looks like ther ready to give them away
huie
insert logo here…
These guys must not read English as this site is probably the last place to find customers for Chinese made boards.
but that one has “foam distribution”…that must be good, no?!
Maybe we could get all 10 for $1 each…
then sell them to Chinese tourists…
ho hum
more racist shit
post it on xenophobia.com , not HERE , guys !
q: randy french is an American , isn’t he ?!
one word
Boycott
Quote:
ho hum
more racist shit
post it on xenophobia.com , not HERE , guys !
thats not racist ben
say you opened a shop selling really nice choclates
made from a recipe you inherited off your mother who in turn inherited it off her mother
and the guy down the street copied your recipe and the then started selling chocalates he copied off you
from a caravan out the front of your shop
but even worse the recipe isnt quite right
and the chocalates are half the price
and you were slowly going out of business
how would you feel
would you describe his chocalates as " more guy down the road shit"
same thing
ok say you shared recipes with some friends
and you got together every weekend to chat about choclates
and the guy from down the road just sat outside the window listening in
but not actually comming in to introduce himself or swap recipes
just gathering all the recipes so he could open more choclate caravans in front of your friends shops as well
how would you feel about that
would think that the guy down the road was actually a bit of c nt
or would that be being unfair on the guy
hey hes just trying to make a livin eh
that outline looks familia
There is a war or at least there should be…but it’s not with china. It’s with the idea of globalism vs protectionism. I can’t speak for other countries…but America was at it’s strongest financially when we used protectionist policies. Now…we are at the whim of other people’s low wages that no America can compete with unless we become a third world nation like them. The idea by some to live with the system we have and get all you can while you can aids it as does the customer who says I must have the cheapest price.
Yes…when we had those policies American companies took advantage…but…the money stayed within the borders of our own country for the most part. We no longer have much manufacture. How can that be a good thing?
We hold China to the same demands our government makes of our own and the thing ends over night. Not only that…we are not helping to prop up a bloody communist government with blood on it’s hands. Look at the recent Tibetian stuff in the news as a reminder. It’s not racist to say that China as a government is not our friend…period. They make South Africa at it’s worst look tame.
I can’t say it’s wrong morally for American to use that service. In many cases there is simply no other choice if one wants to remain competitive. The pressure should be brought on our own government for setting the atmophere for it. They have been traitors to their own people in favor of big multi national corporations.
Look, it is the way of the world, I don’t agree with it and never will. Mctavish has gone global surf industries. made in thialand. I asked about a twinnie at the shop I do dings for. $795 for a fucking print not an original . at 6foot 4 inches you do the math. now , by crickey why is it dearer to get noone to slap aboard up than to get an original . and if someone was charging that much how are they in bussiness. because dickhaeds are being lead around by magazines and have to have it. I would love to own a picasso. but I would not pay an 1/8th for a print even if the printer cut an ear off.
I hate to be the one who says “The emperor has no clothes”, but I remember a similar thread recently with some insightful comments by Carve Nalu.
He addressed the issue of Chinese vs. Local surfboard manufacturers. His comments were based in reality, because he’s actually in the business of making quality surfboards, and meeting schedules, and keeping promises. He ended up with the Chinese companies because…surprise, surprise, the U.S. boys couldn’t deliver, and the Chinese could.
We can talk all we want about the soul of the craft, and jobs lost, but maybe it’s time to discuss getting to work on time, doing what you say you’re going to do, and delivering what you say you’re going to deliver.
As much as we don’t want to admit it, the Chinese in general, have a good work ethic and are detail oriented in their work. My wife was in China with the company she used to work with. Her company had a manufacturing facility there because they were good…and cheap. How can a businessman not like that?
So all you craftsmen who make a low volume of boards, like me, keep on doing what you do. And put all your talent and joy into what you do. But in a capitalist system, the market will steer the nature of volume manufacturing. If we want the market to be with us, then we need to do it better than the other guy. It’s tough, and sometimes I wish it was different, but it’s reality.
I would love for everyone to be successful in their endeavors, especially the small business owners. (I used to be one). But we live in the real world, and we have to deal with it. Don’t knock the Chinese. They’re just looking for work like everybody else.
To quote a business axiom: “Find something you love to do, and do it to everybody”.
Doug
We bash Chineese boards. How about Surf Clothes? Wetsuits? Leashes? Traction? Look around your house. How many products are made in China?
Our Computers that we write with to post blogs on swaylocks are they made in the USA? I wish we could turn back the clock however it’s kind of late.
Hang Ten was made in the USA at one time - Oneils were made in Santa Cruz - Leashes in San Clemente - Sandels in Santa Ana.
Having said that I don’t think the custom board market is going away. Surfing is so personal I don’t believe that off the rack boards are going to suffice the surfing comsumer who actually surf well. Surfers are so picky about their dimentions, fin placements and the like. For custom board builders there’s nothing to worry about.
For the Larger Board companies that need to fill up shops for your wanabee seasonal surfer they will all go to China. That will just make more work for the Custom Board builders. This is the part of surfing that needs to stay core - The Local Board Builders - wherever that might be?
I agree with this, here in the good ol’ USA we have a place called Xmart (name changed) that goes into small rural areas just out side of a small town, opens up a mega store and shuts down all of the local businesses within 1 year. Now the local pharmacist, clothier, food mart worker all work at the offending store for 1/2 to 1/4 of their previous wages.
And with all of the recalls we’re seeing I’m wondering if my wetsuit rash is from too much paddling or from some weird poison used to make the rubber or nylon.
BTW, trade should be fair, the Chinese government is more Xenophobic than the rest of the world’s governments… That does not make us racists, just protectionists.
And one last point, according to my government it is OK to do business with communist China and Viet Nam, but no way can we do business with Cuba, they’re too extreme. (What a load of crap).
Lastly. Yes I’m probably a hypocrite too, but whenever possible I will try not to buy from the PRC. From items for my toddler daughter to things I need, I try, but it is getting more and more difficult.
“here in the good ol’ USA we have a place called Xmart (name changed) that goes into small rural areas just out side of a small town, opens up a mega store and shuts down all of the local businesses within 1 year.”
McMalibu,
I totally agree with this, except for one thing. The mega store does not shut down the local businesses. The people from that same small town shut down the local businesses, because they want the lower prices the mega store offers. XMart doesn’t shut the small businesses down, their own customers do…
And then some of these customers later complain about how XMart destroyed their quaint little town…talk about hypocrisy…
JSS
my brother has been boycotting chinese made goods since before it was popular.
he’s sort of sucked the rest of the family in to it as well.
he keeps stealing our measuring spoons, so, for easter, my wife and I went to get
him his own set…2 hours and 4 stores later we finally found some POS spoons
made in the USA.
the fact of the matter is that nearly EVERYTHING you consume in America is in
some way shape or form touched by china…materials, fabrication, assembly.
for years this wasn’t a problem…then all of a sudden they crept in to surfboard
manufacturing and everyone’s all butt hurt about it.
I think Carve’s post, referenced previously, was spot on and totally reasonable.
The chocolate analogy is weak, at best…I will never stop buying See’s candies.
Even if they jack up the price on their suckers to 1$…There is no outsourcable
replacement for quality (and nostalgia…which custom board makers wield in their
favor).
And Walmart…why you edit the name is beyond me…is getting cock blocked up
and down California (really, across the nation when you consider all the labor
disputes they are dealing with).
The local pharmacist and hardware store only go out of business if you stop
shopping there.
Quote:
I would love for everyone to be successful in their endeavors, especially the small business owners. (I used to be one). But we live in the real world, and we have to deal with it. Don’t knock the Chinese. They’re just looking for work like everybody else.
To quote a business axiom: “Find something you love to do, and do it to everybody”.
Doug
You make some great points and no we shouldn’t bash the Chinese people…but their bloody government should be bashed and frankly it should be boycotted. China is a reality…but because traitors in our own country decided they wanted it to be a reality. They handed the ball to them and they didn’t even have to earn it the way we told South Africa or Cuba etc. Why? Cause big business saw an opportunity to have slave labor wages without providing benefits and without having to deal with employee issues. All the things required for being in business. In other words…the easier more profitable way. Nothing wrong with that…unless of course you sell out your own country in the process.
Yes…clothing, computers etc are there. We all own some chinese stuff…but it could be different if we had the ability to change our government. Frankly…I no longer think we do…but discussing it idealogically…that would be an answer.
Regardless of how creative or how much the quality is better…eventually…slave labor wins. It’s the way of the world. My country has made claims that human rights and integrity is our goal…yet jumped head first into dealing with bloodly killers. We can’t say…look at this nice thing we have done and then subtract dealing with some of the bad. Even bad American product traded among Americans is better than good asian product in the end. Globalism puts us at the mercy of foreign nations with their own set of values instead of our set of values. I don’t even know what American values really are anymore to be frank.
Quote:
The local pharmacist and hardware store only go out of business if you stop
shopping there.
The masses can’t afford to shop anywhere else. When you can save $50.00 a time grocery shopping and on a limited buget with three kids…guess where your going to shop. It can be said…Walmart performs a service…but if they were not here…it’s possible some of the masses would start their own shop…work it for years and earn a living and be able to leave it to their sons or daughters. Those days are dwindling. IMO
you are absolutely right.
and I share your distaste for globalized megalocorps.
but I believe the walmart analogy breaks down when you apply it to
the surfboard market.
cost is not the primary driver for surfboard purchases the same way it
is for commodities like food and other *mart wares.
design, style, brand and reputation will collectively always outweigh
pure price motivations, in my opinion.
is silly losing a lot of business?
are shapers closing up shop?
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pop out in the water here…and I pay
pretty close attention to what people are riding just out of general
curiosity.
Beckers EVERYWHERE!
Personally I was not trying to start the same China v. US argument in my previous post, but I can not speak for anyone else. I was just implying that most (maybe not all) of the people on this site are shaping their own boards or riding custom shaped boards. I think that we are probably not the best target market for any mass produced boards Chines or otherwise.