JS warehouse Oceanside retaliation

[ReForest]

A good shape is a good shape. I ride a good board til the death, then I order another of the same.

Because I surf a lot and I'm lucky to live near the beach I go through a lot more boards than most people. Once or twice a year I'll play with something new in the daily driver or good waves board genre.

But ultimately I tend to stick with old standbys. I don't like to play around much because I like to be very familiar with or dialed on a board. This allows me to take full advantage of each session.

There's nothing worse than a day of good waves on a board I just don't click with when I know there's a board sitting at home that would have worked great.



Generally I have a quiver to fill specific needs.

Groveler, daily driver, good waves board, big waves board.



I think it's fun to have a board dialed and I'm stoked when I'm taking full advantage of the conditions.

You live close to an hour from the beach (as I always say a really do admire your dedication) yet buy more boards in a year than most people buy in 10 years - probably even more boards than some pros go through in a year. There is no way you are getting all those boards dialed and thus you're probably missing a lot of opportunity in your surfing.

Quite honestly with as many boards as you rotate through my surfing would be completely confused and my ability would probably suffer.

I am searching for a feeling. Each board I ride has helped my surfing. Keep what works, dump what doesnt. I see an improvement in my surfing over the past 2 years (and i've been told that) so i think what im doing is working.

Not all my boards are new ones. I've only bought about 4 new boards this year. I demo boards when i can. I also have boards that are over 2 years old that i know work.

 

[ReForest]

I would add the offshore produced product is being sold on consignment, which is huge.

Deforest is just being disingenuous.

I think he ultimately has hopes for a position or some sort of influencer status with Firewire. The heavy promotion and Mark Price-ish absurdities he posts are stuff to add to his resume.

 

[ReForest]

I’m just trying to get better at surfing and share knowledge about boards that are fun and ride good.

 

[feralseppo]

Exactly. For some reason this is something that seems lost on some surfers.

Most board builders will setup operations in a foreign country and hire/contract local staff plus a few dozen local surfer laborers. Investing in that community.

Many of these people on the contractor side actually have their own small board labels, and having the bigger builders provide these guys with some nice income security is a plus.

For example at CI we employ 55 people between our surf shop and factory in the Santa Barbara area and contract another 50 or so throughout the state depending on demand.

We have smaller but similar setups with partners in Australia, Spain, South Africa, Brazil, Peru, Costa Rica and even Hawaii. These operations represent dozens of more surfers globally, all pumping their revenue back into the local beach communities.

Conversely a business model based off importing boards would employee way less people, maybe some marketing, warehouse and sales. And in fact compete against any local builders with imported boards. This is why the Oside groups are ticked off.

So in the end that's less jobs that pay for local surfer labor to buy homes, pay property, sales, and income taxes, shop at local stores. Put their kids into schools and generally bolster a beach-side economy. US doesn't even levy tariffs on these boards, so much of the money just goes back offshore to pay for all the foreign labor rather than stay in the community.

Care to address how CI moving into Australia and other foreign markets displaces local shapers. Every CI sold in Australia takes a sale away from an Australian shaper. You justify it by saying "but we paid a glasser." It's ok to take sales away from small Austrlian shapers as long as you pay Austrialian glassers and buy Australian materials? You walk down the slippery slope far enough and you are putting foreign shapers out of business in their own country while CI formerly Burton Islands pockets the profits.

Let's not forget that CI is also built off having Tom Curren, then Slater and then backed by Burton to expand the brand. Little Australian builders can't compete with that. So where do you want to draw the line about what's fair?

And what about all the hipster San Diego/Oceanside shapers/builders shipping product to Japan? I don't hear anyone complaining about that. I could be wrong, but I don't think Skip Frye's are being ghost shaped in Japan.

 

[Havoc]

japanese want made in usa

 

[PRCD]

You don’t need to be a genius to understand how flooding the market with cheaper, offshore produced products damages the local market. FYI, this doesn’t just apply to surfboards.

We all get that you’re all in on Tomo and FireWire. That’s fine - just don’t act like basic things aren’t happening because you haven’t seen peer reviewed documentation.

About half the country doesn't care if we make anything here and offshore everything to Asia.

japanese want made in usa

That will soon be impossible at the rate we are offshoring everything, and at least half the population doesn't care.

 

[Scott Ando]

Care to address how CI moving into Australia and other foreign markets displaces local shapers. Every CI sold in Australia takes a sale away from an Australian shaper. You justify it by saying "but we paid a glasser." It's ok to take sales away from small Austrlian shapers as long as you pay Austrialian glassers and buy Australian materials? You walk down the slippery slope far enough and you are putting foreign shapers out of business in their own country while CI formerly Burton Islands pockets the profits.

Let's not forget that CI is also built off having Tom Curren, then Slater and then backed by Burton to expand the brand. Little Australian builders can't compete with that. So where do you want to draw the line about what's fair?

And what about all the hipster San Diego/Oceanside shapers/builders shipping product to Japan? I don't hear anyone complaining about that. I could be wrong, but I don't think Skip Frye's are being ghost shaped in Japan.

Happy to.
I didn't state "but we pay a glasser"
We do contract millers, shapers and glassers.
Many of these shapers have their own labels as I also already indicated. These local shapers benefit by having reliable income from CI and their own label.
And lest we forget the higher pricing on CIs (which gets a ton of gripes) allow smaller builders to come in slightly lower price and still make some margin.

I was not posting in the context of "fairness"
Nothing unfair about outsourcing, it's up to the surfer to decide how to spend their money.
Up to the builders to educate people on what's important.
Just trying to help some on here understand the industry and why the builders in OSide are upset.

In Japan they are crazy about craftsmanship and authenticity, so they prefer boards usually from the original source.

 

[Havoc]

About half the country doesn't care if we make anything here and offshore everything to Asia.

That will soon be impossible at the rate we are offshoring everything, and at least half the population doesn't care.

japanese shark very frenly!

 

[Bob Dobbalina]

And yet

We're still back to the fact JS is small peanuts compared to Firewire, and that Firewire operates purely on consignment basis occupying a a major segment of surfboard retail floor space.

Yet not a peep from the same people who have chosen to go to war with JS.

I get that, at this point, this has mostly become a troll exercise, but nonetheless.

Many of the same people are not happy about Firewire and have been saying as much for years. But at least they center themselves (for the most part) in existing retail centers. Popping up with your own brick & mortar, direct to consumer warehouse center that you've branded with the name of one of the most prolific manufacturing centers in the state, while bypassing the manufacturers in that region, is disingenuous in the least.

So again. Fuck them. Drop the "what abouts".

 

[Sharkbiscuit]

japanese shark very frenly!

I thought the Shark was too oriented towards trappist ales, bong rips, and cheeseburgers.
Figured the Japanese wanted the Tataki with the concave deck.

 

[Bob Dobbalina]

Care to address how CI moving into Australia and other foreign markets displaces local shapers. Every CI sold in Australia takes a sale away from an Australian shaper. You justify it by saying "but we paid a glasser." It's ok to take sales away from small Austrlian shapers as long as you pay Austrialian glassers and buy Australian materials? You walk down the slippery slope far enough and you are putting foreign shapers out of business in their own country while CI formerly Burton Islands pockets the profits.

Let's not forget that CI is also built off having Tom Curren, then Slater and then backed by Burton to expand the brand. Little Australian builders can't compete with that. So where do you want to draw the line about what's fair?

And what about all the hipster San Diego/Oceanside shapers/builders shipping product to Japan? I don't hear anyone complaining about that. I could be wrong, but I don't think Skip Frye's are being ghost shaped in Japan.

Ando already addressed it, but CI has come a long way in making things right.

Without Pyzel, Byrne USA would be struggling
Without CI, Lots of shapers next door would have to take day jobs and shape/glass as a hobby instead of a profession.
Then there are the glass shops, sanders, finners, that can only tinker on their own stuff because they have the orders to fill that pay the bills.
And that's just in Oceanside.

These operations get new talent in the door and provide them with a place to learn the trade.

I'm not sure what Japan's surfboard manufacturing industry looks like.

 

[griffinsurfboard]

JS might have a real tight ship and bad experiences outside that , I don't know

Iv'e used and avoided machines and glass shops that do large labels that can afford to send QC guys to licensee's periodically - but dont

Unfortunately you need to check the services you use constantly

 

[Havoc]

I thought the Shark was too oriented towards trappist ales, bong rips, and cheeseburgers.
Figured the Japanese wanted the Tataki with the concave deck.

surfer mag prly b4 u were born. contest in japan, shark swimming near competitors, announcer says to competitors over PA to not worry because "japanese shark very frenly"

 

[sdsrfr]

I wonder who will be casa’s next profile pic?

 

[feralseppo]

I get that, at this point, this has mostly become a troll exercise, but nonetheless.

Many of the same people are not happy about Firewire and have been saying as much for years. But at least they center themselves (for the most part) in existing retail centers. Popping up with your own brick & mortar, direct to consumer warehouse center that you've branded with the name of one of the most prolific manufacturing centers in the state, while bypassing the manufacturers in that region, is disingenuous in the least.

So again. fook them. Drop the "what abouts".

So if CI didn't exist board builders wouldn't be able to work? Kind of like saying if WalMart didn't exist where would vendors sell their product. Some big brands Ok others not. Many vendors have a large chunk of their business tied up in companies like WalMart.

 

[bird.LA]

If you are going to build a case or any sort of argument, its all hearsay unless you have proof. I havent seen any documentable proof that firewire is hurting custom board builders. There are small custom board builders that make incredible boards and are very meticulous about details that serve the locals. But there is marketing involved, the internet, reviews, capital, etc. that all contribute to a board builder making a name for themselves. Its unfortunate that good board builders dont make it, but its not a weak mans game.

Serious question - did you ever set foot in a surf shop prior to 2010 or so? There used to be local shaper representation in most every shop you'd go into. Not as much the case today.

Is what it is, but most of the people you're talking to have a much longer history buying surfboards than you (or I) do I'd imagine. Something to keep in mind.

 

[Bob Dobbalina]

So if CI didn't exist board builders wouldn't be able to work? Kind of like saying if WalMart didn't exist where would vendors sell their product. Some big brands Ok others not. Many vendors have a large chunk of their business tied up in companies like WalMart.

You quoted the wrong post, but you're reaching. Really far.

I'm saying that many of your local board building infrastructure and builders that have their own cottage label would not be able to afford their overhead without taking on contract work. This contract work is made possible to them because CI and other labels that produce in large volume, funnel business to them.

Is it possible that labels would be doing this without large volume labels? Of course.
But without large volume labels hiring board builders domestically that are connected to the consumers, "the industry", and other manufacturers, I'd guess that you won't have a lot of young people learning, perfecting, and progressing their skills.

 

[Havoc]

again everyone hating on CI when the smelliest turd in the room is firewire...

try getting custom dims or rail volume tweaked by fireturd surfboards...

CI FTW!

 

[sdsrfr]

Nobody takes a chit on Pyzel on here. He’s putting hard cash in the hand of a local oside shaper.

any problems witb that?

nobody is squeaky clean but many do their best to pay the locals and keep them busy on non COVID sales booms.

surfboard sales are ebb and flow. times are booming now but the year before I was hearing sales were near an all time low. keep ‘em paid and let them do their side hustle as they please.

 

[jkb]

I wonder who will be casa’s next profile pic?

He's been angling for a job with Beachgrit for a while now.