Surfboard Industry Hit by 9.0 Quake!

The surfing industry was hit broadside by the news that Clark Foam was shutting its doors after 40 years in the business. Gordon “Grubby” Clark, founder of Clark Foam notified customers by fax on Monday 5th December 2005 that it would cease production citing that local, federal and state authorities were cracking down on his plant’s use of TDI, (Toluene di-isocynate) a chemical listed as being cancer causing in the state of California.

The strange thing about this closure is that the agencies have stated that that manufacturing plant in Laguna Niguel was in full compliance with state and federal codes, including how it stores the toxic chemical TDI. The fact that there has never been any complaints from local residents leaves one scratching their head. A spokesman from the South Coast Air Quality Management District states that Clark Foam has never been in violation of air quality standards and the local fire authority was not aware of any other action being taken by any other authority.

Clark Foam supplies an estimated 90 percent of the world’s surfboard blanks, with this latest news it has sent small businesses reeling with people already being sent home due to an insufficient stock of blanks. Other retailers have promptly add a premium to their existing boards in the region of $100.00 – $200.00.

The fact that many businesses have not set up alternative suppliers for foam cores will undoubtably lead to shortages of boards and premium prices.

One thought on “Surfboard Industry Hit by 9.0 Quake!

  1. I have a renewable resoure(wood) system to build high quality, super light, strong, high performance surfboards and am interested in finding investors with eco agriculture mind sets. Trees for surfboards can be grown in 5 years or less and are already available for harvest and production to begin operations. A fringe benefit of the operation is the acquisition of highly valuable real estate at the same time, plus other reforestation and agro capabilities. Any interested parties are welcome to inquire to ———Edward(Eddie)Alexander Gerry——ed_al_ge@hotmail.com

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