oregonsurf.com

http://portland.craigslist.org/spo/149441228.html

Will this really kill the small shaper? Or is it the realistic direction for a recreational activity in a modern age?

I don't own an epoxy...yet

I have checked epoxies out...a Takayama Egg that looked pretty sweet...but I couldn't bring myself to buy it...too many other options still out there.

I definitely worry about the delam factor with epoxies...although don't know if this is an issue that's been improved or resolved...

I have no intention of buying a poput Surftech...I think I'll just call Seven when I need a new board

Doc

Gaz, it all about the ducket$. Whatever is profitable and what
the people want will rise to the top of sales charts. Doesn't
mean you can't get what you want, it just may cost you a bit more.

smithgrind wrote:Gaz, it all about the ducket$. Whatever is profitable and what
the people want will rise to the top of sales charts. Doesn't
mean you can't get what you want, it just may cost you a bit more.

I agree, your last sentence says it all, as long as good shapers can catch your eye, their boards will be in the lineup. Only a few poly guys have made small fortunes at shaping and many have ghost shapers doing the bulk of their work. Backyard shapers won't disappear most come to the craft out of love or necessity and will stay with it for those reasons.

The medium and larger shops will end up supplementing their stock with containers of boards and sell local sticks to those who have or believe they have a more discriminating palette.

This is like the choice between Franzia and a smaller Willamette Valley Winery. Each wine has its own place and consumers.

I like my chillable red franzia boards. I dont get as emotional when I bust them up. Im still mourning the crack in my august girl. She will never be the same. If you drink expensive wine in a coffee mug you dont get any drunker.

The Betty wrote:If you drink expensive wine in a coffee mug you dont get any drunker.

It helps if you use a straw.

I hope this is not the case.
I think its great for the industry to have new technology for people to try and be stoked about. However, hand craft is hand craft. Just something about it that we all love. I ride Epoxy boards now pretty much exclusivly.
Although I still have a garage full of PU. For some reason I'm loving these new boards. I think If I was to ride the same shape only PU I wouldn't really notice. I'd love em both. I would just be stoked.. For me it's more the shape, rails, nose, tail etc. That I'm in love with. I'm not really good enough or should I say defined enough to really call out the differences in feel regarding epoxy. Once i'm on a wave I pretty much go blank and enjoy the moment. Not really thinking all the techs of the board. As long as it gets me up and down the face I'm in.

meh I think hand shaped poly will always be around epoxy just gives us more options...

2 years later and foam is far from dead. My last two boards are hand shaped PU and I couldn't be happier.

i have both kinds. The epoxy is tough.. flew off the roof of the car, patched it up, and i ride that the most

Got a few epoxy boards and like them all. What's not to like, consistant shape, light weight, reasonable price, tougher. Also, there are quite a few shapers out there working with EPS and epoxy now so you can still get the one-off soul in epoxy if that is what you are looking for.

I surf these things that help me catch waves and stuff.....they float, some better than others. The rails dig, making me turn, some better than others...I could go on, but some things are better than others....

I have two fish(es?). Both 6'5".
One's epoxy-not a popout-but not custom.

The other board Nick Nolte-I mean Bates, made for me.

The epoxy stays at home.

The others are all hand shaped. Always should be.

Ill ride anything. I dont care. and none of 'em are free. not that they should be. but trying financial times neccesitate thrift. If my buddy becomes a surftech dealer and the bro deal materializes, i'll jump ship faster than you can say Jiminy Cricket.