Polyurethane Foam

The Largest Surfing Encyclopedia

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A-Z: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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The roots of the modern surfboard can be traced to World War II more so than to any one man. The technology developed to end the spread of facism would impact every aspect of our equipment -- from planing hulls to hydrofoiled rails to fiberglass to foam. It was the application of foam -- more than anything else -- that made the sport accessible to everyone. By 1960, all the kinks were worked out and easily constructed surfboards were available wherever there were people who wanted to surf.

Created during the war as insulation for refrigerators and airplanes, polyurethane foam proved to be the perfect replacement for balsa wood. It was cheaper, easier to shape, and was man-made and thus abundant. But before polyurethane became the standard, shapers had to bumble through other, less qualified materials.

Preeminent mad surfing scientist Bob Simmons got the foam ball rolling in 1947 when he first began tinkering with the revolutionary new compound. By 1949, he sandwiched a Styrofoam core between two pieces of plywood and added hand-shaped balsa rails. When exposed directly to resin, the polystyrene foam (used in aircraft radar domes during the war) dissolved, so the plywood kept the volatile components from meeting. The concoction was sealed with fiberglass, an ingredient Simmons had known about for some time but was reluctant to use until he determined that lighter was better. He located the materials, built a concrete mold, and blew the foam fixings for his sandwich. Having drastically reduced board weight, he and cohorts Matt Kivlin and Joe Quigg sold over 100 sandwiches during the summer of '49.

Simmons soon stepped away from board building and eventually died tragically in 1954. In his absence, balsa remained the core of choice until Whitey Harrison cooked up a polyurethane plank in his barn in 1955. Whitey's creation failed to make waves, but the following year, brothers Dave and Roger Sweet began selling boards with the "new" foam around Santa Monica. Funded by future acting legend Cliff Robertson, their boards were undeniably light and their success was impeded only by their somewhat clunky designs.

Meanwhile, the supply of useful balsa coming into California had virtually dried up, leading Hobie Alter to dive headlong into foam with his glasser, an engineering wiz named Gordon "Grubby" Clark. In a secretive factory in Laguna Canyon, Alter and Clark devised a mold that would create a blank in two halves divided lengthwise. The sections were joined by a wooden stringer, and by the summer of 1958 the foam and fiberglass surfboard was a way of life.

The movie Gidget arrived shortly thereafter, and all of America wanted a part of the beach lifestyle. Hobie was happy to indulge them, branching throughout the surfing world and becoming the first name in surfboards. In 1961, Clark went off on his own to create Clark Foam, quickly becoming the foremost supplier of surfboard blanks. Armed with new molds and processes, he accommodated the '60s surfing boom and has retained his advantage for four decades.

Few other than the true artisans mourned the passing of balsa into history. Boardbuilding became quicker, more dependable and less costly. No innovation since the development of foam has had such impact on the way we make boards, and perhaps until the next World War, none will. -- Jason Borte, April 2001