Too much nanny state?
Melbourne is the home of UrbnSurf, Australia’s first
commercial wave tub or “basin” as Joe Turpel refers to
them.
It’s also the home of a muddy little ditch called the Yarra
River where an environmentalist has called pollution by EPS foam
(used in Firewire surfboards), “disrespectful.”
EPS foam, also called Expanded Polystyrene or Styrofoam, is a
petrochemical polymer and the core material used for almost all
Asian surfboard production, including of course,
our beloved Kelly Slater
surfboard designs.
The consumer use of EPS is under threat from an Australian government
initiative designed to cut down on plastic waste.
Last week the federal govt bought forwards a planned phase out
of EPS for consumer products from 2025 to 2022. In a
National Plastics
Plan the government has said it would consider
regulatory action if industry phase-outs didn’t happen.
In a sign of the times, forward-thinking manufacturer Hayden Cox
of Hayden shapes surfboards, creator of the biggest selling
surfboard of all time, the Hypto-Krypto, has already diversified
his offerings to include PE construction which is a surfboard made
with a PU core and epoxy resin.
That’s not new technology; it’s been refined over many years by
shaper/designers including Maurice Cole.
PU or polyurethane-cored surfboards have been the industry
standard since 1950’s when WW2 technology was used to replace the
prevailing balsa board standard. PU has been denigrated as dinosaur
technology in comparison to the use of EPS and epoxy but in actual
fact PU was not formulated until 1937 by Dr Otto Bayer, while EPS
was accidentally discovered in 1839 by German apothecary Eduard
Simon which makes PU the far more modern material.
EPS gained a huge leg-up in the market when US blank manufacturer Gordon
“Grubby” Clark walked away from his factory on “Black Monday” Dec
5, 2005, citing excess green tape in California.
In the ensuing blank shortage, surfboard manufacturers were
forced to incorporate alternatives into the blank mix.
Floridian mad cat Greg Loehr, an early proponent of EPS/Epoxy
construction was so bullish at the time he claimed anyone left
behind still using PU blanks and polyester resins would be “mowing
his lawn” in the near future.
That did not come to pass.
Overwhelmingly, we still shred on our PU/PE’s.
Somehow, despite being branded by Heidi Tait of the Marine
Debris Initiative as a “horrifying blight” on the marine
environment, EPS has come to be branded as the more ECO-friendly
material to use as a core to build surfboards with.
A true victory in marketing and greenwashing.
Our favourite agent-provacateur against EPS boards and Asian
production more generally is the flamboyant Peter
Schroff, who built his empire in the 80’s. He is not
Robinson Crusoe, of course.
Many, many others have either joined in the off-shoring or been
equally vocal in less artistic ways. Long-time San Diegan shaper
Tim Bessel described the use of styrofoam to me as a “plague” and
an environmental nightmare.
Why use EPS?
It’s incredibly light and incredibly cheap.
Unlike Polyurethane (PU) it doesn’t have to be blown by
surfboard specific manufacturers into surfboard shaped blanks. Any
old EPS can be hotwired and used.
Which makes it perfect for mass-production in Asia.
And, to be fair, for certain backyard applications.
Phasing out of EPS for surfboard production would, in effect, be
a tax on Asian surfboard production. It would be a huge boon for
local surfboard manufacturers, a giant blow to Firewire and others,
including Wavestorms and other soft tops.
Not insurmountable.
There is some PU/PE mass production in Asia, notably Indonesia.
Smaller operators like HaydenShapes can pivot, and have already
done so.
But the retooling and loss of profit margin would damage market
share immensely for Firewire.
Potential high times in the surfing board biz.
Major competitors’ biz models being taken out by government
fiat.
Unprecedented demand due to Covid kooks and stimulus checks
being spent on new whips.
Lack of workers.
I see many price hikes in the near future.
Might be high times to get the quiver sorted now.
How do you see?
Too much nanny state, let my people ride EPS?
Or fcuk that horrible stuff, makes shitty surfboards anyway.
Me: the latter, very much so.
