Firewire Surfboards Aims To Constantly Refine The Design Of The Modern Surfboard

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Firewire is a 12-year old company, dedicated to building high performance surfboards and accessories through innovative design, materials and construction methods. They strive to do so with the lowest possible impact on the environment while also giving back to the global surf community through their support of various environmental and humanitarian organizations.

Below is our recent interview with Mark Price, CEO at Firewire Surfboards:

Q: What makes your surfboards unique in the market?

A: Traditional surfboards have a single density foam core, and a wood ‘stringer’ that runs down the center of the board to add strength and reduce flex. In addition, they are built from a combination of polyester resin and polyurethane foam, both of which are highly toxic materials.

Firewire boards are manufactured using a technique called ‘sandwich construction’ which allows for an ultra-light weight core foam to be sandwiched between thin layers of a deck-skin material which are extremely durable. And unlike traditional surfboards that normally require additional weight to increase durability, sandwich construction allows for the best of both worlds, lighter weights which increase performance, and a more durable surfboard.

In addition, we do not place a wood stringer down the center of the board, preferring to use aerospace composites and perimeter ‘stringers’ to add strength and optimize flex. Furthermore, these materials have a far longer lifespan than traditional materials before they fatigue.

Lastly, we use EPS foam and epoxy bio-resins that are infinitely less toxic than the traditional materials mentioned above.

Q: You’ve recently announced that you have begun using REREZ in your surfboard production; could you tell us something more?

A: REREZ is an amazing product developed by ConnoraTech. We’re able to take the fully cured epoxy resin and ‘de-cure’ it in a warm vinegar solution, separating out the fiberglass which can then be dried and re-used, and then decanting the resin for reuse in other processes such as extrusion.

In addition, instead of throwing away various consumables such as brushes, stir-sticks and mixing buckets, we can easily clean and reuse those items. Not only does this save money, but it also reduces waste streams. And in the longer term, REREZ will be an important step towards recycling actual surfboards.

Q: What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in launching your business and how did you overcome it?

A: Our biggest challenge when we launched was going up against decades of ‘surfboard orthodoxy’ that claimed traditional materials were far superior to EPS and Epoxy, and we had virtually the entire surfboard industry aligned against our success. Although that’s probably the case for any disruptive technology.

Fortunately, over time our product attributes resonated with a meaningful segment of the market and we went from strength to strength, culminating in 11-time World Surfing Champion Kelly Slater’s investment in 2015. More recently, our commitment to operating in the most sustainable manner possible without sacrificing product performance, has also been appreciated by our customers.

Q: What’s the goal you’re aiming for?

A: Our goal is to constantly refine the design of the modern surfboard, and to reduce its toxicity through new materials and factory processes without degrading performance. In addition, we support a number of environmental and humanitarian organizations around the world which we feel is an important responsibility for any company operating todays’ global economy. And in doing so, we hope the tip the surfboard market towards similar practices.