I was in a local shop today, and saw a joel tudor longboard for $1100.00. Does anybody know why? Foam and fiberglass. He didn’t even shape it. Had someone else’s signature on it. Clear board, single stringer… …due to his lifetime of experience and knowledge of what works and does not work. If you want what he rides , pay the price of admission. Profit margins have been so low for all these years , it’s time to bring them up to living wages. They should cost twice that. If you don’t like it build your own and see what it’s worth. You will probably copy it anyway.
WOW! Look how sensitive of a topic this is. Every board builder has the choice to state their own board prices; whether it be low or sky high. The market will dictate what sells. Your product’s quality will dictate if it will sell. I feel sorry for the full time board maker who has to rely on another’s surf shop to carry and promote his boards. The overhead of the shop eats into their personal profit. You really can’t blame the small part-time “underground” custom board builder who remains an illegitmate business (no business license & non tax paying). It’s a great hobby and extra money making side job. The little underground guy has to start somewhere, and may even become a full-time legitimate tax paying business if his customer base grows!
In 1964, my ‘62 Volkswagen Bug cost about $1,400 and my 10’ Southcoast (with T-band, matching glass nose and tail blocks, tons (!) of resin color work, shaped by Joley) cost about $140. Today a new Volkswagen Bug starts at $17,000. Do the math! So many folks have disparaged the moulded epoxy boards, citing, among other things, 1)the low wages (supposedly) paid to the production workers, and 2) how these moulded boards are going to hurt the industry. And then we read the comments, the complaints, about the cost of a professionally made surfboards - surfboards that are produced domestically, by some very knowledgable and talented folks, who would just like to make a living for themselves and their families.
I think the material costs are a lot more than what people give them credit for. There’s a lot of little “extras” which add up. The stringers are usually elaborate and sometmes tailblocks are added. I believe Volan is used on his boards and there’s sometimes a glass on fin. The shapes are good, I can tell a lot of care went into them. I don’t think $1100 is unreasonable at all for a retail board like that. There’s obviously a market for them and they’re moving. Can you say there’s something wrong with that?
Just to let you know, tudors boads are shaped by Bill Shrosbee(s/p?) I have seen dozens of tudor boards, and all shaped by him.
hey, Amrbose, would you believe I have a Olson, that was shaped by Doug Haut hanging from my rafters. 10’ two 1" redwood stringers side by side, and a redwood tail block. S/N 487. What would you say that one is worth? Oh by the way it is at least a 8 maybe a 8 1/2.
There’s always reference to foam, glass, shaper and glasser when alot of people say how cheaply a board can be made for. Refer back to the Longboard Mag. building article of a couple of months ago to the 2 page cartoon spread of a REAL surfboard building operation. Think of the investment in real dollars just to set that up, plus man it, plus insure it, plus make it OSHA compliant for VOC’s/Hazmats etc (if most neighbors of the majority of people on this site knew what we were doing, they’d have us shut down in a heartbeat no matter how safety concious we are)…Plus everyone in there is looking for a paycheck every week. As I sand off what was otherwise a beautiful gloss coat because the Posca pin line bled down the rail, I don’t think an $1,100 board by a master shaper and finished to perfection is too much to pay. Also being a woodworker by trade, I know it’s not.
“Just to let you know, tudors boads are shaped by Bill Shrosbee(s/p?) I have seen dozens of tudor boards, and all shaped by him” And SK…
Very well said! Ref.: Longboard Magazine, April 2003
Howzit Pete, As for your posca pin line bleeding, next time as you’re laying down the pin line with the Posca use a hair dryer to set the pin line, it won’t bleed. Posca in one hand, hair dryer in the other. Aloha, Kokua
STU shapes da shorter boards. Bill shapes the longboards. I own 1 of Joel’s short board, shaped by Stu. I paid a lot for it. The thing is, out of all the shortboards I’ve ridden, the Joel Tudor single fin “Indo swallow tail” has been the best I have ever rode. My theory is to avoid any board with a sanded finish. Yes, the sanded finish makes da board lighter, but afta a month or so the board loses it magic. Why? Cuz water tends to seep in. Sanded is good if ur a pro with a board sponsor, but if not go with da polished. It’ll surf better and you’ll be happy fo’ a long time. Ask any shaper and he’ll tell ya. If not then he ain’t a good shaper.
Where’s the fun in building cabinets anyway? …If you only knew… It’s an expressive, creative, function, aestically pleasing occupation… The skills I learned building cabinets led me to the hollow boards…Without those skills there is no way I’d have ever attempted a hollow… Fun is where you find it… and… Work done well is art… Paul http://www.hollowsurfboards.com
$1100 is a lot of money to pay, no doubt about it. But a good board is worth it. I suppose we don’t like to pay that kind of money because we know that a surfboard, if used regularly, is going to break or deteriorate. Think about it this way. What if you were buying a Tudor, Velzy, Carson, whatever for a wallpiece in your office or restaurant? You would think 1100 a really good deal for an original piece of artwork. Heck, it’s a steal. And if you never ride it, then it will last forever. So it’s a really good buy at $1100. However, it can ride, and ride well. So, go buy it dude. I just bought a Cooperfish for 890 with tax. Is that a lot of money? Of course. Was it worth it? Heck no. It’s worth a lot more than that! That guy should be charging $1500 bucks or more for his boards. They are perfect in every way, shape and appearance. I’m riding it, but there’s a part of me that wants to buy another for an investment. I mean, go to Longboard Grotto in Encinitas (Leucadia, actually) and check out the old Velzy’s on the wall. They start at about 3500 bucks, and some are 5000. But the thing is, he is in his 70s, and that means that in 10-30 years, it will be impossible to have him shape you one. This guy is a legend, the first dude to shape lightweight balsa boards, and you can still get an original for 3000 brand new. I guaran-freakin-tee you that in fifty years those boards will go for twenty grand or more. And it’s the same with all the other masters like Takayama, Carson, Harbour, etc. These guys are the originals. They are legends. Buy their boards. They slaved away for peanuts for so long, now they just want a healthy retirement. By the way, none of you guys mentioned, when talking about surfboard manufacturing costs, the price of health insurance, workman’s comp, fire insurance, fixing the shop and equipment, paying off the mayor and other politicians, the kid’s braces, etc. How much profit can someone make off a 300 dollar shortboard or a 500 dollar longboard? Not much. I make 25 bucks an hour as a teacher. If it took me ten hours (probably a lot more) to make a board, then 250 is my profit. Add on the materials (150), plus equipment, insurance, etc. Then I have to charge 600 for a shortboard. By the way. Those surftechs are total junk. They ride like crap and are made from styrofoam, like the two dollar coolers at Wal Mart. Seriously: styrofoam. But they are good for beginners who have no clue. Spend the money, ride the board, and then do it again.
For some reason this has been one of the most interesting threads I’ve read in a while. Perhaps it’s because my best man and my new wife just purchased for me a wedding present that just happens to be a brand, spanking new 6’8" Tudor/SK single fin egg. Ooohh so sexy!! Diamond tail, volan on the bottom, some other glass on the top, eggplant tint on the bottom, micro thin, blue pinline on the deck where the volan laps. Low rocker, relatively flat in the front half, roll in the back half, old school rails up front, tapering to hard in the tail. And check this out…this sucker is concave on the deck. Haven’t even waxed it yet – but I can’t friggin’ wait. I don’t know, I just don’t think the average shaper can or is willing to put out something like that. S
Bill shapes the longboards (9’0" and above) And I shape pretty much everything else ,from shortboards, guns, longer eggs and even longboards (check the 5 stringer foam T-band pipeline log in the latest issue of longboarder). In addition I also do boards under my own label (including single fins). As to the price of surfboards if you want the best quality in design, labor and materials you will pay a premium price. The shortboards and some of the longboards are glassed at Tom Eberlys shop in Encinitas, Ca. Simply put they put out the best quality glasswork available today. Due to its small size they don’t put out anymore than about 50 boards a week. Best Rgards, SK
Congratulations to you and your bride Mike, this October it will make 19 years that my wife and I have been married, with 2 great kids thrown in just to keep us busy. I am truly thankfull for the life I have. As to your new board, you have recieved a Mutant Diamond tail. This board is a relativly new release and I hope you enjoy it. You will find it works in a wide variety of surf conditions from small to a bit overhead. Best Regards to you and yours, SK
uhh, sorry to knock you havard, but NO board will mmake anyone ‘surf’ like >their ‘idols’. That was supposed to be irony/sarcasm. regards, Håvard
Where’s the fun in building cabinets anyway?>>>…If you only knew… I was sort of being ironic. I’m not really good at that, am I? I don’t consider even the most beautiful crafted items for art. There is a Norwegian word that don’t translates well, but it’s built around art and work that IMHO covers it better. It’s used for items that beautifully crafted, ment to be used and clearly shows the skills of the craftsman. I believe art require artistic intentions and that whatever is created have to arouse some feelings in the person that consider it art. Thus art becomes a very individual, subjective thing. Thus clearly a surfboard or cabinet can be art, just not to me. IMHO of course. I really like the shapes of the Tudor, I think it would suit my surfing just right. But it’s hard for me to justify the cost of a board being twice of whatever someone else is making as long as it’s the same shape. Is it twice as good? Will it last twice as long? I’m not going to spend that kind of money on a board just to have it dinged on the first session(Yes, I would ding it). regards, Håvard
If a good surfboard isn’t art then I don’t know what is. aloha, TW
I really like the shapes of the Tudor, I think it would suit my surfing just right. But it’s hard for me to justify the cost of a board being twice of whatever someone else is making as long as it’s the same shape. Is it twice as good? Will it last twice as long? I’m not going to spend that kind of money on a board just to have it dinged on the first session(Yes, I would ding it). regards, Håvard with that being said , we’ll see how long they stay afloat and how long the money holds up. Tudor will have to balance the costs of doing business with the numbers in sales. everybody has to get paid , but the boards have to sell. maybe this is similar to the evolution equation. keep it small!