Have you had a chance to read the latest issue (April ‘08)
of TW Business? Focusing on the state of hardgoods in the surf industry, it was
filled with tech information on boards and fins, interviews with some of the
world’s top shapers, and what is selling in the shops. At first, when seeing
all the tech articles, I thought the issue would be dry, but instead, I was
fascinated. I’m still shocked by how interesting I found all the material to
be. One of the coolest things was reading about how innovative surfboard
materials have become since the closure of Clark Foam. It’s pretty amazing to
learn about all the different ways that boards are now made, and what shapers
are experimenting with.
One of the recurring themes throughout the issue was that
shapers feel that with, “so many new products being introduced to the market,
the consumer has never had so many choices,” which results in the consumer
being confused when making a purchasing decision. TW talks with different shop
owners to see if the new technology sells, and one brand that keeps coming up is
Aviso. I didn’t know too much about them, except that the shop owners state
again and again that although it’s a good board, it’s hard to sell with the
price point—a price point of over $1300! I had to find out more, so I log on to
the site and learn that the boards are made with the same technology and
engineering as the aerospace and defense industries. As a result, the boards
are light and tough as nails. Under the “Value” section, Aviso explains that
although the price is high, it’s not when you consider the board will last you
for years with no cracks, delaminating, or pressure dings. The argument makes
sense, but for a kid in high school working at McDonald’s, would he rather get
instant gratification and spend $400 (much easier to save) for his new board or
keep waiting for months until he gets the $1300?
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