, and the composites are coming out so light & strong. Can’t blame 'em.

34

I think another aspect, a reality, is that the glass shops can not handle the demand. They can’t do them all.

The personal stuff with DP and change is healthy. I’m sure swallowing hard too.

35

lets talk gold rush

GOLD RUSH

[I wish I could post in thoes great big letters]

G O L D R U S H

the mass market validates everything…?

the real grount breaking stuff comes from

somewherselse

dora said kid from nowhere

will turn the surf world on it’s ear

I am on a quest

I want it

what do I want

nothing.

my esteemed advisor said

want nothing you will get everything

he was a fireman.

he showed me how to run a skill saw

build a house

dig a sesspool

pull wire

get a girl

marry her

have kids

keep the wife

[learn to tolerate each other]

he didnt teach me anything about making surfboards

I am looking for the greater truth about surfboard design

my first developmental prototype giant board

was made from the biggest clark foam blank

when I could first get my hands on it

I essentially kept it hid for as long as I could

i did a good job hiding it and building it

I can still ride it.

the windsurfer FAD EXPLOSION

taught a big lesson to a whole generation

—big money availiable-----

for a limited time,get it while you can

toupes fat guys hungry for love guys

greedy for more everything guys

and girls are alerted

along with sincere enthusiastic

aquatic seekers of wisdom and truth.

time will seperate these archtypes

the designs too will stratify

the recreationalclubby boards will be the norm

the production new models will be attention getters

at functions,races ,regattas .and demos

the underground was a fad

for some.

they came from the ranks

of popout ville

they are going back to their roots.

some did not come from popoutville

they embraced oneoffedness

I had a purple full siut

1/2ml or when the winds and temperatures plumeted to 62

I made my own ten years before outa old lady bonded knit

suit cloth one off

I made a rash guard out of a nylon t-shirt

and put a drawstring at the bottom.

the test is to resist the influence

of the mass market and

peer pressure on your creative decisions

An Old friend who fell to peer pressure an became a junkie

said to me once,even though he didn’t hear it

you lead or you follow.

don Juan said follow the path with heart

there is a resonance to every decision

if it rings in harmony with your own true nature

doit DO IT DO IT TO DEATH

{SYLVESTER STONE SAID THAT}

if thets the road you choose mr

god speed.

you aint me

I am glad.

I was worried for a while.

when you were saying things that I believed

now that you are not

a kind of credibility

has returned

that was tarnished

when the words

as you spoke them

were spoken so harshly

We are all here together

We can watch and

we can do

the gold rush guys will

fix on fad X next

they will try to morf

and accessorise the new medium

to their own image

like the acreage they are developing

for milliondollar affordable housing

with the old platitudes

NEW AND IMPROVED

and then

have their pictures taken

with reps from the under ground

for credibility.

that will be the 1/2 way point

to dissolution…

there is so much to know

there is so much to learn

500 boards a week is one

more thing to learn

thank the stars

we dont have to be all

those lonley people

who need to do that stuff

make the scene?

sure. go ahead.

I’ll wait here.

send money?

hah.

…ambrose…

sand a white wood paddle

and dream of the eight boards I have started

foam wood and maybe steel

solid and hollow

a pete petersen?

any one?

how bout a pet petersen regatta

tom blake was a promoter don’t forget it.

his nude photos are classic

hail miki and the aps33000 the bikini machine

the mini shaping machine due out 2010

folds up under the bed or in a closet

the shaping machine is a tool?

I want one of each.

I have a spoke shave.

36

flap, flap, flappity, flap.

talk is cheap. actions speak louder than words.

37

This is one of those threads that I cannot see scoring high on any of my searches.

38

You’ll need to search for “rant”.

39

He wrote what he wrote and we are where we are… That’s all folks!

40

“As for the question, why China? . . . Plus, BW has much improved the quality of their product so it fit the C4 situation well.”

For upwards of $1800 for a board per C4’s website, I sure hope so.

I refer you to Exhibit 1: http://www.boardlady.com/comparison.htm