Just Foam is now selling blanks in California, the foam is very similar to Aussie foam; very white, same density all the way through, nice strong stringers and the blanks are very light weight too. So far the shapers and laminators have liked them, they soak very little resin and surf fantastic. Mot of the bugs are being or have been worked out.
Chano, Website is being set up as I write this. We are distributing to southern California at present. They are made here in California. Custom rockers to your specification (rocker template works fine), but please remember this, you can cut into the deck on these blanks without hitting any soft foam.
The 6’5” x 2.75” is the same density all the way thru, is $35 until a quantity is ordered. The 6’8” x 3.125 is $38. Because I only have two blank sizes at present there has not been a need for a website. I have 4 more plugs being completed and should have the blanks out by years end. Also, most of the shapers won’t even use the fax/email order forms, they simply call on the phone. Therefore I have not found a need for a website yet.
Just Foam is currently making molds as fast as we can. We cannot possibly supply even 50% of the market, but within 8 weks we should be able to supply approx 2000 per week. I tried to get shapers to submit plugs months ago so I could ramp up then, but no one was in a hurry.
Just Foam is committed to SERVING the shaping community. We will do all we can as fast as we can. Please do not callme as my phone is ringing off the hok. I will be responding to emails much faster.
Between walker ramping up to 700 a day, justfoam 2000 a week, people switching to eps, and all the blanks that will be imported, it looks like this is just a bump in the road. Monday was scary, now the future is starting to look better than ever. Capitalism at its finest (I teach economics)
Howzit bimini,Hope you got some of the Clark blanks to make some molds from. Would make things a lot easier for you and in a way stick it to Clark at the same time. I thnik people are realizing what a jerk Clark was for shutting down with out notice just when the Christmas rush is on, boy talk about the Grinch who stole Christmas. Good luck with your business and may the surf gods repay you over and over again, geeze when you think aabout it they already have since the grinch is gone and you are expanding.Aloha,Kokua
That’s exactly right. I hope that we NEVER allow anything like this to happen again. We need to embrase diversity and have a respect for all the different technologies we see developed. In the future we need to be open minded and never allow a single person to rule us. We have paid a huge price for allowing this, not just this week but over many years of over production and price wars.
We need a more balanced economic and a new attitude towards the embrase of technology. This week shows that time is marching on. That environmental awareness is going to be part of the overall business make up of our future. That we will be held responsible for the impact we produce and we will be held accountable. Business as usual will have new parameters to contend with and our conscience will always be open for question.
These are all things we need to address in moving on.
First I hope that Clark is able to relax now, that everything is gone, it is a burden to worry everyday that you might get fine and worst, go to jail. I wish him the best.
Like everyone is saying, this would be a great time for someone to step up to the plate and make a killing. I have been to 3 glass shops this week talked to 5 different shapers here in the south bay, everyone has thought about what to do, one of the guys brother whom I was talking to is a board director for Dupont, he states that his brother was going to toss the idea to the board about making boards which would be great, because they would be able to lower the price on foam itself if they did. Now I know that is far off, but it shows that there is a lot of thinking going on.
Guys like Greg, who have been dealing with epoxy for the last 20 years already have a firm foothold on everything. I hope that he does well also.
This is the time to look around, think and come up with an idea…remember, build a better mouse trap, the world will come knocking at your doors…
I’m totally shocked at “Kokua’s response”…what a “jerk clark was”. eh Kokua…please change your user name, you shame us HAWAIIANS! Where did your love or “kokua” aloha gone? eh bra…it was a total business decision. Perhaps, if all you big and small time shapers (who shape for “kala” money), gave back to Clark…to aid in keeping things going…maybe things may be different.
…always tip da dealer who’s dealing great hands!, never bite da hands that feed you!
I feel your hardship, the islands is very small…much smaller on Kauai! Bad Karma my brother!
Take your time before explosive words are expressed!..this is a WORLD WIDE WEBSITE. hear it again…“WORLD WIDE WEBSITE!”
SURFING IS ONE OF MANY REASON WHY LOVELY PEOPLE TRAVEL TO HAWAII!
DON’T MAKE THINGS WORSE!
** EVERY ISLAND DEPENDS ON OUR TOURIST! MORE SO ON OUTER ISLANDS **
There is “hope”…many PU blanks will become available, and probably cheaper than clarks! I know you and many others will survive! IMUA my bro.
Enjoy and Embrace the moment…its Christmas!
Mele Kalikimaka and Hauoli makahiki hou! (merry christmas and happy new year)
So if you’re in Hawaii or a Hawaiian, you don’t get perturbed? I guess King K forgot to tell his tropps that :)) I guess Sunny is an angel :)) That aloha/peace is aimed at the tourists. There’s PLENTY of violence in the islands. In fact, over 46,000 felonies in 2004 - and that’s just in Honolulu. Leave your car locked on the N Shore and see what happens. Call a cop? ROTFLOL!!! Ever get stinkeye? See what i mean?
hey, Grubby was indeed an a**hole. What, you can’t speak the truth anymore?
Howzit Manoa, Sorry if I offended you,but as you know Kokua means to help and that’s what I do for the people who are my customers and friends and those in need. Do you think that Clark had kokua in his heart when he just turned off the supply of blanks just before Christmas,I don’t. If you knew me you would know just how many people I help on Kauai and it’s not just surfboards. We just found out that F.H. is not giving any of the clark blanks to the outer islands,is this kokua on their part. In fact they took a huge materials order from a shaper/glasser here and told him he would be getting some of the blanks and 2 days later call him back and tell him sorry no blanks for you. Now he’s stuck with a drum of resin and rolls of fiberglas plus other misc. materials. does that sound like kokua to you. I’m sure there’s a lot of shapers who would have used stronger words than “jerk” for Clark under the circumstances. On top of this the shaper who has just got a container of Clark blanks is not going to sell any of them either, he’s keeping them for himself and Brewer and this guy is a minister to boot. I have lived in Hawaii for over 35 years and know the true meaning of Kokua and a lot of Hawaiians here on Kauai feel the same about Clark as I do. I think Clark is the one who will have a Karma issue to worry about, not me. Kinda seems like you are making to big a deal about the word jerk whenI could have used a much worse word but didn’t. As an example of kokua all the Xmas boards I just finished I charged the surfers 2003 prices which is a great deal when you consider the rise in materials these days. On top of that I didn’t charge any of them for the airbrush work on their boards either.Aloha, Kokua
I am from the East Coast of USA so I will say what the nice people of Hawaii are not allowed to say. Clark was a jerk and he had a monopoly on the surfboard business. He used his monopoly in a vengeful manor. If Clark Foam could not fill your order and you bought blanks from Walker, Clark “blackballed” you from ever buying from him again. That is unfair trade practice and I believe illegal and a reason to be broken up as a corporation. At the very least fined. We should not feel sorry for Clark. He sold $50,000. of products per day(1000 blanks) for 360 days per year. Which comes to 18 million dollars in sales per year. I am guessing that his profit was 2 million per year. The property allow in Orange County is worth 2 million. Let us never use the word “poor” Gordon Clark when we refer to this man and his business. He has portrayed himself in the media as a little guy against the evil environmentalists and government agencies for the obvious reasons.
I look forward to trying all products Walker, Just Foam and EPS from Greg. Competition works.
Clark is a certified Hole. It’s not that he shut down, it’s how he went about shutting down. Here today, gone tomorrow. He could have given everybody a bit of notice, a chance to stock up on the blanks that they need for the holiday surfboard rush. But no, Grubster just closes the fricking door and smashes the molds, nice going. OK yeah right he’s the godfather of foam, WTF…I got a lot of friends that are not shaping boards and not making ends meet because this guy just pulls the plug. Where the Aloha in that?
He had every right to shut down his plant, fine. But if you own 90% of the surfboard foam business in the US, you have a obligation to do the right thing, he did the wrong thing. So if Tubby’s been thinking about this for sometime, why didn’t he let the competition know he was bowing out of Dark Foam? How about a smoooth transition…Right, he let Rusty Know, He let Al know…hopefully there will be some justice to him for sticking it to the little guy.
too bad you all feel that way…if you all new he “clark” had a “monopoly”, why did you wait til Dooms day?
Many PU blanks will become available NOW! and real cheap.
And let me guess…you same people will sit on the next most available blanks…Walker…then he may pull the plug the same way…then u all will say the same’ol sh_t.
Does this mean “walker” will have a monopoly?
Make sure you guys know what “monopoly” means before exploring. The “statues” will prevail, let alone I presume you don’t even know what CFR “monopoly” will fall under, let alone…trying to apply this statue against Mr.Clark or anybody that you think has a “monopoly”.
AND YES…I believe Mr.Clark is laughing and having a blast. Even more so, if he reads the trash thats being said.
I’m not taking sides…just trying to find deep reasons…why we all act a certain way.
I have always believed “good things will come…to people who wait”
Since I don’t shape/glass for a living…Kokua, if you really need a blank? I will give you my last 10’1"Y
I was going to save this blank as part of my collection of longboards.
I truly believe it will come back to me someday!
A hui hou!
p.s. for those who don’t know what CFR stands for…CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS
p.s. for those who don’t know what CFR stands for…CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS
and for those who don’t know the difference between a “statue” and a “statute”, i suggest you buy a dictionary…or an education. if you’d like a memorandum on the application and enforceability of our federal antitrust laws, i’d be more than happy to oblige. in the meantime, feel free to check out Rebel Oil Co. v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (51 F.3d 1421) and United States v. Grinnell Corp. (384 U.S. 563)…both good cases with a number of key points of law that really parallel Clark’s presence in his industry. and i especially like this excerpt from United States v. Griffith (334 U.S. 100):
[indent]The existence of power to exclude competition when it is desired to do so is itself a violation of § 2 of the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C.S. § 2, provided it is coupled with the purpose or intent to exercise that power. It is indeed unreasonable, per se, to foreclose competitors from any substantial market. The antitrust laws are as much violated by the prevention of competition as by its destruction. It follows a fortiori that the use of monopoly power, however lawfully acquired, to foreclose competition, to gain a competitive advantage, or to destroy a competitor, is unlawful.