Varial RIP

[sdsrfr]

would be cool if Varial kept at it doing infused glass and infused carbon thing but with customer specified blanks.

thinking wood stringer pu, hd foam stringer pu, eps, etc.

margins would hit differently but I'd expect a bit less of a capital cost given no licenses to pay out for the foam. even if XTR has an XPS surfboard patent, that too will eventually expire.

 

[racer1]

They just sent out the email - they’re done.

I asked about current inventory, will update if they get back to me.

 

[oeste858]

"Eighteen years ago we started on this journey to adapt leading-edge aerospace technologies to improve surfboards with the goal of increasing performance and longevity. Unfortunately this journey is coming to an end and Varial will be closing its doors permanently. We were informed that we can no longer procure our foam as our aerospace partner is moving away from sports and focusing on their core markets."

 

[Sam_K]

I have a $200 credit for Varial that they gave me after one of their boards had an unplanned catastrophic failure on the first ride.

I'd like to get something for this credit. I'll trade it for an Amazon gift certificate or some PayPal money like $50 or $100 or something. Or just buy me something I want on Amazon and have it shipped to my house.

If you're one of the regulars on this forum (uk who you are) I'll give you the code up front. Once you use it you can get me something back.

Let me know. Let's not allow the $200 to die in vain.

EDIT - Just checked, code is still code. Everything is priced in Indo but the code is for $200.

 

[Mr J]

.. I wonder if they could set up their own factory and actually produce the foam under licensing to use the formula from whoever they were buying the blanks? Would take a big capital investment but maybe they were paying the producers a ton to make it worth while and manufacturing themselves would be able to get costs closer to PU.
... .

PU blanks are fairly low tech. The raw chemical materials can be combined into two separate liquid mixes and stored. When they are mixed it is "self blowing" (my terminology) because the cross linking agent isocyanate foams when it kicks off the polymerisation process. The liquids can be mixed at room temp, poured into a mould and then the top half of the lid placed on top before it fully expands. This is why PU surfboard blank companies tend to proliferate. The little bubbles are carbon dioxide.

XPS needs high temperature to melt the polystyrene plastic and have co2 added under high pressure, so that the co2 expands as the blowing agent when it gets pushed through the die.

If Varial is PMI (and we don't know that, but its description does fit) then it needs to be heated to 170c to make the plastic foam. The bubbles are organic compounds not co2.

So like you said sounds like it would need big capital investment and varial would need to become a big vertically integrated company when all they wanted to be was a surfboard manufacturer.

 

[slipped_disc]

So like you said sounds like it would need big capital investment and varial would need to become a big vertically integrated company when all they wanted to be was a surfboard manufacturer.

 

[racer1]

They emailed me back:

"We will be liquidating our current stock, as well as a significant amount of boards that are still in production. Most of our partner labels have requested to purchase the remaining stock of their boards after a certain date. So I don't know of a sale quite yet. But I imagine we would be leaning that way if there are some models left that the corresponding brand isn't going to purchase.

Definitely keep an eye on our site though!"

REFRESH REFRESH REFRESH

 

[slipped_disc]

Did anyone here swoop on those slimmed up 6’3” ghosts? They were available not long ago. Sold out now.

 

[oeste858]

They emailed me back:

"We will be liquidating our current stock, as well as a significant amount of boards that are still in production. Most of our partner labels have requested to purchase the remaining stock of their boards after a certain date. So I don't know of a sale quite yet. But I imagine we would be leaning that way if there are some models left that the corresponding brand isn't going to purchase.

Definitely keep an eye on our site though!"

REFRESH REFRESH REFRESH

Well, they definitely added a few more to the stock boar page. Some nice ones, almost all of them just a bit small for me. Phew

 

[Duffy LaCoronilla]

Did anyone here swoop on those slimmed up 6’3” ghosts? They were available not long ago. Sold out now.

The one I got was the stock size.

BTW, I bought because I knew….

 

[slipped_disc]

The one I got was the stock size.

BTW, I bought because I knew….

To use a Duffy giphy…

 

[racer1]

They added some new boards on page 2 FYI

I'm looking at that orange 5'9 wills fish but I really don't need it.

 

[oeste858]

They added some new boards on page 2 FYI

I'm looking at that orange 5'9 wills fish but I really don't need it.

better hurry

 

[silentbutdeadly]

better hurry

basically that meant oeste just snagged it

 

[tedshred5]

Oeste and Racer trying to beat each other to the yolo draw on Varial's website

 

[Duffy LaCoronilla]

Good thing/too bad those bom dias are for midgets.

 

[thekadvang]

waiting on varial to confirm that the bom dias are for a regular foot midget so i can yolo one...

 

[claw87]

They added some new boards on page 2 FYI

I'm looking at that orange 5'9 wills fish but I really don't need it.

We all know that's not true.

 

[MrSteve]

waiting on varial to confirm that the bom dias are for a regular foot midget so i can yolo one...

They're all regular foot

 

[surfwhere]

They're all regular foot

Sadly, the DEI department was the first to be let go. And once again, my people feel the pain of generations past.