In a Year Riddled With Uncertainty, We Bought More Boards Than Ever
Months after COVID-19 crippled the global economy, shapers are struggling to keep up with new demand.
Ryan Burch. Photo: Billy Watts
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By: Matt Faludi
Jason Bennett can’t remember the last time he’s seen so many new surfers in the water.
“I go down on the weekends and see soft-top after soft-top on top of cars,” said Jason, co-owner and head shaper at Chemistry Surfboards in Oceanside, CA. “I haven’t seen a rush like this since I’ve been surfing.”
Back in March, Jason couldn’t have predicted the hardgoods boom the surfing world would experience throughout 2020. No one could’ve. Retailers around the world shuttered their doors while following shelter-in-place orders, forcing them to cancel new orders and making it harder to sell any existing stock they had. Record unemployment and beach closures and/or restrictions around the country certainly didn’t offer any peace of mind.