Well, our community has been rocked by a catastrophic crisis in the world of surfing. The company that makes 90% of the worldwide supply of surfboard foam blanks (which are then shaped by shapers into surfboards, and finished by glassers who coat them) - has abruptly gone out of business.
This is an industry still dominated by small artisans, who craft boards by hand, in one or two-man shops. Every one of them has had their livelihood screech to a halt.
No new surf boards for Christmas (my H was just about to order a custom one). Layoffs in all the glassing shops. Lost income to all the surf shops that sell finished boards. Small shapers will be forced out of business. It is a catastrophe of unprecedented proportions in the surf industry.
And since this one company dominated the supply of foam blanks by virtue of its secret, proprietary manufacturing techniques - it will be a while before other suppliers can fill the void.
The only person whose business will go up, is the guy who runs the ding repair shop - people will have to keep repairing their old boards for the near future.
Now - this may seem like a non-event to those of you who do not live in a surfing community. But let me just say this - many surfers are like my H: it is their form of self-medication for their depression. I shudder to think of the effects of a prolonged surfboard shortage on the mental health of our community!!!
