| Surfing is a sport that is synonymous with nature. | | | | even shut his factory down after all the negative |
| The crashing waves, the fresh sea air and the | | | | attention it received recently. At one time Clark's |
| reliance on mother nature for good surf, all suggest | | | | business made over 80% of all blank surfboards on |
| that this is the most organic of extreme sports. | | | | the market, but his final decision to stop production |
| Environmentalists have recently started rallying | | | | came after strong words from the State of |
| however, about the real harms of surfboard | | | | California. The knock on effect of this is that there is |
| production. The reality is that surfboard manufacture | | | | a large shortfall in blank surfboards in America and |
| is responsible for a number of different hazards to | | | | most effected companies have begun their hunt for |
| both the environment and to humans. | | | | alternative sources. |
| Many of the surfboards nowadays are formed from | | | | Cornwall in England is home to one such alternative. |
| a core of polyurethane foam. This is then surrounded | | | | Biofoam is a new material that was co-founded by |
| by one or two layers of fibreglass before covering in | | | | the same man responsible for setting up the charity |
| a protecting polyester-based resin. A substance | | | | Surfers Against Sewage. The material is around 65 |
| widely considered as carcinogenic can be found in the | | | | percent more renewable and emits 35 percent less |
| foam, named toluene diisocyanate. The styrene gas | | | | harmful toxins due to the fact it is 45 percent plant |
| that is also produced during manufacture has been | | | | based. Further to this, the old polyester resins have |
| criticised by health professionals due to its harmful | | | | been replaced on their new 'Ecoboard' with an 90% |
| effect on the nervous system and its ability to cause | | | | natural alternative. |
| nausea, tiredness and disorientation. Additionally, | | | | The interest in Ecoboards and the new Biofoam is |
| carbon dioxide and VOCs (volatile organic | | | | truly global, with many big companies expressing an |
| components) are released into the atmosphere during | | | | interest. It is still early days but they soon hope to |
| production. The biodegradable quality of most | | | | start applying their eco-technology to the |
| surfboard compounds is quite poor as well. | | | | manufacturing of snowboards as well. |
| Gordon Clark, a surfboard producer in California has | | | | |