Clark No More

On December 5, 2005, one now very infamous seven-page fax was sent out. It shook the surfing community to its core.  “Effective immediately Clark Foam is ceasing production and sales of surfboard blanks,” it read.  And just like that, Clark foam, the largest producer of polyurethane foam blanks—making nearly 90 percent of domestic and 60 percent of international blanks—closed up shop forever. Clark began tearing down his plant and destroying his one-of-a-kind equipment, much of which was designed by Clark himself and was a Clark secret. Employees smashed his 80 or so concrete master blank molds and torched the glue presses.  
Just like Clark’s nature, his reasons were ambiguous.  Clark pointed to tireless battles he had been engaged in with government agencies, who hounded Clark for his factory’s emission of toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), substances that have been found to be toxic.  He also alluded to files against him by ex-employees and their legacies.  “I may be looking at very large fines, civil lawsuits, and even time in prison,” he wrote.
The immediate reaction of the surfing community was of shock, panic, and, in some cases, anger.  Articles written about the affair took a apocalyptic tone, casting a dark shadow on the future of the surfboard industry.  Many shapers didn’t know where their next blanks would come from.  Industry members—shapers, glassers, sanders, sales people—thought unemployment might be in their cards soon.  
Foreign blank manufacturers, such as South Africa, Brazil, Australia, and England diverted orders to the U.S. to try to fill the void.  But the prices for a blank soared and even doubled in some situations.  Overnight, surfboards in some shops were taxed anywhere up to two hundred dollars because of uncertainties.  Would someone take Clark’s place?  Would blank production be outsourced to China?  Would everyone switch to epoxies?
It wasn’t long though before other companies began to pick up some of the slack, and prices eventually stabilized.  Some shapers continued to secure blanks from oversea companies.  Factories sprung up in Mexico.  But within six months, the domestic scene had altered extraordinarily. Two-dozen domestic companies rose up to contend in the foam-making business, including ex-Clark Foam employees who formed U.S. Foam. Walker Foam, Clark Foam’s nearest U.S. competitor, pumped up production and recently established a 30,000-square-foot plant in California City that is supposed to eventually be able to meet all the demands of the industry.
Clark’s closure also gave the opportunity for new technologies to gain in a wounded industry.  Surftech Owner Randy French saw Clark’s removal as eventually healthy for the industry, allowing the exploration of different foam sources and alternative technology.  Without this surfboard hegemony, there was more room for companies pushing different technologies like Surftech’s epoxy series, Aviso carbon fiber boards, Solomon “S-Core” composites, Firewire surfboards, etc.
But most of us are still riding polyurethane boards though, whether it is because of cost or personal preference. “I don’t see polyurethane foam being phased out anytime soon,” said Channel Island Surfboards Owner Al Merrick.  Even after Clark’s closure, polyurethane foam blanks remain tried and true, and supply seems to grow steadier everyday.