Surf's Up in Hawaii, Over in LA

Big waves predicted for surfers in Oahu today. Back on the mainland, U.S. boardmakers' supplier Clark Foam closed down this week rather than continue to fight crippling environmental regulations. This LA Times snippet just nails the cause and effect.

This week's closure of Clark Foam will help fuel the offshore production of surfboards, a trend that has been accelerating in recent years, industry experts say.

The Laguna Niguel factory's closure Monday roiled the surfing world, leading to price hikes and a run on surfboards amid fears of shortages.

Some surfing enthusiasts say the shutdown could threaten a California tradition of custom surfboard shaping if the industry shifted toward boards that use polystyrene foam and epoxy resin, known as epoxy boards, mass-produced in Asia.

[...]

In a letter to customers Monday, industry pioneer Gordon "Grubby" Clark said he would close his factory after 44 years in business. Clark Foam churns out the polyurethane foam blanks for two-thirds of the surfboards made in the United States.

Clark said that state and federal regulation drove him out of business, an allegation denied by environmental regulators.

In surfing lingo, this is just another bogus move by a bunch of weak sauce regulators. I cable in their genereal direction. Now, in 10 years, every crew will have to dodge the landlords on a bunch of Clark Foam Woody Parsnips. Bummer.