Clark Foam
Encyclopedia
Clark Foam, founded in 1961, was the premier manufacturer of surfboard
blanks -- foam
slabs, reinforced with one or more wooden strips or "stringers", which are cast in the rough shape of a surfboard. Company founder Gordon "Grubby" Clark settled on rigid polyurethane
as the material for his blanks, and for decades his company exerted an essentially monopolistic control over the market. Clark graduated from Claremont McKenna College
in 1959.
On December 5, 2005, Clark abruptly shut down Clark Foam, citing burgeoning harassment
by government regulatory agencies, although no known action was under way against him. However, there were several issues pending with the United States Environmental Protection Agency
, which Gordon "Grubby" Clark said was the reason for the abrupt shutdown of his company in a seven page faxhttp://www.surfingthemag.com/news/surfing-pulse/clark-foam-120505/. Since Clark Foam shuttered, surfboard manufacturing has been inundated with new and innovative materials, such as carbon-fiber, hollow blanks, and new "Flex" materials used by other various companies.
Surfboard
A surfboard is an elongated platform used in the sport of surfing. Surfboards are relatively light, but are strong enough to support an individual standing on them while riding a breaking wave...
blanks -- foam
Foam
-Definition:A foam is a substance that is formed by trapping gas in a liquid or solid in a divided form, i.e. by forming gas regions inside liquid regions, leading to different kinds of dispersed media...
slabs, reinforced with one or more wooden strips or "stringers", which are cast in the rough shape of a surfboard. Company founder Gordon "Grubby" Clark settled on rigid polyurethane
Polyurethane
A polyurethane is any polymer composed of a chain of organic units joined by carbamate links. Polyurethane polymers are formed through step-growth polymerization, by reacting a monomer with another monomer in the presence of a catalyst.Polyurethanes are...
as the material for his blanks, and for decades his company exerted an essentially monopolistic control over the market. Clark graduated from Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college and a member of the Claremont Colleges located in Claremont, California. The campus is located east of Downtown Los Angeles...
in 1959.
On December 5, 2005, Clark abruptly shut down Clark Foam, citing burgeoning harassment
Harassment
Harassment covers a wide range of behaviors of an offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behaviour intended to disturb or upset, and it is characteristically repetitive. In the legal sense, it is intentional behaviour which is found threatening or disturbing...
by government regulatory agencies, although no known action was under way against him. However, there were several issues pending with the United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
, which Gordon "Grubby" Clark said was the reason for the abrupt shutdown of his company in a seven page faxhttp://www.surfingthemag.com/news/surfing-pulse/clark-foam-120505/. Since Clark Foam shuttered, surfboard manufacturing has been inundated with new and innovative materials, such as carbon-fiber, hollow blanks, and new "Flex" materials used by other various companies.