China Helps Local Surfboard Builders
Much of the Local Surfer’s Focus Has Been on the Present Negative Effects of Outsourcing, Even Though Tomorrow’s Benefits Seem to be Plenty
 Since the downfall of Clark Foam and the subsequent rise of the Asian manufacturing enterprise in the surf industry, there has been a growing number of surfers who contend that outsourcing to countries like China and Thailand has deeply and irreversibly damaged the business of the local surfboard builder. In a previous report (see China’s Threat to Local Surfboard Builder ), this website argues, based on recently released data, that the local manufacturer still holds the upper hand, with an astonishingly high market share (83.7%) when compared to Asia’s stake (16.5%). There is still, however, the question of what the future holds. It is the view of My Local Lineup, contrary to “conventional wisdom,” that Asia, together with a few other factors, will highly benefit the local surfboard builder in the long run. Here is how.
First, there is the affordability factor. With the option of fairly inexpensive surfboards produced overseas, more people are able to contemplate taking up the sport. A case in point is the Costco surfboard. The bluish, foamy, flexible-fin equipment found at the wholesale giant sells at $99. For that much, several families not only contemplate taking up surfing, but actually make the decision to give it a shot. For, given the relatively  inexpensive investment, the potential benefits far outweigh the financial investment. And even if one decides to toss the blue surfboard aside after one day at the beach, the purchase can, at least in some circles, be seen as a one-day surfboard rental.
Second, there is the surf camp factor. During the past four to five years, many coastal cities around the globe have seen an exponential growth of surf camps, sometimes posing serious challenges to regular beachgoers, seasoned surfers and swimmers. Cities in Southern California are well acquainted with this problem. The City of Santa Monica, for instance, eliminated all private surf camps and opted to install its own government-run surf camp, allegedly in an attempt to resolve some of the conflicts ensued. Farther south, the City of San Diego has created a lottery, through which a limited number of licenses are granted. But regardless of the city’s approach to the growing number of surf camps, the important point is that these camps have given an unprecedented boost to the size of the surf population. According to a Surfer Magazine interview with Mark Kelly, founder and owner of Global Surf Industries, a Thailand based surfboard manufacturer, roughly 53% of surfers in the world have been surfing for only two to three years.
 Third, there is the cultural factor. A series of different events have now coalesced to significantly increase the appeal of surfing. Here are some of them. In the late 1950’s, the Hollywood film Gidget thrusted surfing into the national scene, sending the first wave to direct the sport into mainstream. Then in the early 1990’s, the return of the longboard made it possible for some of the old timers – especially those that had dropped surfing during the monolithic era of the shoartboard – to resume their surf careers. The reemergence of the longer and more buoyant equipment also broadened the appeal of the sport, by making it easier for the heavier and older crowd to experience surfing. At this point, for a broad swath of the population, surfing became fun again and for many became real for the first time. Building on this broader appeal, surf wear companies, film producers, and magazine publishers, among others, helped drive the sport even further, and, in the process, small businesses, (e.g., Quicksilver, Billabong, and Ripcurl) morphed into multimillion-dollar enterprises.
These factors, when combined with the surfer’s shopping habit, yield an incredibly favorable scenario for the local surfboard builder in the long run. At first, Asia, surf camps, and culture boost the size of the surf population. But then, experience leads the additional surfers to become sensitive to the nuances and intricacies of a custom shape, thereby landing them on the footsteps of the local surfboard factories. This fallout of the population growth in the world of surfing, if our analysis is correct, will greatly benefit local shapers and glassing shops in the years to come. Last year, some local surfboard builders, like Bill Stuart from San Clemente and Mike Walters from Oceanside, have reported an increase in custom orders, perhaps showing some early signs of the population growth’s serendipitous fallout, a silver lining which is much needed in these difficult times.
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