The Surfer's Journal - Vol 14, No 4

General Discussion
61

HI Bert,

I for one always enjoy reading your thoughtful posts concerning the world of marketing and market analysis.

I recall going to a blues concert in Carnegie Hall a long time ago. IT was Stevie Ray Vaughn. I had already seen him on the road in a small club and he, as they say, had practiced practiced practiced and he finally got to Carnegie Hall. As a guitarist I was looking at his hands and you know what? He wasnt hiding his hand at all. All his moves were right out in the open there for everyone to see. Think about that because it’s a beautiful thing. “This is how we learn.” To quote Fred Durst.

Had a similar experience seeing Johnny Winter tour behind Guitar Slinger at the Academy of Music NYC around the same time. Same thing, concert hall full of guitarists getting schooled. If you are into it you don’t ever get tired of it no matter how intense it gets. Or what the cost.

There are no college courses on marketing epoxy boards. And even if there were they would cost bare minimum $500 a credit hour.

The E v. P debate as some call it is in it’s infancy. Anyone tired of it now is really going to have a hard time of it. May I suggest to them that they move on and read another thread. Wrong class room. That is the beauty of this. NO one is holding a gun to anyones head and saying read this! m

62

Drew,

Ambrose is a genius, and genius works in it’s own time.

It can never be forced, only inspired. m

63

I Saw SRV on his last tour a few month prior to his untimely death.

Blew me away for sure. Such musicanship. Did not expect such an amazing live performance. So sad that he is no longer with us.

Anhyoo.

Your right Mark,

You, and the rest can go back and forth till this post hits 400 replies.

I am going to go shape.

Drew

64

Right on Drew,

YOU da man!

Thanks for understanding that these guys are learning as they go. I know that they need to talk it out. The world prior to Swaylocks was killing some of these guys. Ask Greg he’ll tell ya.

And you’re living the dream. It really is all good. m

ps They recorded the Carnegie Hall concert. It’s on cd and I can’t even listen to it… It’s just too intense. The concert itself was so intense that I was in shock for a long time. Prior to that I stood 5 feet in front him for his whole show in New Brunswick at Art Stock’s Royal Manor, but they wern’t calling it that then, on his first swing north. This was all so long ago I’d have to dig up my ticket stub. I was with my drummer and standing next to me on the other side was my friend Robert who knew every lick from Page to Hendricks to Vaughn to Winter and played in so many bands in NJ it aint funny. Very talented guy made a 180, now plays only for his church. (He was unable to break out so who was I kidding?). I don’t know if anyone knows how hard that really is. I’m glad I go to see SRV when I did though. Such talent and phrasing. When he came up the blues came with him and when he went away so did the blues. Funny that Mick and Keith discovered him bar hopping. We should thank them for that.

65

I have a few corrections and observations to make (suprise!).

First, the foam blowing around at Cerretos is not considered toxic in any way. If it were urethane or even sanding dust it also wouldn’t be considered toxic either. That dust can be considered nuesence dust if it’s allowed to blow around the neighborhood. It’s organic and inert. I’d like to point out that in the laminating, sealing and hot wire processes there were no solvents (other than about 5cc’s of additive F, gotta be fair here) used.

Second, my prediction as to 2010 has to do with the industry as a whole including wholesale, retail and all manufacturing. The fall out in 69 was the loss of every major surfboard brand, popout AND custom (actually the popouts were pretty much done before 69). And you could argue that many of those brands are still around today but all of them are reintroductions and every one of those factories went out of business during that time with the exception of G&S.

The fallout in 89 put companies like Quicksilver in bankrupcy. Billabong lost over 50% of it’s gross. Has everyone forgotten that? That happens to be the last time I built poly boards because the market was so depressed and competitive that I could no longer make money making poly boards. Everyone was working for free. Seperating myself for the masses made a bad time successful for my business and I was able to grow during that time.

My point on this is that we have been living through a period of growth unprecidented in the sports history. During that time the imports have taken a significant market share and the custom board industry hasn’t grown at all. They have gotten stronger and we have stayed the same. They are also busy working on new tech attempting to open new markets while the traditional surfboard industry continues to rest on it’s laurels secure in the fact that they are untouchable. Meanwhile in every market outside the power centers board builders are being touched HARD. Bert’s example of WA show’s just what’s happening out there.

The surfboard industry, while not loosing business in the power centers, has lost market share DRAMATICLY. When the expansion ends, and it will, that’s when you’ll see how much that loss will cost you.

But as Carl states, the market has yet to emrace any new tech that’s been developed over the years UNTIL Surftech. Surftech is the one example that proves there is demand in other places and that growing example is the one that should be a wake up call for all traditional builders. The importers are VERY aware of the broadening of the market and are activly persuing R&D programs while domestically our leaders are doing nothing. Carl is obviously working to familiarize himself with different tech, an intellegent move. Feraldave is thinking the same. Bert is working to offer something better as am I.

There is some badmouthing of poopees here but there are also unrealistic arguements against epoxy. Epoxy today is NO BIG DEAL. It’s easy to use and if the industry leaders would apply themselves JUST A LITTLE towards new tech we’d start seeing domestic advancment as board builders competed technologically to build better product. Right now there is little or none.

Does anyone see what Locbox was saying about the auto industry and how this applies, In the 60’s, “made in Japan” was a big joke. Who here today would rather drive a Cadillac over a Lexus? Japan’s auto tech is seen as better than ours. WE CAN"T AFFORD TO BE SEEN AS INFERIOR TO AN IMPORT! And in some circles we have already lost that edge.

Bottom line here is that there is no single way of building a board anymore. There is no status quo outside the power centers any more and that will change within those areas as well. It’s not doom and gloom if your prepared. Rusty grew his company in the aftermath of the 89 crash by making the best of what was available while others were floundering. My company grew during that time as well and after all is said and done there is only one factory left in central FL that has been in business longer than we have. All the other factories that were around back then are gone. All the heavy hitters, NA, Spectrum, Rainbow, Fiberglass Unltd, etc.

The domestic surfboard industry is the core of local surfing. Without it the whole thing begins to wither and die (boardsailing). In the near future I have little doubt that the core business will be smaller than it is today. We’re gonna loose the beginners. Those that will remain will be the ones that build something very special and grow their businesses by offering a variety of the highest quality products to experienced surfers who want the best they can buy. And don’t mind paying a few extra bucks for it either.

Again we can not afford to be seen as anything but the very best. That’s our edge and our biggest advantage. Advancing our knowledge of composites will be crucial and a bunch of old guys saying that there’s nothing good that can come of anything new in the long run does not serve our interests. It undermines our future.

66

Greg,

I don’t think the fallout is going to happen. I think the fallout is here for some parts of the industry. The days of the small core shop, (regardless of the few still operating) is gone and over. Big is now considered better, because big shops can give the sellout clothing companies and surfboard popout makers what they want; Big orders.

I don’t ever see it coming back. Popouts and chinese boards are perfect for surf department stores. They have few scrupples and exist only for the benifit of making money. Once all the shapes are out there, you have to wonder how soon the shapers royalties will dry up and whose going to sue to get them. None of these companies gives accurate if any reports on sales of shapers products, they simply plop a check in the mail.

Kuk reps can run around and pretend to be in the know and spokesmen for the industry and magazines will print articles about them being the most important people in surfing. As if surfing the sport were simply one magazine fed artform, not a collection of many different artforms and personalities.

The one factor everyone is forgetting is how quick surfers have always jumped ship at a whim. There is no good reason for certain retro items to have EVER been resurected. Much of it was crap when we all used to ride it. However one or two popular surfmovies later and kids are scrambling to get the latest heavy glassed, pigment dyed singlefin longboard, single fin short board, or old school fish. Part of this has been good in that shorter wider thicker boards are allowing more waves to be caught, boards to last longer, and minds to be open to the fact that what has been sold as modern is not in fact modern, effective or even progressive. Really, many things called modern (pointed noses chips)are nothing more than novelties for surfers with elite ability.

Maybe they will discover Greg’s and Forstall’s handshaped beauties, maybe not. Maybe they will jump all over Bert’s handmade shelled wave riders, maybe not. Maybe they will stay with poly old school or maybe goverment regulation will make the decision for all of us. One thing is for certain, much of this stuff has had or will have it’s time in the sun. So far poly is the one constant with the longest run.

The surfing masses will always be sheep and follow whichever goat has the loudest bell for a time. Shakeups will be often and constant.

the industry we know today as really only been around in surfboards since the sixties and shops since the late seventies. It’s very young to have had so many shakeups already.

Poly vs epoxy: I agree with Greg completely about one thing; why try and shape a featherlight poly board? Your creating a piece of junk. Epoxy rules this market if lightness is what your after.

67

Hi solo,

If we take what you said and Greg said and Lokbox said about Japanese cars we can begin to put the picture together of how that that happened. First off it was legislated that car manufacturers must reduce auto emissions and increase gas mileage of their entire fleet according to a time line. They protested, but Nixon signed the bill.

This was precipitated by the first notice of peak oil…the term that was invented to describe the fact that known reserves had been half consumed and we were presumed to be on the down side of consumption working towards empty. This coincided with the time that US consumption outstripped it’s capacity to produce it’s own oil brought on by big cars and forced suppliers to seek offshore Middle east oil. So the major points are that it was demand that reduced supply and both air quality and price were suffering. So laws were passed.

The American auto makers were not ready with fuel efficient cars coming in as were on the crest of big cars and the horsepower/muscle car craze. But the Japanese have never had any oil reserves and have always made small cars and that is exactly what Americans needed. Same goes for the Germans. So within 20 years of WWII we were getting our cars from our former enemies. Give me a choice between Lexus and BMW and I would not hesitate to say BMW. But the imports are here because those countries that made them have always made small cars.

So your point about the govt having a hand in our decision is appropriate, it already has spoken. Last January. Just needs to be enforced across the board. And it will. Especially now with oil prices around $66 a barrel. This is still below the adjusted price of 1979 light sweet. But we aint seen nothing yet. Our demand and waste is out of control. And in a few months people will really be feeling it in their wallets. The imports forced the industry to make better cars and as cars became more reliable a lot of people saw no problem commuting 2+ hours a day. And then they took the tax break on SUVs in 2002 boy are those people in for it. And also peripherally the prices of poly and other petro based products will skyrocket. There will be a lot of fallout and collateral damage to our economy real soon. Paint has already hit the ceiling and is now going through the roof. I give this country 6 more months of this and when Christmas gets near people will freak out and the economy will really get desperate. Because as we all know Black Friday is not black because it’s bleak, but it’s the day retailers start to go from red ink to black ink. If that does not happen gloom and doom. And I’ll be sitting pretty on my reliable longer lasting board.

So study the facts folks and draw your own conclusions. It’s just good risk management. And I know some Hawiians who are stocked up! Smart men. Got in just under the wire too. m

68

OK POINTS TAKEN!!!

Now lets all take a deep breath.

Maybe go ride a few waves.

And remember why we all started surfing

69

Mark,

It’s great to meet another advocate of the Peak Oil crisis that IS going to change this country and the world forever if some other source besides oil is not found.

As for Boards: I doubt pass times will be as important to people at some point in the future. Much like the depression; trying to get enough to eat and stay healthy will be main concerns.

As for Surfboards, from what I understand, all the products whether epoxy or poly are going to be more expensive.

Our country needs to concentrate on protecting our own manufacturing and jobs for it’s own people instead of allowing greedy multi national corporations with no loyalty to their own country only money move off shore and not pay taxes or hire Americans. People that make things and have skills will be badly needed in the future.

I was tempted to join in the fray with chinese junk and popouts when I had my old shop, but I saw who and what I was dealing with. Those things benifit big shops, the people that make them, and the countries they are made in.

None of the workers in those countries have taxes going into our country, nor skills going into our country. The only thing that happens with these companies, is they make some money for those that own them and the foreign countries that make them.

Even the backyard guys spend their money right here in America and add to the economy.

70

Not sure how the oil industry views the blip on the screen that is the surfboard industry, well at least compared to the auto industry that is. Just stand on a freeway overpass in socal any day of the week and try to count how many cars go by in 5 mintues if you can. Now imagine what percentage of them own surfboards. Something i don’t see much talk of is hybrid alternative fuel vehicles, that are increasing in production daily. More and more auto manufacturers are offering them. I heard there is more than a year waiting list to get a toyota sienna that runs on a small gasoline engine backed up by an electric motor. Is it possible the oil companies are seeing the writing on the wall of things to come? Would it be that far of a stretch of the imagination to think they are raising oil prices now to get people used to paying more per gallon so that when half of all vehicles are manufactured with other types of engines, their profits remain mostly uneffected? Maybe i’m a moron, but in my experience, when a product becomes in higher demand like fuel and plastics have most certainly become, the price comes down(not up) due to volume purchased. Just a thought.

71

Ah, big oil.

What they want is vertical integration. What they don’t want is small Mom an Pop gas stations. Here in NJ where it is still illegal to pump your own, big oil now has a chance to really squeeze these family owned businesses and screw their children out of their inheritance. Shit, NJ invented and legislated the system it has now, because big oil did that 100 years ago. Teddy Roosevelt copied the NJ model when he went after monopolies and trusts! It wasn’t called Standard Oil of NJ for nothing. That SOB JD was worth in today’s money $190 billion!!! He exploited a lot of people. When he was in his NYC office everyone in the city knew it!! It was like when the President is there these days. And he never owned a single well. He figured out that controlling the supply line was the way to go. He made his first fortune off barrels. Then wooden storage tanks. Then rail lines. Read

Ida Tarbell

History of the

Standard Oil

  Company

She was amazing and she had her reasons for relentlessly going after JD… Her father was one of JDs victims as he went on to gain control of 91% of the US oil supply. If anyone thinks my words are tough harsh or hard to swallow, they should read Ida or a book called The Muckrakers. Those guys changed the world for the better. Think about the USDA and where we would be without it as you drive through Wendys and wonder where has this beef been?!

So right now I can get my gas cheaper at the company owned Pilot on the highway and every time I don’t go to my neighborhood Getty he suffers. But if I go to my local guy I suffer.

IN Cali where they too used to have full service the change over was enlightening for us all. Big oil said to Sacramento prices will go down because people can pump their own. If we own the stations we will let people do that. So the people said okay. But within months the price doubled. The fix was that they owned the whole structure top to bottom and there was no more competition. People forgot about NJ or that vertical integration class they never went to in college. Once the control went to big oil San Franciscoians were fucked. Royally.

Any parallels to surf industry? You betcha. See my next post. There is stuff in there that points to exactly where we are losing the control. Matt Biolas pay attention! Someone go get him. m

72

Hello Ants,

Sorry to have to say this, and I’m not saying it to you personally, but I absolutely must insist no one take any of the things I say personally. There is no reason for anyone to be offended or insulted. I’m just exchanging ideas and hashing out the hard realities hopefully for some to benefit.

Hard realities require that we look them square in the eye. There is the possibility of some culture clash, too, if people allow it. I won’t stand for it. In the end it’s not about culture it’s about survival. Since after all culture is just learned behavior: the sum total of the learned behavior of any given society. Fact is WE have control over it. That is the power we have. WE THE PEOPLE. We need not be pawns. I’m not. I am exercising my right to free speech.

WE can be led down the same old path, that can be our choice. However, if we look closely at the signs and realize what they are telling us, we can see where it leads long before we get there. There are some trying to help us. A few people are trying to send out warning signals. They may only look like just so much smoke to some. But not to me. I get it. Perhaps we can adjust our methods before we are forced to. Or are forced out of our own businesses by forces we refuse to acknowledge.

Denial will lead to it’s own consequences. Won’t matter one bit to denial. It don’t care. Intended or unintended there are always consequences. There is no escape. It all boils down to one simple thing, change or be changed. But change is the one inevitable constant.

We still have time to adjust our course. Or like the Am auto industry which has conceded 15% of it’s market to imports, the American surf industry will be conceding the same if not more.

Funny thing is and this is a very cool thing, Bert an Australian and a potential importer, is aligned with the custom US shapers and fully supporting their survival. The sad thing is they don’t even know it.

I hope the mags are reading my post, but I must remind them that my words are subject to US copyrights and international treaties. Whoa! Caught ya huh?

Which brings me to the real reason I brought along those references to the music business in my earlier more serene posts. Yes it is a beautiful thing to see a talented musician on stage playing passionately for the crowd. We pay to see them. But the thing that protects them while doing so is US Copyright Law. They can show everyone the cords and phrasing and sing the words right out in the open fearlessly and still be confident that their work is protected. And the same goes for Jimi Hendricks Voodoo Child which SRV was playing that night in Carnegie Hall 10 years after Jimi’s death. That song is still owned by his heirs and that ownership is protected by law. That is a beautiful thing too. But where is the protection for the surfboard designs of the worlds top shapers? For the top US surf industry shapers there are no copyrights. Why not? Where is their protection??? Without US Copyright protection not a damn thing can be done to stop the influx of import knockoffs. Exact copies can right now be imported legally and US Customs can’t do a God damn thing about it. Sorry if that offended anyone it kind of does me, too, but it needs to be said. This is a very strong point and since our rights are God given and inalienable I will say it. Besides, I have been encouraged to present it for some time. Patents won’t stop them. Customs does not respond to a patent, only a court decision based on the patent is any help. And that takes years. But copyrights are enforceable by US Customs right now. If you have a copyright you can petition the US Customs to confiscate property at the point of entry and they are bound by law to do seize it. If this is too heavy for anyone go read about something else… fins or rails or bubbles in resin. I will not be offended if anyone leaves.

But if anyone wants to stick around I got another beef. I’ve been seeing stray references in the mags to words I have used here on Swaylocks. Nothing I can prove without a lot of effort, but I have written things here, that I have seen show up in print, and I have not been given credit for them. Not a big deal some may say. But it is. People died for my rights and I will not shame them.

And I’m not the only one. There are rumblings in the camp. I understand that if new ideas are going to get around they have to go around. But the reference should always be quoted and specified. Basic Junior High School writing etiquette. Name your source for quoted material. It’s not cool for magazine writers to feel they can lurk on Sways and use it like an idea well. Thinking they can come here and “borrow” freely, come on here and pick up ideas and things and just use them to make a living off of them without asking or quoting their sources, that is not right and they have no right. Sure they can talk about it among friends just like me and my guitar friends we can learn and play the songs but we can’t record then and sell them. That is a clear line. Not fair, not right, not legal. Lets get it straight that there are clear rules. And stomping on them will not make any friends.

My suggestion is that the mag writers lurking around here who have crossed that line, and they know who they are (just as I do) because they are reading this, I suggest they pay a visit to the Library of Congress and familiarize themselves with the Copyright Law of 1999.

LOC.gov

Then read the US Constitution. In fact Congress has realized that Americans need to get back in touch with that very instrument of our freedom and have declared September 17th US Constitution Day.

www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/other/2005-2/052405b.html

Maybe we can all use a refresher.

Postscript:

See, the way the copyright law changed is when the Internet gained in popularity people started using it and saying things in writing. But US copyright law required that people apply and send in things and pay money. And if the US Government wanted to prosecute anyone for something they said, or “stole” they couldn’t very easily, because they could not prove the words belonged to anyone, because they weren’t automatically copyrighted. So Congress changed the rules. They had to give something to get something. Nothing is free here, we are capitalists and laws require a trade of market value where property is involved. So they gave us instantaneous automatic and free copyrights on our written words. The flip is we can now have our words used against us if they are deemed salacious, solicitous, slanderous, terroristic or any other bad ous, ic, or suffix.

So what is said here belongs to the people saying it. We can be held accountable and after all accountability is another beautiful thing. Right? Because if we want protection we have to be accountable. Right?

More on this some time later… haha, he said moron. Apologies and thanks to Mike Judge. m

73

Although I respect the products Greg and Bert make, I don’t think fighting imports with technology is the way to win the battle. There was an article on Cobra in a composite magazine a few years ago, in it Cobra was very upfront on the fact that labor intensive processes were ideal for them.

Yes, make a better product, But focus on the “Custom” aspect.

Sluggo

74

Demand is inverse to supply. Demand goes up supply goes down. Supply is inverse to price. Supply goes down price goes up. Demand goes up price goes up.

Geeze it’s late so I hope I remembered that correctly.

Supply is being consumed by China now and since supply is limited by OPEC er ah Saudi Arabia they can squeeze the market. Price goes up. Big oil decide that rather than build new refineries, which are very expensive they could shut down the old ones and when people demanded more gas in the summer they could just charge more. Win win big oil. JD Rockefeller Oil Supply Class 101. We should have demanded a minimum production capacity in the energy bill package.

Look, I may be a first class retard, but I seem to recall driving along 5 and seeing half the cars and pickups having boards on them or in them. So, I can’t for the life of my understand why there is not enough support for clean ocean water? (How did that get in here.) I mean yeah surfing is big in SoCal. Blip on the screen doesn’t matter to them. It’s all potential income and it will be sucked in by their instruments of control. ie supply line. Big oil is reporting record profits while gas stations are not, but if they own the gas station they have writeoffs and other benefits. Believe me they go for it all.

Traditionally the auto industry and the oil industries have a cynical view or each other. They have no trust or love. But rather than fight, they both take it out on us and blame the gov’t which is us. And we are them. So it’s our neighbors, those ones in the big houses with the stone and cast iron gates who are sapping our economy.

75

Nicely put Mark! But if half the pick-ups really had boards in them or on them i woulda snapped a long time ago and split lol. Not far off though.

76

I totally agree with you Sluggo. Making better customs and hand made boards is the best bet. I think that is both Bert’s and Greg’s main thrust. Guys can go head to head with the imports and offer more options.

But time is running out. Like I said in a previous post and it’s indicative of the market…my friend bought a Loehr and a Surftech. I have nothing personally against Surftech and I understand that they have addressed if not flat out fixed the problem I took to them last year. Now, that is rapid consumer demand response! Shows how well that company is run. Compare that to Maytag. I know it has nothing to do with surfing, but I ordered a part for my Jen Air gas stove door last Spring. They kept shipping the wrong part! I kept explaining it to them and they kept shipping the wrong part. Six times. It was almost ten weeks before I got a manager to look in the parts bins and physically see that I was right. That all the bins had left hand parts. And I needed a right! Now how can a company survive with that kind of wasteful management? Can’t. Their stock plummeted over the same time frame. And I had first hand experience and knew why. They were slow to respond…retarded!

I only told Randy’s son Gabe once and that was all it took. Unless they had others making the same complaint, which I also suspect. But that they acknowledged that it was a possibility, that they looked for it, and that they saw it and fixed it is the story they wanted us to know.

Technology is only as good as those backing it. So there are lots of things guys can do to give themselves an edge to compete. And they have to, or else, because the majors are not giving an inch.

77

was reading some of the stuff about oil,tarbell, rockefeller,etc.it’s deeper than you think.her book is certainly a must read, as is rule by secrecy, by jim marrs.the rockefellers, morgans and rothschilds have been and still are pulling the strings-i leave it at that as it can get too politcal which doesn’t need to happen in this forum.however, i suggest checking it out as it makes you think about what really might be happening…

78

Matt,

Yeah, it’s pretty deep. Like Rockefeller selling oil to Hitler during WWII through Standard Oil’s Carribbean subsidaries with knowledge and approval from Roosevelt under special provisions in the trading with the enemies act? D’oh!

Please; Don’t get me started on JP Morgan:-) Or IG Farben and Firestone and Ford… The mistake was not only in demanding reparations for WWI, but also that no provisions were specified as to how they were to be administered or collected or accumulated for that matter. Formula for greed mongers. Germany was ass raped into war. Just what the power elite wanted. To make more money.

It’s history, not political. Should be common knowledge by now. NO one graduates from Yale in business no knowing this, meaning GW.

Supplying the resources for surfboard construction is inherently political. So is ignorance. It’s all a question of degree. Glad to see someone is boning up for whatever comes next. But the search for knowledge is also a political act. Ask anyone from the former Soviet Republic. Or a female from Iraq. Is anything not? Including this forum by it’s very existence. Soon as a person asks “where can I get”… or I’m new here…they are in the system. Fortunately it’s a very respectful and intelligent forum.

Problem is it’s hell being jaded.

Maybe now is a good time for this simple reminder for myself as well as anyone else who cares to know:

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

One entry found for forum.

Main Entry: fo·rum http://www.m-w.com/images/audio.gif

Pronunciation: 'fOr-&m, 'for-

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural forums also fo·ra http://www.m-w.com/images/audio.gif /-&/

Etymology: Latin; akin to Latin foris outside, fores door – more at DOOR

1 a : the marketplace or public place of an ancient Roman city forming the center of judicial and public business b : a public meeting place for open discussion c : a medium (as a newspaper) of open discussion or expression of ideas

2 : a judicial body or assembly : COURT

3 a : a public meeting or lecture involving audience discussion b : a program (as on radio or television) involving discussion of a problem usually by several authorities

MY note: I don’t see anything limiting subject matter to strictly non-political. At least according to Merriam-Websters. Maybe because that would be impossible? Where would it start, where would it stop? Who would control it? m

79

Thanks Lokbox. I knew I was exaggerating, but just a little. So Cal is one of the most beautiful parts of the world. If it was as bad as I say I bet you’d stay and kick ass to change that and preserve it.

Here’s a bizarre factoid most people probably never think of.

From the time the vegetation and animal life that became crude oil was first buried millions of years ago, till the time it gets burned in our engines it never sees the light of day. The first time those molecules get exposed to atmosphere and sunlight from they time they died is after we burn them. That speaks volumes about the level of control big oil exerts over it’s supply. Keeps it in the dark. Every little molocule it can.

Is it any wonder it’s been a little difficult to coax those molecules to be able to withstand sunlight, as in our surfboards not yellowing, weakening etc.?

Greg told me recently how he figured it out in epoxy. And the funny thing is Shell Oil chemists (biggest company in the world by God) told him it could not be done! He got his big break / lead from a paint chemist. So, are we to trust big oil? They do not have all the answers. Nor did they think it important enough to make non yellowing surfboard resin.

But then they didn’t have to. And they still make and sell all the parts that go into it. Whether E or P. They dont descriminate. Not their job. So they don’t care if we are in the dark. It’s our job to solve that problem.

Greg follows leads like the best bird dog. I trust his instincts. I don’t trust big oils. He already outsmarted them once. That is a good reason to pay attention to what he’s telling us.

Look at it this way, there are only three types of jobs in sales and marketing. You are either a huckster, an organ grinder or a monkey on a string. That’s it. Every job can be broken down to one of these. Because of that, it’s to easy to take exception with the messenger and lose sight of the message. When at best he can only be one or all of these three things. Even if he is the snake oil maker (chemist/organ ginder) he still has to have or be a snake oil salesman(huckster) or dance like a monkey as he hawks his resin. Greg was a top pro and he could surf (dance) with the best of them. So I suggest we just listen to the message and not be judgemental of the delivery. Someone has to speak. There is no other way to get the message out. And he does an exception job “huckstering” his “snake oil” to boot. ON top of that “you” should see him surf! m

80

I feel like I’m hijacking this thread. Not that it matters. It was dieing anyway. Sometimes I like to get to the bottom of things. But I have time concerns. Other matters that need my attention. I’m going to turn off my machine now and leave it off for a day. If anyone has a reply they must address please pm instead. And wait. m