how long till- you can't buy a locally built board

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mustkillmulloway
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how long till- you can't buy a locally built board

Post by mustkillmulloway » Mon Feb 21, 2011 11:52 pm

the rise and rise of inferior asian pop outs...is set continue/ gain pace

local guys just keep coping more costs and taxes

plus , just like us, the cost living keeps going up too at home, there margins get screwed from all sides...just like us

huie , r.i.p, said me a while back the day will come when local guys will go under.

today i got news a well respected craftsmen is shutting up shop, can't compete with imports :cry:

bloody hell, thats like 100 years knowledge of board building between three them...gone :idea:

if you must buy global crap....pop out asia....just do it knowing you have screwed over guys who have lived and breathed surfing all there lifes in the pursuit making u the perfect surfboard

and you have paid some tawanese $2 a hour churn out some board he knows fuck all about how surf...because you liked the ad in a surf mag :roll:

i now step down from soap box, cause it's wobbley and poorly built ( just like asian pop out surfboards)

got it for $3 at sams warehouse- made in chinna :roll:

p.s b4 i die u want be able buy a australian made board......efforts are a foot...once they control supply...no resin means no glass :x and they will do it as a green measure

while there 3rd world factorys pollute worst than ours eva did :!:
reginald wrote:Hang on, now all of a sudden I'm the bad guy. How the try again did that happen?

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Re: how long till- you can't buy a locally built board

Post by diggerdickson » Tue Feb 22, 2011 12:28 am

:(

Nothing at all to add as fong has said it all, its just sad, I hate seeing anyone go out the door no matter what industry, but to lose all that knowledge is a crime :(
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Re: how long till- you can't buy a locally built board

Post by PeepeelaPew » Tue Feb 22, 2011 9:54 am

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Last edited by PeepeelaPew on Sun Jan 22, 2012 4:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: how long till- you can't buy a locally built board

Post by gibber » Tue Feb 22, 2011 9:58 am

Are you talking about Steve fong?
I saw him in the courier mail the other day talking about shutting down and going into the cabinet trade...sounds to me like frying pan to fire in my opinion.
I think (hope) that there will always be local made product available.

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Re: how long till- you can't buy a locally built board

Post by pridmore » Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:47 pm

I used to work with 2 guys who worked at that factory, spoke to one about it the other day, they were caught by surprise, knew nuthin bout it til the sign was on the door to lease the shed....

if people still want local boards, there'll be some bloke who will do it, even if there's no money to be made, always resins and materials, where there's a will there's a way....keep up the good work Fong and friends....

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Re: how long till- you can't buy a locally built board

Post by Quangers » Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:03 pm

In this global economy it is really important to buy stuff locally in order to support and build our economy so we can afford to buy stuff from an international market that isn't available here. Buying Australian designed boards from an overseas builder...talk about selling ice to the eskimos.
I like to save a buck as much as the next bloke but sometimes we have to suport our own artisans in order to ensure we still have some!
Good on ya Fong

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Re: how long till- you can't buy a locally built board

Post by mustkillmulloway » Tue Feb 22, 2011 11:41 pm

Toby wrote:
mustkillmulloway wrote:huie , r.i.p ...
Wait, what?
he don't post here no more,bit like ric vandal :lol:

and munch.....why do these forums drive ppl away who have so much share :cry:

i blame dino...trev...ban him :roll:

his still alive...and last i heard....his better half is up him over wasting time building boards and not mowing the lawn :P

for the record...i've met his better half....and huie better get mowing cause she could done lot better :P :P :P :P

look....it shits me...u want read it in the mags

but our very, very,very best craftsmen....are walking away :idea: :!:

i'm out the indusrty :arrow:
my claim brains :P

fuck u global.......your a cun't stain on the surfing world
reginald wrote:Hang on, now all of a sudden I'm the bad guy. How the try again did that happen?

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Re: how long till- you can't buy a locally built board

Post by Beerfan » Wed Feb 23, 2011 6:17 am

Another reason to make your own. It sucks though, that the guys who do it because they love doing it are being squeezed out. Unfortunately, no matter how small an operation your run, you need to have some business sense.

Kinda like home brewers who get into the business, they end up making beers similar to tooheys spew etc, coz most drinkers don't want to drink beers with real flavour, so they follow their dream to make interesting beers for a living, but find that the best sellers are the tooheys spew clones.THough if they have some business sense, they use the profit from those beers to support their decent beers, so beer snobs like me will buy their good beers, and joe wanker and his mates can drink the spew clone and impress the 40yo dressed as 18yo slags!!!. I've seen joe wankers at the local german club standing at the bar, 3 feet away from a tap of the best dunkel ( dark lager ) i've ever tasted, and they are drinking crownies. F*ckwits dont come bigger than that!.

BTW, i have seen up close some of the oz made Ebay PU/PE boards. They sprout "support oz made" but some of them are much worse than the asian boards. Terrible rails, flat deck, surf terrible.

I prefer to make my own. If i was a ripper though, i'd be buying custom, but im not, so i like to make my own. Fun to surf your own, and you learn a lot, mostly you learn how much you don't know about surfboards hahahaha.

Thinking of making a mid length simmons for next summer. Won't see one of those on the display rack down at beach street!!


Sorry for the rant, i just got home from a failed surf check. My fave beach has swell, but wind too. The beach around the headland has no wind, a dead low tide, but NO F*CKING WAVES. FFS even a waist high swell would be awesome with the dead low tide there. C'mon huey!

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Re: how long till- you can't buy a locally built board

Post by Skipper » Wed Feb 23, 2011 9:06 am

Great watch keep Fong :D As always :!: :x ..

However, as long as local peeps keep the local vibe alive, we shouldn't be toooo worried.

Look at sliced bread :idea: Said it was the best thing since..... :?:
Now everyone's lining up outside art-i-san bakers' for their besser block sized sourdough loaves, chainsaws at the ready 8)
:arrow: Same vinyl :cry: ........CD's :?: pfft :arrow: everyone's on the decks now, , felt cloth at the ready, the tables are turning :arrow: And :!: look how cassettes 8) are making big comeback, freon sales are up :? ....Denim :?: ....Jap-a-nese was the name on everyone's hips not too long ago.. :arrow: Amco will make HUGE comeback :shock:

Real surfers will win out as the popout brigade flail away and lose interest :cry: / :D and take up .....kayaking :idea:

Nuh. Art n soul will win out over cheap n China :!:

There will, however, be casualties... :cry: ...a consequence of Capitalism's :twisted: trajectory...

Long live the Local shaper :D

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Re: how long till- you can't buy a locally built board

Post by matt... » Thu Feb 24, 2011 8:00 am

Love the beer analogy, beerfan. :lol:

fong is right and as long as people want an epoxy retro fish replica, no matter how poorly it rides, that they can walk in & pick up off the shelf - they'll do it and drive the market further. That sort of accessibility to a variety of product is almost irresistable, especially to the weekend hacker at the local beachie. even to the before/after work hacker.

surf shops dissappearing from terrigal, another not making much of a profit due to supply restrictions from Global, because they are supplying a few other stores in the area.

asian pop out megastores on the entrance road at erina thrive on this stuff, where you can buy an asian made skateboard, surfboard, snowboard, softboard all in the one shop. consumers are spoiled for choice.

but, there is hope.

as long as groups like local boardriding clubs support local shapers - it's a two way street. the club gets sponsorship for the events & cheaper custom boards for the riders. the shaper gets the voloume of orders, exposure at local events & exposure at state events, even national events. look at avoca boardriders - fourth this year in the teams events, national exposure - as has been the case for many years... and the guys are mostly riding boards from one of three local shapers.

one local shaper is even making timber veneer 80's replica fat boards, channels, flyers included! they look pretty good too. as well as tiny lightweight comp boards for the groms.

while it seems individuals can't do much on their own to curb the pop out trend, groups of individuals can.
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Re: how long till- you can't buy a locally built board

Post by diggerdickson » Thu Feb 24, 2011 11:40 am

GOOD POINTS MATT
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Re: how long till- you can't buy a locally built board

Post by pridmore » Sat Mar 05, 2011 6:32 am

thinking of doing a t shirt print to support this stuff , any ideas for the words of print ???
- " DONT BUY ASIAN MADE SURFBOARDS " ( bit harsh sounding, plus these asains just wanna make a buck too and feed their kids
- " SUPPORT AUSSIE SHAPERS " , "BUY LOCAL BOARDS " ???? dunno, maybe it is just too forecful and arrogant to do it...maybe " BUY ASIAN CHEAPIES AT YOUR OWN RISK/PERIL " ..... :roll: :?:

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Re: how long till- you can't buy a locally built board

Post by Trev » Sat Mar 05, 2011 10:48 am

pridmore wrote:thinking of doing a t shirt print to support this stuff , any ideas for the words of print ???
- " DONT BUY ASIAN MADE SURFBOARDS " ( bit harsh sounding, plus these asains just wanna make a buck too and feed their kids
- " SUPPORT AUSSIE SHAPERS " , "BUY LOCAL BOARDS " ???? dunno, maybe it is just too forecful and arrogant to do it...maybe " BUY ASIAN CHEAPIES AT YOUR OWN RISK/PERIL " ..... :roll: :?:
Mark, try this...


"SUPPORT AUSSIE SHAPERS"
Across the back and chest, maybe in one of those floral strips which used to be so popular back in the day. Make the words bold and clear.

Then, smaller "logos" on the sleeves reading whatever you like .... using your above suggestions.....

"Don't Buy Asian Made Surfboards"
"Keep Your Aussie $$ in Australia"
"Buy Cheapie Pop-outs at Your Own Peril"
"Buy Australian" Refers to Surfboards too.

Depending on how well you think they would be received, you could solicit a few local brand names to add under the main message.
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Re: how long till- you can't buy a locally built board

Post by pridmore » Sat Mar 05, 2011 2:29 pm

might just do that mate.... 8)

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Re: how long till- you can't buy a locally built board

Post by Yuke Hunt » Sat Mar 05, 2011 5:39 pm

pridmore wrote:thinking of doing a t shirt print to support this stuff , any ideas for the words of print ???
- " DONT BUY ASIAN MADE SURFBOARDS " ( bit harsh sounding, plus these asains just wanna make a buck too and feed their kids
- " SUPPORT AUSSIE SHAPERS " , "BUY LOCAL BOARDS " ???? dunno, maybe it is just too forecful and arrogant to do it...maybe " BUY ASIAN CHEAPIES AT YOUR OWN RISK/PERIL " ..... :roll: :?:
Be careful and check for any typo's before the commencement of the print run.

You might get a mixed response with ...

BI AUSTRALIAN or BI LOCAL PRODUCTS.
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Re: how long till- you can't buy a locally built board

Post by Beanpole » Sun Mar 06, 2011 10:29 pm

Just to play devil's advocate here fellas-Who designs these boards?
Big name Oz shapers are happy to have their shapes reproduced in asia. Its not the guy in the factory
who's out to get Aussie shapers its their non asian bosses and the high profile shapers.

These days brand recognition is more important than ever. You can say local shapers are going to the wall but
a lot of names are charging top dollar for their designs. Overseas shapers are getting their shapes made here.
Its a bit like the heinken made under lisense in Oz. I'd hate to be starting in the business now.
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Re: how long till- you can't buy a locally built board

Post by pridmore » Mon Mar 07, 2011 6:17 am

yeah, had this convo with material company boss the other day, its a very challenging time in the industry and to survive is a battle, you make boards coz you love it and not for the dollars.....
OS boards are only part of the problem and it is here to stay so bes to just accept it I guess ....

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Re: how long till- you can't buy a locally built board

Post by Scroty » Mon Mar 07, 2011 9:35 am

pridmore wrote:thinking of doing a t shirt print to support this stuff , any ideas for the words of print ???
- " DONT BUY ASIAN MADE SURFBOARDS " ( bit harsh sounding, plus these asains just wanna make a buck too and feed their kids
- " SUPPORT AUSSIE SHAPERS " , "BUY LOCAL BOARDS " ???? dunno, maybe it is just too forecful and arrogant to do it...maybe " BUY ASIAN CHEAPIES AT YOUR OWN RISK/PERIL " ..... :roll: :?:
Just make sure you don't print them on asian made t-shirts.

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