"Surfers are so connected to nature, but they're divorced from the impact foam boards have on the environment," says Brad Anderson, cofounder of Grain Surfboards. To build a better board, he and partner Mike LaVecchia have turned to wood, which was a surfer's material of choice until lightweight (and low-cost) foam lured manufacturers away in the mid-20th century. "Our wooden boards are sustainable and strong, but have all the benefits of modern design," Anderson says.
Using local cedar, the York, Maine, studio constructs its hollow models around an internal mahogany frame. The method uses just one-third of the wood required for traditional chambered construction, in which boards are cut from a plank and then hollowed out. "All that wood just becomes dust," says LaVecchia. "But when we're done, the waste is barely enough for kindling."
To read the full, original article click on this link: The Perfect (Wooden) Surfboard | Fast Company
Author: Stephanie Schomer
