Global Surf Industries

I can't imagine that scenario. Shops around here are charging at least $400 for a new GSI board. Like NJSUrfer42 said, they are generic shapes that will work, but wont hold value and wont be anything special.

Around here the used board racks are FULL of lightly used board hand shaped boards, locally shaped (if that's what you want) non-generic boards for less than a new GSI board. Spend an afternoon cruising the used racks and see what $300 and some bargaining will get you. Choose wisely and the used board will cost less to purchase and will be worth more than the GSI board within a year of normal use. So even from an economic standpoint (if that has to be your determining factor in selecting a board) the GSI would be a worse choice.

 

I chop hop all day and just recently won the chop hop competition at wrigthsville ok kook

 

Haydenshapes in USA

Hello Everyone asking questions and writing answers on here.

I have had a ready through this thread and will answer a few questions below. Any more question feel free to email us here in the US on miles@haydenshapes.com

1. Haydenshapes makes boards in three locations. Australia, California, Thailand. They are built using all the same customised materials - epoxy resin, carbon, fiberglass cloth. I choose suppliers for these materials from around the world and work with them to customise the materials to suit my design criteria - be the FutureFlex construction or PE - Poly-Urethene / Epoxy Laminate construction. I have these materials shipped internationally to all three factories to ensure all boards are built using the same set of materials. I believe that consistency with manufacturing is a big part of a boards performance.

2. "Don't ride boards not built by surfers". This is always an interesting debate. One of the biggest suppliers of PU foam to the US is Artic Foam. These blanks are ridden by a high number of the surfers on the WCT. Their blanks are made in Mexico. This doesn't mean they are inferior to a blank made in the US or Australia. Same deal with Fiberglass. Korea has some of the latest and high tech fiber weaving machines in the world. Their cloth is flatter and tighter than many other suppliers on the market and is amazing to use in manufacturing which results in boards being lighter and stronger. The staff at Cobra in Thailand don't only build surfboards. They also build carbon fiber parts for Ferrari, Audi and other high end car manufacturers. The reason why they build these parts is that the Thai people have a great attention to detail and have been skilled in the art of detailed sculptures for thousands of years. Their skills translate to the surfboard very well, and if shown correctly they can replicate the production techniques required to build a surfboard very well. I spent 9 months at least to setup my production line at Cobra in Thailand. I personally trained the staff there on how to build the FutureFlex technology and PE technology using my own set of materials shipped into Thailand, and got to know them personally. I feel that today they replicate my boards as good as anyone out there building surfboards. This is a great thing for Haydenshapes as we are able to supply the same quality shape and construction to over 72 countries worldwide.

3. I use either Marko EPS foam or Cobra EPS foam in my EPS core boards. I use US Blanks, Dion / Bennets, or CORE Industries PU foam in my PU Core boards. This is regardless of location that i build my boards at.

4. Yes, i do ride boards made from all locations - even not shaped by myself as i use finish shapers in all locations. I don't always get to shape my own boards and have the best quiver on hand - it's like a builder will not always have the best home, we spend most of our time making other peoples boards. My team also ride boards made in all three of these locations. I know it would interest you all how much my team ride the ones made in Thailand. Well they ride them quite a fair bit. They travel alot and love to travel without boards, so we organise boards from our distributors in various countries around the world, to be ready for the guys when they land. Most of these distributors will buy their boards from GSI, made in Thailand. Of course i love to shape my team their boards too, this is the funnest part of my job, so whenever possible i will always shape my team boards. I would say 20% of their boards are made in Thailand.

5. NJSurfer42's comments below are interesting about my only model worth noting is the Hypto Krypto. It is also interesting that my most ridden model by pro surfers not on my team is the Psychedelic Germ model. It has been ridden by Dane Reynolds in his Quiksilver Moments video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX2fCYGDa6c - Mitch Coleborn, Chippa Wilson, Nate Tyler, Sally Fitzgibbons plus more... Also interesting is this board is the only board ridden by high performance surfers that has a side cut in the outline, as well as a displacement hull in the entry, which makes the comments of NJSurfer42 questionable - "nothing innovative or even slightly different" -

6. Ordering a board from Haydenshapes. Ok you have two options. 1. Purchase a board from your local surfshop. This will most likely be one made in Thailand and distributed by GSI. These are all paid for on 30 day accounts, or COD, by the stores. Some stores will also carry some Haydenshapes Custom stock which will be made at PureGlass, Costa Mesa. These boards will normally be with colour tints, or will be models not sold by GSI. You can also place a custom order through your local shop, who will in turn place the order with us here in the US. 2. Order one directly through Haydenshapes - either Custom or Stock. Best way to do this is contact Miles Smith who runs the USA Customer Service and Sales for Haydenshapes - miles@haydenshapes.com or 954 543 2577. Miles will be able to give you great advice on which models will suit you, and the best sizing for what you are after.

Cheers
Hayden


In regards to teaming up with the "FutureFlex Folk", that would be myself, as i designed and patented that technology.

As for the Hypto Krypto being a glorified egg, the popular designs sometimes come in the most simplest form. In this case yes, the Hypto Krypto has come from my single fin design, with some very refined adjustments in the features which allow it to be surfed in not only small waves - like most eggs - but it actually goes better when the waves get good, and up to a good 8ft / double overhead, just ask anyone who owns one and has ridden it in good barrels.

 

That took the guess work out of it, weather people like it or not, there it is in black and white and maybe a little blue.

 

To the guy who is skepticao about my price comment... my gsi walden was one of the best boards I've ever owned. And I resold for a strong price for me too, to someone who was thrilled with it for the price. I'm not on here trying to twist things up. The truth hurts. Big business isn't going anywhere and there are some positive aspects to it as well.

 

haydenshapes,
cool. you also argue the case for walmart? do you really want people to believe you produce in Thailand because 'they are highly skilled'? laughable. cheap labor and cheap materials doesn't play into it? come on you commonwealth kook, nobody buys your bs. how great that you use artic foam (formerly eskimo?). made in mexico do to the blower agents they use im guessing. gnarly cancerous sh!t banned in CA. and once again...cheap labor. why not make everything in your target areas? quit flooding us with your low-cost, cheap popout, duty-free crap!

 

Solid post... seriously. I think everybody is hung up on the Thailand thing, and calling them "pop-outs". What you say makes sense, and I think others who don't get it should do a little more reseach before jumping to conclusions.

I own a Coil, custom shaped by Mike Daniel, great board, definitely the BEST board I own, and I love it, so glad I went that route. It's definitely the preferred method for me now going forward and i'm thinking all of my future HPSB will be shaped by him as well.

However, I also own a 8'1" McTavish 8 Ball (smaller version of Fireball), which I bought from a LOCAL shop, which i'm assuming made the AMERICAN shop owner money, and was able to share that profit by paying an AMERICAN employee to sell it to me. I got a GREAT deal on the board, but I was wondering why it was so much less expensive than what I thought it would cost. I didn't play close attention to any GSI stamp on the bottom or anything because at the time, I had limited knowledge of what that actually meant. I figured it was just a beautiful board that I found a steal of a deal on. Turns out, it WAS made in Thailand by the Cobra crew, and I gotta say this board has been really fun, and not only that, but it's holding up really well. Funny thing is, nobody knows the difference, people are always giving me compliments on how nice it is, and how fun it looks, which it is.

So, I believe what you are doing is ok, and think others should possibly consider changing their views on this subject. Having said all that, I much prefer the hand shaped board direct from the shaper himself, but I wouldn't turn my nose up at a great deal of a GSI model either.

 

thinking like this is what's driving hardworking, US board manufacturers out. like i've said, this is the WALMART arguement. that's nice your patting yourself on the back for supporting an american shop owner while sh!tting in the face of US craftsman. remember, the boards made here have a heavy tariff placed on them when sold overseas, but theirs are all tariff free. that alone puts a lot of hurt on domestic manufacturers. i can't believe your (and others) best argument is 'it rides great'. in the words of doug haut, "they're toys, they ALL work!". and if you really looked at GSI boards... total crap. fin sets off, tucked edges off, lots of sand throughs and weave showing. good stuff coming from a factory with a long history of child slave labor and zero safety/health standards. workers there can't even afford or are given decent respirators. why is supporting US craftsman and US materials not worth a few extra bucks?

 

1st of all, the board was a gift from my wife (GF at the time) She didn't take any money out of anybody's pockets, as a matter of fact she put money in them, American pockets. Fact of the matter is this board was already made long before I came along, so someone was bound to buy that board, it wouldn't make a bit of difference if I passed on it, because someome was going to buy it, and probably right after I walked out the door. It was too good a deal to pass up, and years later, i don't regret it a bit.

I hear what you are saying, and it's the same thing that a lot of others have said before, but i'm sorry to inform you there is nothing sh*tty about this board, it's absolutely a nice piece of craftmanship, and it rides great. What else do you need a board to do? Look good / ride good right? Sooo, what's the problem here? Are you a shaper? Is that why you feel this way? Mr Hayden here is a shaper, and he seems to make a lot of sense in his post. Tell me you are more qualified that Mr. Hayden, and i'll listen to what you have to say.

 

first off, i've shaped my own boards (and many for friends) since i was 14. my first job was laminating/hotcoating/sanding at a glass shop. i have several family members who have done nothing else for most of they're adult life. so yes, im a little biased from that standpoint. but, arguing that 'someone else would have bought it' is a joke. feeling self-righteous because you helped the shop owner on the back-end is self-serving. you took a sh!t on US workers and are righteous because you wiped with US toilet paper? oh, way to hide behind your wife. the shop's profit margin is slim on boards anyhow. im willing to bet the guy makes his $ off t-shirts and other cool, surfer dude crap. i wouldn't give some shop stocked with GSI my $. who's side are you on. i bet anything that you wouldn't argue this crap at a domestic board company in person. your arguments suggest your a mindlessly consuming, save-a-buck cheap skate. besides, what does a SUP kook have to say about surfing anyhow? i can just see that forehead, strapon you wear flapping around right now! LOL sorry for the low blows, but like i said, who's side are you on? you a walmart manager?
I support US workers and US made products.

 

I asked if you were a shaper not out of sarcasm, but out of geniune interest ya d*ck, you can take your "low blows" and suck it. As for hiding behind my wife, I have done no such thing, just stating the fact so that the story is authentic. Look, i'm really proud of you for learning how to shape because others in your family have done so, way to be original btw.

Hey listen, since your such a good shaper, think maybe I can buy one of your boards. Got a label any of us might know or regognize, who the F are you in other words, oh that's right, another back yard hack trying assume the identity of someone who actually matters. I'll put you right up there with Steve83 from South Carolina, who wears batwoman webbed gloves and can't catch a wave on his wooden banana boat he built with the inspiration of Roy Stuart himself.

As for the SUP comment, I know plenty about surfing ya hack, I did it looooong before I got an SUP as a gift, yep, another gift, someone must think pretty highly of me. Glad we had this talk though, you seem super chill and would love to burn one with ya some time...

 

can you read? i clearly said i shape for myself and friends. backyard hack? lol. i do something useful for society. USCG, so no surfboard 'label'. and learning to shape because other in my family have done so?? hahaha. they all glass and sand. other then that there's scrubbing and 'shaping' low tolerence blanks, too easy. anyone who laminates or sands can shape, although most shapes can't glass or sand. so i agree, not to unique. most shapers don't even know how/where to place fins! i started because i was poor and already working in a building with shaping rooms. besides, this is a topic about GSI ya kook. why do you care what i do? buying cheap sh!t made overseas at the demise of US craftsman is shameless. why don't you move to china or thailand since they produce better/cheaper stuff. can you even remember what you did with your GSI savings? musta been important

shows what your wife thinks of you if she'd give you something as gay as a SUP. were you a kayaker too? i bet it has a justin bieber airbrush on it!

all you know about surfing is what you read while taking a sh!t! funny...

 

dawnpatrolSUP, you argue weak! stay on topic if you have to resort to heckling. your letting me down so far, i expected better from you.

 

So you're my huckleberry huh, i'm honored. Throwing around the term kook and the obvious SUP insults only makes you look like an ass.

As you said yourself, "Why do you care what I do"? Heed your own advise ya jaggof

 

Thanks for taking the time to respond here. Your info is much appreciated. Just ignore the internet tough guys

There was a similar argument in the mountain bike world a few years back. A Canadian custom freeride bike builder wanted to expand his line. He looked at many factories on this side of the Pacific to make his bike frames. He also looked into some of the Asian factories and found that they are currently expanding their manufacturing capabilities therefore have newer equipment that can spit out bike frames with closer tolerances and better welds. Stateside and Canadian factories had older technology and couldn't provide a better product without significant increases in cost.

These guys huck themselves off +30' cliffs so build quality is extremely important so you don't die. He got a lot of flack for going overseas but in the end they could provide a better product. Labor costs were a side benefit that resulted in a better price as well.

I agree we should all try to support local businesses when we can but the reality is global commerce is here to stay unless we have another knock down, drag out world war.

 

Sorry I let you down AtlanticO, my intent was never to argue with anybody but to only speak from experience what i've found regarding GIS, which is what this post is about. Hayden weighed in on the topic and nobody on this forum is more qualified than him i'd say, except maybe another shaper as good as him that lurks behind a screename, and I will listen to what he says regarding the topic before I will some guy who "shapes" boards for himself and his friends. There was no "heckling", and you are too sensitive if you think that.

 

yeah, a businessman is not gonna not defend his oversea's produced, duty-free products. he just scrubs computer shapes anyhow. all marketing hype from what i can see. why don't you ask non-GSI related shapers what they think? your obviously not very connected to your local surf community (or anything) if you feel so strongly in favor of buying GSI.

and goosemagoo, labor/material costs are always forefront when a BUSINESS decides to go overseas. besides, this is surfboards we're talking about, not bicycles. is it your opinion that asian production factories put out a better product?

 

i like a heckling sorry if it reads angry... not at all the case. your to easy anyhow. i wish PJB would come play! no shame in his game in my limited experience. i just like exclamation points and capitals. sorry im not PC enough. just saying you should try a little harder to stay on topic besides 'my wife made me do it' or 'someone else would have'

GSI is crap.

 

You have a point, any person in business for themselves will try and make things sound good for the consumers, but I thought he was very honest about his approach, and I found nothing wrong with it.

Lastly, I never said i'm "strongly in favor of buying GSI", I only said that I own ONE, and it's a great board. See, I own and ride 4 different boards, Two of those are hand shaped by Mike Daniel right here in FL, the good ole US of A, one of them is a McTavish by way of GIS (would love to hear what you think about Mr. McTavish too), and the other is an SUP that was shaped / built in Texas, by another LOCAL company / shaper. So 3 out of 4 of my boards are products of the local shaper / business model, while only 1 of my boards is a GIS product.

Now what?

 

Nobody said anything about anger, not sure where you come up with that. PJB and I have "thrown down" before (out of fun), he's not such a bad guy, much more interesting to debate with than you (don't get all sappy on me PJB), and who said anyting about being PC? For god sakes, we have enough PC crap in the world, why would I want more? Staying on topic? Are you drunk? I'm too easy? You don't know the half of it...