Surfing's dirty little secret
It's surfing's dirty little secret.
The majority of modern surfboards are made from toxic, non-biodegradable petrochemical products that belie the idyllic images of humans interacting with the forces of nature.
Surfboard construction has largely stayed the same since the late 1950s when the first foam and fibreglass boards emerged out of California.
Before that, they were built from timber. Veteran surfboard builder Tom Wegener now hopes to start a revolution by getting more surfers back onto wooden boards.
A sustainable way to surf
"My goal is to make boards in my shed without fumes," Mr Wegener said. "My goal is to teach people, kids mostly, to make surfboards in their garage."
Wegener, 55, gave up a career in law in his native California to travel the world as a pro longboarder. He arrived in Noosa in 1998 as part of a surf film promotion and loved the place so much he decided to stay.
After being introduced to paulownia timber by Australian surfboard manufacturer Paul Joske, he began a fifteen-year journey of discovery and innovation.
Tom planing fast-growing paulownia in his Noosa shaping bay (ABC Landline/Sean Murphy)
In 2009, Wegener was named shaper of the year by Surfer magazine, largely for kickstarting a revival of ancient Olo and Alaia surfboards, which he popularised using Australian-grown paulownia.
"It's the best wood in the world for making surfboards," he said. "It doesn't absorb saltwater, it's light, it carves really easily with your planers, it's grown in plantations, it's been around forever, it takes varnishes and oils, it paints really well, it's just a very versatile plantation-grown timber."
In 2013, Wegener began a doctoral thesis at the University of the Sunshine Coast on the sustainability of the surfing industry. He said about $4 billion worth of surfboards were produced each year globally, but the industry had made little progress in moving away from its reliance on petrochemicals.
An etching by Wallis McKay, circa 1874, depicting Hawaiian surfers using wooden boards
Australia's state-based workplace safety regulations have come a long way since the 1970s when the first serious health effects of working with polyurethane foam and polyester resins emerged. Businesses such as The Glass Lab at Tweed Heads in New South Wales must now follow strict WorkSafe guidelines.
Manager Jason Frost said the company invested close to a million dollars two years ago in a new factory with a state-of-the-art extraction system for removing dust and dangerous fumes. "If we remove everything out of the air, we are as good as any other factory for any industry anywhere in Australia," said Frost.
The Glass Lab was producing up to 225 boards a week for some of the world's biggest brands and although there was demand for a more sustainable product, performance was the key driver.
"No-one would go and buy a board that's not going to perform because that's like a golf club with too short a shaft — it's not going to work," Mr Frost said.
Dangerous fumes and toxic products are part of commercial surfboard construction (ABC Landline/Sean Murphy)
Green boards need professional backing
According to Nick Carroll, some manufacturers were experimenting with new products, such as paulownia or bamboo veneers, but the quest for a green surfboard would need the support of professional surfing to really take off.
"There's certainly been a move towards using the word sustainability when it comes to manufacturing surfboards, but just how green it makes the product is a matter of some debate," he said.
He said design and production trends relied heavily on professional surfers. The World Surf League had considered taking a lead from Formula One Racing by imposing production guidelines on elite competitors. But the proposal was not treated seriously because of resistance from the top surfers.
"The surfers themselves would say, 'look we want the best possible boards for riding on waves, that's our priority'," Carroll said. "Until you can make the surfboards out of greener plant-based materials that match the performance of the board I've got under my feet right now, then I'm not a fan."
Wegener believes change may instead come from surfing's grassroots. "It's going to be up to the do-it-yourself guys to push this idea and to get the kids onto it, and once the kids start doing it, making their own boards in their garages, which is simple to do with my process and with wood, you'll see it just explode," he said.
// SEAN MURPHY
© Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved.
POSTSCRIPT: This article was adapted from an episode of Landline which can be viewed here.
Comments
Good work Tom Wegener.
When can you make me a finless corky alaia ?
I am a ex pro shaper and a shipwright/carpenter by trade..boards are developing ..products and aware customers r changing things..we started out on wood..then chemicals ..now we have a choice to utilise both styles.
.
Not from the surf coast by any chance? I think I might own one of your boards
Hi terminal..you could have one of them.
Best board I've ever owned, nearly a decade old now. Barely a mark on it. All others are compared to it, all others fall short (some big names too)
makes boards
I wonder if Candidate Tom is supporting the council's desire to limit drives ins ( ie our after work surf at the points) in favour of the carbon footprint from hell , the Noosa promotion of up market fly ins.
The Landline segment in total was very interesting, as it went more in depth about this!
https://www.smh.com.au/business/australias-biggest-scam-comes-crashing-d...
Just waiting for the first mention of Epoxy Resin/ polystyrene surfboards and how "great" and superior they are to old PU/PE construction . Do your research Hipsters !
I'd love a Paulownia quiver if it wold perform as good as all my "dirty, grubby" PU/PE
boards do now....
Hats off to Tom for persevering with environmentally better materials. It would be nice one day to think that surfing can move beyond the largely self-imposed limitations it has now.
It's hardly an advertisement for pro surfing, bearing in mind we all have an impact and/or carry on with some level of hypocrisy, of course. But I'd like to see pro surfing leading by example in a much more pro-active way than they currently appear to. Like pretty much every other competitive sport, it seems to be focussed on consumption and little else.
Maybe a higher seed or some kind of other incentive for ‘less boards used’ . Won’t happen but a nice thought.
I cannot handle the stories of some of the pros churning through 80+ boards / year. Absolute joke.
me too
"It's surfing's dirty little secret.
The majority of modern surfboards are made from toxic, non-biodegradable petrochemical products that belie the idyllic images of humans interacting with the forces of nature.
Surfboard construction has largely stayed the same since the late 1950s when the first foam and fibreglass boards emerged out of California."
aww, bullshit.
God I wish mainstream journalism would stay the fuck away from surfing.
this tired old trope gets trotted out every 3-5 years.
this'd be Tom's 3 or 4th trip around the carousel with it.
good luck to him.
FR > "Surfboard construction has largely stayed the same since the late 1950s when the first foam and fiberglass boards emerged out of California. aww, bullshit."
Curious to know what's bullshit about that statement? From where I sit surfboard manufacturing methodology has barely changed at all since 1950 +/-?
Woke pro surfers wank on about the environment and straws whilst drinking their coconut water and riding toxic boards covered in wax. They love to lecture but won’t change..most are so stupid they think CBDmd gives them an advantage.
The yard stick for all this marketing crud about so called "sustainable"materials is fumes. That comes down to the resin used to seal and strengthen the surfboard. So I am pretty sure timber has to be sealed with something.
When I see any kind of resin manufacturer, epoxy or polyester, state on the can that the product is 100% safe to use with out a protective mask or gloves that will be a truly sustainable product and worthy of our attention. Any thing less is pure hype & crud.
If you believe that day has arrived or will soon arrive, I would just like to say that I too saw a pig flying backwards the other day.
All that this brain fart does is create the opportunity for very big marketing dollars to control the industry by creating their own "endorsed standards" to which only an exclusive group of manufacturers will comply, have them endorsed by the WSL and presto they have a massively increased market share.
Oh and the WSL will of course sell the certification meaning additional dollars per board.
But I guess the numbness of feeling that our useless contribution to the planet is actually worth something will bring it on.........why not actually go pick up some rubbish from your local instead.....or better still stop throwing it out the window in the first place.
There's a good way to feel better about your contribution to the planet. Go pick up the weight of your surfboard in rubbish !
Agree with some of your comment Shaper
Yes eco resins still have some toxic ingredients. We developed a resin that is alcohol solvent based and the first 49% biodegradable hardener - which has been on the market for about 6 years.... yes it still has corrosive element and still has to been worn with masks and gloves. We haven't marketed as Ëco (even though the resin also Part A has 27% bio ingredients )- we have marketed as an easy to use resin that gets good results, one of the only epoxies that will give you a proper gloss coat! We didn't want to market it as the be all end all "eco epoxy" as it isn't.
Plus we didn't want to compete with the exe marketing budgets that some of the other Ëco epoxies have! we are just a small company on the Central coast of NSW
WSL doesnt have to anything... there is a company out there already trying to make ""Eco money"" off the suppliers (you pay them a fee to be their preferred supplier and they spruik your product as the "best ëco") and the board builders buy a decal from them to put on their boards as a cost of $1 per board (only you can get these stickers if you buy from their "preferred suppliers")
To me an Eco board is a board that will last longer and if the products are less harmful to the environment thats a big plus! That's why we are making the Basalts, Flax, PET cloths as they are proven composites materials that if used correctly can help the life of a board.
What Tom is doing is great also, dont know if the products he uses can get the performance that other composites can do in surf.. but I hope he can as it then adds another option to the range of materials.
I look at it this way, F1 cars back 50 years ago were made of different materials... Tennis rackets 50 years ago were made of different materials...
Golf clubs 50 years ago were made from different materials...
Skis 50 years ago were made from different materials ..
So why is it when any materials are talked about in surf .. its always poly/pu is always the best!! The difference is that the industry is set up "to make the BEST POLY/PU boards"! So everything else is talked down.
The big suppliers make money out of Poly and PU, they dont have the expertise in the other options so they would have to buy those supplies from other suppliers.
The bigger surfboard factories make more money off Poly Pu surfboards - cause of drying/production times and çomfort of knowing these materials they can produce a lot more boards which = more money.
And we have educated our customers to expect a surfboard at a certain price so to anything to compete with the mindset of PU/Poly it has to do the same or better at the same price (hence the increase of boards getting made overseas -and probably why 80% + of the epoxy/Eps boards are now being made overseas as it was too hard to compete in Australia... go into your bigger surfboard core store these days and 60% are probably EPS/ epoxy... so there are customers which buy them and a whole part of the market that the Australian board builders missed for not tooling up)....
So before you say Eco marketing bull#hit... think about who is the richest man in surf in Australia? and hes not from one of the big 3 ....
So Im not saying i saw a pig FLYING backwards..... but i saw one WALKING backwards the other day...
very well said John.
Why do we need to wear board shorts anyway.
Yeah I can see where Tom is going with this. And I don't have a problem with it.
It just so happens he wants the kiddies to build timber boards, with his timber and his plans.
And Nike wants you to be the best athlete with their brand.
And Coke wants you to smile while drinking their brand.
And Carlton United wants you to have the best beer..............and so on.
If nothing else if it gets people (and the kiddies)out learning building skills and making stuff with your own hands, and THAT is cool with me. Rather than running to a store or online catalogue to get something that has left a dirty big carbon footprint to get to your door.
But will always still be seeing those white PU and epoxy boards around whilst my arse still points to the ground. To much capitol tied up in that industry for it to go away anytime soon.
Could someone clarify, as ive heard conflicting reporting in the media. Wasn't Tom's thesis in sustainability of the australian shaping industry in the light of low cost labour Asian board manufacturing? I.e. an economic context, not an environmental one?
Good on Tom for what he believes and backs it up too. Personally I'll stick to my PU boards and I don't go through many as I care for them really well. People like the Glass Lab on the Tweed do an incredible job of handling their materials and employing heaps of people. Its really only the pros snapping tons of boards that are too light and constantly jetting all over the world that cause the waste. Fancy Aerials in comps snap heaps of boards and should be deleted from comps altogether. Power , style , flow and rail are the hallmarks of great surfing not doing doggy tricks. These should be the things that are judged upon and the bigger guys will have an even playing field as well. If we all buy boards made in Australia and look after them whether they be wood or foam, we will reduce the waste and re cycle them to a new and grateful owner.
"Way back when" I worked in a fibreglass and resin supply shop a customer said to me; wood is the best plastic ever invented. We can move towards a cleaner industry by changing work practises and how we and what we use to build boards. It's totally possible to build a cost effective board that preforms the same as PU/PE with alternate materials. That's the nature of composite design. Changes that decrease energy footprint and toxicity can be made now. Why not ? Possibly because of ignorant inertia and the cost of changing established facilities. It will happen when the market demands it or when you can make more money from it. GS.
It’s awesome!
Striving toward performance and sustainability is a great cultural community initiative that makes me proud to be a surfer.
The grumpy old bastards set in their ways will be left in (foam) dust because Surfing’s about fun.
Agree with that. People think PU and or Styrene foam and or polyester / epoxy resins are good, but in reality that's all they know. People are often resistant to change. When we get the kids on new generation clean sustainable equipment that will be what they know. Not the wonder materials of the 1950's. Time to play catch up. GS.
Yes, agree with you there GS.
Myself a few others have started a non-profit organisation for providing education on this subject, and also research and development of (firstly) recycled surf equipment, with a view to developing plant-based and biodegradable surf items in the near future. Our overall strategy is also looking at consumer behaviour and how we can positively tweak that so surfers can return their boards for responsible recycling or re-use of materials, perhaps with a financial incentive upon return e.g. $100 cash-back or $150 off a new board.
Take a look: www.wavechanger.org
Rocket Ace eco-surfboard. 10 years strong. Utilising the most up to date eco-friendly materials. performance and sustainability.
Shane ..theres a lot going on with the Modern fish jet fighter tail board
Tell us more about it ...start a thread in the Forum...
Agree with the repost from @purefroffen !
I made a single fin with a mob down in Mornington. I think I coated it with a bio-resin? Maybe not. Either way, thing paddles like a dog but once up and going the feeling underfoot reminds me of snowboarding on 2ft of untouched powder. Zero happening on the bottom and soft rails all the way down so doesn’t like to hang out in the pocket (or maybe I’m just a gumby). Gets a lot of compliments and chat going.
Just don’t get hit by the thing. One time the rail flicked around and hit the outside of thigh and F me dead I thought it had fractured my femur! Winced my way to shore and had to limp the 2km walk home. I'd copped my thruster rail to the throat a week or so earlier and couldn’t talk for a day and shudder to think what would’ve been the result if I was on the timber board. Dunno what I was doing that week to cop a judo chop from the rail twice.
I've seen Tom's cork boards in a local surf shop or something. Be curious as to how they go.
The real problem is the pro surfers riding soon-to-be-landfill boards AND having 100 of them in their quiver. This sends a shit message to the kids, who want to be like their heroes.
100.
Mick Fanny went through 180 the year he won the world title.
Fucking disgraceful.
Just out of interest where do the pros' boards end up after they've finished with them? Some of them must be hardly ridden.
Saw Jordy's Hawaiian quiver up for sale in Hale'iwa one January, including a couple of boards that looked unused. Dunno if that'd be the exception or the rule.
some end up given to locals in Ments and PNG etc. I think
I guess an issue with many of those boards is that they’re likely to have a pretty light glass job.
Lots get handed back to the Shaper who then sell them on....A Goldy based Jap being a middle man buys then onsells back home for a very good profit.. Japanese surfers pay stupid amounts for Pro's used boards...I heard of a lightly used Julian W board going for $1300 to a Jap buyer.
Your damed if you do or damed if you don’t.Since the 50s we have used toxic,non biodegradable petrochemical products to produce surfboards ,which pollute our planet,to ride our waves.Now were are being asked to ride surfboards made of wood.What about our precious trees ,which help the planet breath,we don’t want to cut all them down.I got it it ,let’s all go body surfing instead,no surfboards required.Adious Amigos!
Tom's thesis wasn't environmental based .. was about impact of low cost Asian production.
" ...after finishing his thesis Globalisation and the sustainability of Small Manufacturers: Challenges Facing the Surfboard Artisans of Australia."
From here: https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/usc-news/news-archive/2019/september/phd-...
So why is his thesis even mentioned in reference to an environmental issue?