I remember seeing that big iconic Clark Foam red & white sign next to the fwy in So.Cal. During the 60’s & 70’s…every time me and my older brothers drove past it, surfing was all you could think of while blasting The Beach Boys on the ol 8-tracks…remember those? The ol big 8-track cartridges, back in the good ol days, great memories indeed!
Was that at crown valley parkway? My grandparents lived over that way and when we drove to see them I remember seeing a Clark foam sign just off the 5. I think that was their only factory at the time
@@kayb4995 yeah it was off the 5 fwy in Laguna Niguel, the original Clark Foam business started by Gordon “grubby” Clark in 1961 was in Laguna Canyon, going towards main beach in Laguna, then he moved to a bigger facility in Laguna Niguel…not sure if it was off Crown Valley or not, but maybe 🤙🏼
@@kayb4995 okay, wasn’t sure if it was crown valley exit, thanks for the clarification…gawd I really miss the good ol days of the 60’s & 70’s driving past that Clark sign & going surfing with my two older brothers, life was so easy going & much more fun back then 🏄♂️🤙🏼
In the 80's Matt at Clark Foam in Wahiawa always treated me well and helped me buy the best quality blanks for my personal boards. He was never too busy to spend a few minutes. Aloha at it's best. 🤙
Walker Foam was still selling really good blanks at the time. And Christenson is completely right about the green factor. Regardless of the materials and processes used to build a board, the greenest outcome is the board that's built to go the distance so that you never need to replace it. You fill that gap in your quiver once and that's it for that gap.
I worked at various surf shops in southern California. There were periods of QC problems with Clark blanks. Consistency problems. More than a few shapers seemed to think we were all better off once the dust settled.
They definitely pioneered that part of the industry, and with that comes growing pains of all kinds. It's cool you got to see it from the inside and from a few different angles - Surf History!
Recall doing electrical work at a number of surf related companies, Aleeda Wetsuits- when Wayne owned it, Billabong in Costa Mesa and Clark Foam off of Crown Valley Parkway. We heard of the shutdown rumor about two weeks prior when they didn’t want to move forward a repair.
i still have a clark foam blank that i bought in wahiawa over 20 yrs ago. an 8'3" e supergreen 1/4" spruce i still havent shaped that fun board i was gonna shape waaay back when....
I remember going to Moonlight Glassing in the mid 80's coming out from Florida. I surfed Agua Surfboards at the time and the shaper, Rod I believe, worked out of there and I grabbed my 2 new boards for my summer on the West Coast. Super cool guys in there and were more than happy to show me around the place. Good times.
Great interview with Chris !!! I worked with RBREWER for forty years at Sunset Point , I built a shaping room for Dick and I , he would come over from Kauai to shape and work ! We were in the shaping room when Grubby called that December 2005 , and the speaker phone was on , and Grubby told Dick he was shutting down , and he was handing the keys over to Ted Wilson , Fiberglass Hawaii , and for Dick to go up to Wahiawa and pick up the Blanks that he wanted ! We were shocked , but I didn't buy the story he he junked the multimillion dollar business in the dumpster ! Dick would tell me the stories of going to California to shape and work Gary Linden AlMerrick and the young shaper Chris , shaping Brewer boards ! Great Experiences and History of the Evolving Surfboard Designs ! Aloha’s from Sunset Point Oahu Hawaii 🌊🌊🌊🌊🙏🙏🙏🙏🤙🤙🤙🤙
i tryed to get blanks from clark but i dident have a resale lisence so they wouldent sell to me and by the time i got a license they went out of bisiness it was just up the street from were i grew up
Interesting, thanks! I remember this day it happened as renting from Pancho Sullivan who was shocked. And as an old timer, was shocking to me too but now understand all the reasons why.
I totally agree with him about the alternative materials. Just build something good that will last, build it once. Anything that deteriorates faster and is built in another country has a massive carbon footprint because of the fuel used to transport it. It also hurts our economy to not have something built here. I have one CC board and I love it and I plan to repair it and ride it till it dies. I've already repaired the tail once and repaired a fin box. The overall shape is timeless and the glassing is rock solid. It rides great still and is beautiful. I like Chris, I think his business practices are well aligned with his principles.
This was kinda one of those "where were you when" moments.. Most people within the surf community didn't really know/care what a monopoly Clark was. It's a fascinating story and really should be put into a film.. You wouldn't think a guy woul just BAIL on an entire INDUSTRY, but that's exactly what happened. It's like OK, EPA n Lawyers, you want me to buckle under?? WATCH THIS!!!😮😮😢
OK... This is nostalgic. Every board I had growing up was built with Clark Foam. I drove by the factory often going to work with my dad at Disneyland... I remember driving by when it 'shut down',,, which was bewildering because, well, surfboards need foam.... with a stringer ... it's a specialty This is a great story of capitalism vs CA commie told by a shaper I would love to get a board from
I have a 6'2" Exodus shaped by Christenson. One of the best boards I've ridden. I e-mailed him for a custom shape with more volume, same size/shape: and never heard back. ???
I hated dealing with the staff at Clark foam. Total pricks all of them. Mathew too. I used to buy 40 a week from them for more than 5 years to keep Terry Martin buissy shaping. Once I missed a payment and they punished me for a month. Terry had to fix it with the basterds. I was retired from building the complete boards when they went out. I was just glassing then . It never seemed to matter much to me.
Ah the surf industry. I feel the same about the interviewee. I'd never buy another board from this dude again. Was a total arrogant prick on delivery because the board was not at all what I ordered. Wrong fin and wrong color, but somehow I was the kook because I didn't like it. Took it anyways and sold it a week later to some other mouth breathing follower of these dudes. Never again....that was 15 years ago.
i was managing OceanWorks at that time all i remember we were all just getting blasted by the EPA and all the new California state rules / laws at that time was nuts just to keep the doors open . had to rebuild the sanding room dust catchment , redo the paint booth and laminating exhaust system all new explosion proof lights at $800 a pop all they were was regular lights with gaskets but had the sticker then all the coast went up for everything cause everyone was getting blasted , it was going cost Grubby millions to get his shop up to par he was just over it i think was always a fight for him to keep the doors open as long as he did and everyone happy why he was the way he was with money . he was the only game in town cause nobody stepped up until they had too . did he conduct himself properly by just walking out no i don't think so , should he have sold the shop and recipe i don't think it would have made a difference i don't think anyone could do what he did and it would have cost millions blanks would have cost a ton probably better just to start fresh . yeah it was shitty when it happened but the industry continued with out him and in the long run probably was better for it .. just my opinion
I was on train to LA from san diego and it was front business page wall street journal day after it happened. I literally LOL on the train becauae I left that world 8yrs proir. I built my first board 1970 at age 13. I met a guy named Terry Goldsmith soon after he had also built his first board.we made a excellent team he shaping me glassing. We both got very good at building and surfing. I went to Canyon 1977 Terry went to G&S...we still had a thriving backyard biz🤣. My 25+ yrs of working in the biz both bitter and sweet. After 25yrs I got sick of dealing with stupid people in a incestuous industry. Went back to college got engineer degree in my 30s and never looked back. Side note: just started building my personals in the backyard...back to roots I guess 🤙
@@SurfSplendor absolutely, for the most part I have let go of most of my animosity ( there is far more to this story) and now it's with the pure passion for building what I ride...Just like the feeling when I was 13 🤙
Aloha Chris, Did you also have Dick Brewers Plumeria Clothing Line in the 90's? My fiance did some modeling for the line randomly at Wind N Sea I still have the swag. Check the photo in my bio. 🤙
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I remember seeing that big iconic Clark Foam red & white sign next to the fwy in So.Cal. During the 60’s & 70’s…every time me and my older brothers drove past it, surfing was all you could think of while blasting The Beach Boys on the ol 8-tracks…remember those? The ol big 8-track cartridges, back in the good ol days, great memories indeed!
Was that at crown valley parkway? My grandparents lived over that way and when we drove to see them I remember seeing a Clark foam sign just off the 5. I think that was their only factory at the time
@@kayb4995 yeah it was off the 5 fwy in Laguna Niguel, the original Clark Foam business started by Gordon “grubby” Clark in 1961 was in Laguna Canyon, going towards main beach in Laguna, then he moved to a bigger facility in Laguna Niguel…not sure if it was off Crown Valley or not, but maybe 🤙🏼
@@countermoonman yes that sounds like the crown valley shop. It was just west of the 5 freeway.
@@kayb4995 okay, wasn’t sure if it was crown valley exit, thanks for the clarification…gawd I really miss the good ol days of the 60’s & 70’s driving past that Clark sign & going surfing with my two older brothers, life was so easy going & much more fun back then 🏄♂️🤙🏼
The NEWS about Clark Foam’s closure in Brazil hit’s so bad this time also. Great short cut from Christenson his a legend.
In the 80's Matt at Clark Foam in Wahiawa always treated me well and helped me buy the best quality blanks for my personal boards. He was never too busy to spend a few minutes. Aloha at it's best. 🤙
@@kenproctor6517 - Matt Barker 🤙🏼
Truth about doing what you love and bringing smiles to adults faces ❤️
Walker Foam was still selling really good blanks at the time. And Christenson is completely right about the green factor. Regardless of the materials and processes used to build a board, the greenest outcome is the board that's built to go the distance so that you never need to replace it. You fill that gap in your quiver once and that's it for that gap.
I worked at various surf shops in southern California. There were periods of QC problems with Clark blanks. Consistency problems. More than a few shapers seemed to think we were all better off once the dust settled.
They definitely pioneered that part of the industry, and with that comes growing pains of all kinds. It's cool you got to see it from the inside and from a few different angles - Surf History!
Recall doing electrical work at a number of surf related companies, Aleeda Wetsuits- when Wayne owned it, Billabong in Costa Mesa and Clark Foam off of Crown Valley Parkway.
We heard of the shutdown rumor about two weeks prior when they didn’t want to move forward a repair.
@BigPowerAL - Thanks for sharing the insider experience!. #SurfStories⚡️
i still have a clark foam blank that i bought in wahiawa over 20 yrs ago.
an 8'3" e supergreen 1/4" spruce
i still havent shaped that fun board i was gonna shape waaay back when....
I remember going to Moonlight Glassing in the mid 80's coming out from Florida. I surfed Agua Surfboards at the time and the shaper, Rod I believe, worked out of there and I grabbed my 2 new boards for my summer on the West Coast. Super cool guys in there and were more than happy to show me around the place. Good times.
@jaykeegan402 - Thanks for sharing that gem! It’s awesome to relive those classic surf days. 🌊 #SurfMemories
Oh no the Dyno factory burned down
1:42 i felt that
Great interview with Chris !!!
I worked with RBREWER for forty years at Sunset Point , I built a shaping room for Dick and I , he would come over from Kauai to shape and work ! We were in the shaping room when Grubby called that December 2005 , and the speaker phone was on , and Grubby told Dick he was shutting down , and he was handing the keys over to Ted Wilson , Fiberglass Hawaii , and for Dick to go up to Wahiawa and pick up the Blanks that he wanted ! We were shocked , but I didn't buy the story he he junked the multimillion dollar business in the dumpster !
Dick would tell me the stories of going to California to shape and work Gary Linden AlMerrick and the young shaper Chris , shaping Brewer boards ! Great Experiences and History of the Evolving Surfboard Designs !
Aloha’s from Sunset Point Oahu Hawaii 🌊🌊🌊🌊🙏🙏🙏🙏🤙🤙🤙🤙
I still remember that Clark bill board of the 5 frwy or 22. just part of growing up in OC 70's and 80's
i tryed to get blanks from clark but i dident have a resale lisence so they wouldent sell to me and by the time i got a license they went out of bisiness
it was just up the street from were i grew up
"DO WHAT YOU LOVE"..yes, you said it!
Interesting, thanks! I remember this day it happened as renting from Pancho Sullivan who was shocked. And as an old timer, was shocking to me too but now understand all the reasons why.
I still have Clark foam blanks in the rafters of my garage, 5 I think 🤔.
I totally agree with him about the alternative materials. Just build something good that will last, build it once. Anything that deteriorates faster and is built in another country has a massive carbon footprint because of the fuel used to transport it. It also hurts our economy to not have something built here. I have one CC board and I love it and I plan to repair it and ride it till it dies. I've already repaired the tail once and repaired a fin box. The overall shape is timeless and the glassing is rock solid. It rides great still and is beautiful. I like Chris, I think his business practices are well aligned with his principles.
I got one of Clark foam from infinity good board. Mine is a waveski 9ft then they went to molded board. The best board I’ve owned since a 1961 Yeager.
This was kinda one of those "where were you when" moments..
Most people within the surf community didn't really know/care what a monopoly Clark was.
It's a fascinating story and really should be put into a film..
You wouldn't think a guy woul just BAIL on an entire INDUSTRY, but that's exactly what happened.
It's like OK, EPA n Lawyers, you want me to buckle under??
WATCH THIS!!!😮😮😢
I got one of the last clark foam blanks surfboards shaped by Ole, I remember what a big deal it was when clark shut down
OK...
This is nostalgic.
Every board I had growing up was built with Clark Foam. I drove by the factory often going to work with my dad at Disneyland...
I remember driving by when it 'shut down',,, which was bewildering because, well,
surfboards need foam.... with a stringer ... it's a specialty
This is a great story of capitalism vs CA commie told by a shaper I would love to get a board from
I have a 6'2" Exodus shaped by Christenson. One of the best boards I've ridden. I e-mailed him for a custom shape with more volume, same size/shape: and never heard back. ???
Not so sure about the quality thing (when i came to the actual blank). Used a Buford blank in the early 80's. That was quality.
I hated dealing with the staff at Clark foam. Total pricks all of them. Mathew too. I used to buy 40 a week from them for more than 5 years to keep Terry Martin buissy shaping. Once I missed a payment and they punished me for a month. Terry had to fix it with the basterds. I was retired from building the complete boards when they went out. I was just glassing then . It never seemed to matter much to me.
Ah the surf industry. I feel the same about the interviewee. I'd never buy another board from this dude again. Was a total arrogant prick on delivery because the board was not at all what I ordered. Wrong fin and wrong color, but somehow I was the kook because I didn't like it. Took it anyways and sold it a week later to some other mouth breathing follower of these dudes. Never again....that was 15 years ago.
i owned a surfboard brand and factory in 2005, when that fax came in i knew it was over. we lasted another year and then it was over.
@krokus1972 - Sorry to hear that. Thanks for sharing your story. 🌊
#SurfLife #BoardBuilder
i was managing OceanWorks at that time all i remember we were all just getting blasted by the EPA and all the new California state rules / laws at that time was nuts just to keep the doors open . had to rebuild the sanding room dust catchment , redo the paint booth and laminating exhaust system all new explosion proof lights at $800 a pop all they were was regular lights with gaskets but had the sticker then all the coast went up for everything cause everyone was getting blasted , it was going cost Grubby millions to get his shop up to par he was just over it i think was always a fight for him to keep the doors open as long as he did and everyone happy why he was the way he was with money . he was the only game in town cause nobody stepped up until they had too . did he conduct himself properly by just walking out no i don't think so , should he have sold the shop and recipe i don't think it would have made a difference i don't think anyone could do what he did and it would have cost millions blanks would have cost a ton probably better just to start fresh . yeah it was shitty when it happened but the industry continued with out him and in the long run probably was better for it .. just my opinion
@schreds, thanks for the share! Must have been quite the experience to be in the thick of it. 🌟 #SurfIndustry
OceanWorks in Santa Ana? The Hodges and Dean Cleary I think and maybe Terry Senate were involved?
The day surfboards doubled in price!
I was on train to LA from san diego and it was front business page wall street journal day after it happened. I literally LOL on the train becauae I left that world 8yrs proir. I built my first board 1970 at age 13. I met a guy named Terry Goldsmith soon after he had also built his first board.we made a excellent team he shaping me glassing. We both got very good at building and surfing. I went to Canyon 1977 Terry went to G&S...we still had a thriving backyard biz🤣. My 25+ yrs of working in the biz both bitter and sweet. After 25yrs I got sick of dealing with stupid people in a incestuous industry. Went back to college got engineer degree in my 30s and never looked back.
Side note: just started building my personals in the backyard...back to roots I guess 🤙
That's an awesome bit of history. Back to your roots is good thing, probably more enjoyable now with more life perspective, too?
@@SurfSplendor absolutely, for the most part I have let go of most of my animosity ( there is far more to this story) and now it's with the pure passion for building what I ride...Just like the feeling when I was 13 🤙
My buddy owns Clark foam now his names Chris disanti
We went full Epoxy and never looked back ...
Anybody know the real story to Clyde Betty pulling out?. I have herd rumors but dang we lost a great Glasser when he went
@Kauwa808 - Anyone got the inside scoop? #glassergone
so you did know Gordan Clark?
build something good thats not going to end up in the landfill... bingo.
Whats that means?
@@HiloBoiz808 it means exactly what it says. did you watch the video?
So you were pissed at Gordan Clark?
Aloha Chris, Did you also have Dick Brewers Plumeria Clothing Line in the 90's? My fiance did some modeling for the line randomly at Wind N Sea I still have the swag. Check the photo in my bio. 🤙
kool outlook in the surfboard industry for the last forty years 56 and look and feel young chicks in bikinis help too aloha
Shit happens. Get over it.