20 November 2001. <www.ronjons.com/thecompany/pressbox.htm>.
<www.cisurfboards.com/index2.html>.
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| Collin Moore | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11-12-01 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career Analysis | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Surfboard Shaping | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| While researching the field of small business, I have had in mind starting my own surf shop. Since going to ocean and participating in water sports all of my life, I think that this field will let me stay close to the things I have always loved. With the increasing interest in surf culture, surf shops are constantly popping up. Unfortunately, most of these new shops are focused to the trendy fashion market. My plans are for a real core surf shop. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| The surfing industry has reached a period in which it reaches out to more than just people who live near the ocean. With television coverage and large, national sponsors, there has never been a better market for surf shops. With the best selling items in almost every shop being clothes, many shops have based their entire inventory around it. This leaves a lack of true surf equipment to be found. Very few shops anymore are aimed directly to surfers. An even smaller amount have an in house shaper. These shops are nonexistent away from the beach. Local shops, even chains such as Seventeenth Street Surf Shop, have diverted to skateboarding and fashion. All of their stores, except the ones with direct beach access, carry a quiver of boards smaller than what most local surfers own personally. My business will specialize in providing serious surfers with customized equipment. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shaping surfboards is considered an art to all that are involved in the industry. It can also be the downfall of a new company. Shaping is extremely expensive, and requires precise detail. Surfing experience is a must in order to be a successful shaper. One must have knowledge of the customers surfing style, their size, and the performance they are looking for. Anyone can cut a shape out of a blank piece of foam, but whether or not a certain person can ride it is the unknown. The shape of a surfboard is key to any riders success regardless of their experience. Just as you would not see the world champion riding a single fin board a foot too short for him, a beginner should not start on a board not customized to their needs. The only reasons for a beginner not to make progress lie in equipment not suited for them. If a company has an inexperienced shaper, they will immediately lose money on blanks destroyed during shaping, and will develop a reputation among surfers for having a poor product. It is even more difficult for new shapers, because legendary shapers, such as Al Merrick, now have computer programs and machines that mass-produce the boards for them(2). | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other elements of success rely on location, and management. Location will prove costly for any person buying their first shop. The fact that a surf shop must have close proximity to the ocean does not help. Prime locations are located, of course, where surfers are located. Having knowledge of local breaks is pivotal. It would do no good having a shop near a beach where it is flat eleven months out of the year. Management plays a very important role in the success of any small business. Experienced advice and good service are a must for any small shop. This is why you normally see the surf shop owner running the shop. They are not in it for the money, unless they plan on becoming a national franchise. Core surf shop owners are in the business to give back to the surfing community what they have gotten from it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owning a surf shop, and professionally shaping surfboards is only for the serious surfer. You have full control of your own success. It will be extremely hard work, and will initially take a number of smart investments. After getting a location, inventory, equipment, and help, the rest is what you make out of it. Long hours and hard work are essential for establishing a reputation in the surfing community. Sponsorships of local contests and surfers will slowly get you the recognition that will bring you business. This business will only be rewarding to the kind of person dedicated to the sport they love. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Works Cited | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lewis, Heather. "The Ron Jon Surf Shop History." Ron Jon Surf Shop Online. 2000. 20 November 2001. <www.ronjons.com/thecompany/pressbox.htm>. |
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| Merrick, Al. "Boards." Channel Islands Surfboards Online 2001. 8 November 2001. <www.cisurfboards.com/index2.html>. |
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