Behind the Green Curtain
By Eva Marie Klutz
With every innovative industry, there are a myriad of activities that go on behind the scenes that the general consumer never gets to see. Whether mundane or exotic, these developments are what help shape the final products that you and I enjoy. Certainly the surf industry is no exception. You might be under the impression that all of the real “cutting edge” developments in the surfing world are being accomplished in places like California and Hawaii. However, I recently sat down with Cape Fear local, and Green Room Board Company spokesman David Ray to get a glimpse of some exciting happenings that are taking place right here in our own back yard.
Eva Marie Klutz: The Green Room is that little surf shop over on S. College;
right? So what kind of special things could be going on over there?
David Ray: That’s our shop alright. And it is true that when you say “Green
Room”, that’s what most people in our area think of. However; what most folks
don’t realize is that we also have two other major facilities in town where we
conduct our production and development work. The “Shop” as we like to call
it, is really Green Room Board Sports. It’s a full blown surf and skate shop that
also serves as a retail outlet for our board manufacturing division, Green Room
Board Company. The Shop offers the usual fare of surfboards, skateboards, and
clothing, as well as full line of surf and skate accessories. However; we only sell
surfboards shaped by master craftsmen carrying the “Green Room” label.
EMK: Why not carry major board labels like other surf shops in town?
DR: Our boards are quite unique, and we want to show case them in that light.
Our factories produces the finest Epoxy/ EPS surf boards available. We only use
the highest quality materials, and the guys shape them to exacting
detail, one at a time. The majority of our customers tend to be experienced
surfers looking for specific qualities that are not often available in mass
produced, off the rack boards. I’d estimate that over 80% of our board sales
originate from custom orders. Judging by the ever increasing number of Green
Room labels I’ve seen in the water lately; I’d say that we have many satisfied
customers. The next time you’re in any of the Wilmington area surf shops, take
time to notice how few if any GR “trade-in” boards you see in the used racks.
There is a reason for that!
EMK: Other surfboard companies produce quality Epoxy/EPS boards. What
makes yours so unique?
DR: That’s where the science comes in. Over the past three years, our researchteam has partnered with the scientist at BGF to create a “state of the art” epoxy laminating system that is unmatched in the industry. The system features ourGreen Room, ol’ #7 resin, which we manufacture right here in Wilmington, and a custom designed version of BGF’s Aerialite fiberglass cloth. What makes thissystem so unique is that the two components have been structurally engineered to “chemically bond” with each other. The chemical bond produces a surfboard
that is very durable and light, but exceeds the flex characteristics of traditional polyester construction. We have also structurally engineered ol’ #7 resin to dramatically reduce the effects of yellowing caused by UV sunlight.
No other system in the world has these two advantages. This one of a kind laminating system is now known in the industry as the “Aerialite Surfing System”. Another particular advantage of our boards is in their construction. We use only “S” type cloth on all our boards as opposed to the “E” type commonly found on most other stock models. The S type is superior in its strength and durability, but it cost twice as much for us to use. As I said before; Green Room does not cut corners on quality. The Aerialite Surfing System is available with both S & E type cloths.
EMK: So is the Shop the only place to get boards made with your system?
DR: Yes & no. Our shop is presently the only retail outlet in the Cape Fear area selling the Green Room label. There has been such a tremendous demand for our surfboards during the past several years that we are now supplying other shops outside the area as well. We currently have distributions in South Carolina, Florida, California, and Puerto Rico. There are also major surf tour companies in El Salvador, and Costa Rica inquiring about stocking our boards for their patrons.
EMK: What about interest in the “Aerialite Surfing System” from other
shapers?
DR: To me; that’s the really exciting part of our business. We are a small
company, and we only produce at most 200 boards per year. That number is
not likely to change much with the amount of detail we put into our production,
and its also not part of our long term business plan. However, we are committed
and capable of supplying other board manufacturers, large or small, with the
finest building materials available. Our resin works outstanding by itself,
and we are literally selling it to board manufacturers all over the world. We are currently supplying major accounts up and down the east coast, including Atlantic Surfing Materials in Florida. We also service major accounts on the gulf coast, and in California. Outside of the US, we are supplying our products to shapers in Puerto Rico, Panama, Hawaii, Tahiti, and Japan. There are some major labels using our epoxy resin on their own boards. You could be riding a board with our technology right now and not even know it. In fact; there are at least four surfers
on the WCT riding boards made with Green Room resin. Its a very exciting time for us. I feel so very blessed to be involved at the ground level.
LS: What can you tell me about product testing?
DR: Now that is the FUN part of our work! Our development team is constantly seeking feed-back from the people who use our products, whether its surfers using our GR boards or shapers using our materials to make their own
label. We insert that input right back into our development program to actively
search for any areas where we could improve. We have developed close
working relationships with most of the other shapers using our system in order
to help them maximize their work and further our own research. We also have
a core group of young rippers, seasoned veterans, and industry sponsored
professionals putting our boards through the paces. Our boards have been field tested on east coast beaches, OBX hurricane swells, Caribbean reef passes, Central American point breaks, and California dream waves. It involves a lot of travel, but every successful team has to make sacrifices. We call it “LTD”, living the dream!
