Surf Roots - Epoxy Surfboards

This is the illustrious history of a storied sport: howboard weight drops below the 100 lb mark.
what began as exclusive to Polynesian kings andBy the 1950s, surfing was a completely different beast.
royalty became an icon for an indispensable subcultureFins, fiberglass, and polyurethane foam cores, these
of American life. Take any modern surfboard off theboards were a major defining point in surf history.
rack of your local board shack and you'll have theSuddenly surfers were able to play a much more
culmination of 300 years of disasters, experimentation,active role; no more standing and coasting. Epic
and surf legends resting in your hands.shredding begins.
Know your roots.1990s. Modern robotics enters the fray. Machine
Surfing began ages ago as the sport of the social eliteshaped boards allow for thousands of new surfers to
in the Hawaiian Islands-the bigger your surfboard, theride new, brand name boards for affordable prices-but
bigger your status. Understandably, the boards theysmall traditional board shapers suffer. The world sees
rode were colossal. To give you some idea, picture thethe introduction of the epoxy surfboard. For now the
biggest longboard in your quiver (for you non-surfersmaterial is just an afterthought: still much more
out there, the longest board most surfers will ever takeexpensive than fiberglass, hard to shape, and
into the ocean will weigh in at an incredible 10 feet): thepresenting no real workable benefits besides the lighter
board you use to catch pond ripples on windless days.weight.
Now double it in length. Now replace your feather light2006: Clark Foam, the world largest supplier of
surfboard epoxy with SOLID redwood. Now removepolyurethane blanks for fiberglass boards suddenly
the fins and try carrying that beast to the water.closes its doors. Epoxy suddenly goes from the
The sheer size of each board and the lack of finsunwanted redheaded stepchild of water sports, to the
meant that each board took incredible skill to ride andnext big thing. A formula change to epoxy technology
could only go one direction: straight back to shore.makes construction more environmentally friendly and
Fast forward 200 years to the early 20th century.adds some extra flex to the boards.
Olympian Duke Kahanamoku reintroduces surfing toToday, epoxy surfboards are the backbone of the
the world and some MAJOR renovations start rolling inindustry-the ride of choice for tens of thousands of
as the sport EXPLODES in popularity. Surfboards dropsurfers. Get in on the action, and make your mark on
down to the 10 foot range and the much lighter balsasurf history.
construction begins. Surf riders everywhere rejoice as