Hi Marky. Have you actually seen an Austin board up close?
.....
Here is an interesting article about Austin that was featured on our local news section of the newspaper last summer:
http://hamptonroads.com/node/295221
Virginia Beach native making waves in the surf business
Posted to: Business
© July 13, 2007
Austin Saunders owns Austin Surfboards, the only surfboard factory in Virginia Beach. His custom boards cost between $600 and $1,200.
(David B. Hollingsworth photos | The Virginian-Pilot)
By Michelle E. Shaw
The Virginian-Pilot
VIRGINIA BEACH
Wearing flip-flops, a baggy T-shirt and big shorts, Austin Saunders strolls through his office building.
It's not casual Friday. This is Saunders' daily attire unless he has to do research - that calls for a wetsuit.
"It's really cool to be able to tell people that I'm a surfboard shaper," said the 24-year-old Virginia Beach native. "It's not something you hear every day."
Over the past nine years, Saunders has fashioned a career out of making surfboards. He started with two boards in 1998 - one for him and one for his dad - while still a student at Kellam High School.
The next year he formed Austin Surfboards and crafted 20 boards. Business has been good since then, and production topped 600 last year. He expects to make almost twice as many by the end of this year. His revenue has grown from $2,500 in 1999 to more than $190,000 last year.
"The work he does is very high-quality and customized," said David Barnes, president of Surf Automation Systems, which manufactures surfboard shaping machines.
Like a good suit, a quality surfboard can be custom-made for the user. Getting the right fit depends on the weight and ability of the surfer as well as the surfing conditions.
Saunders, who shapes his boards by hand, isn't making any old kind of surfboard. He specializes in classic styles from the 1960s, said Dave Shotton, owner of Freedom Surf Shop, the only shop in Virginia that carries Austin Surfboards.
"He brings retro to the present," Shotten said. "That's where his magic lies, and the people seem to love it."
Saunders' custom boards generally range between $600 and $1,200. He's got a small showroom at his factory, which is less than a mile from the beach, where he also sells clothing and surfing accessories.
"You got to be creative with making money in this business," Saunders said of selling things other than surfboards. "Our margins are so small, we really don't make that much off of each board once it's all said and done. Most of the cost of the board is in labor and overhead."
Saunders, who shapes his boards by hand, specializes in classic styles. His company’s revenue has grown from $2,500 in 1999 to over $190,000 last year.
The blank foam pieces that are shaped into surfboards run between $60 and $400, and that's before any design is applied to the creation. Once Saunders' team completes the board and its design, shipping could cost upward of $120.
The surfing industry has had its struggles over the past few years. First there was the unexpected closing in December 2005 of Clark Foam - a popular California-based supplier of blank boards. Then there are the rising petroleum prices.
"Almost everything we need, like foam and resin, is petroleum-based," Barnes said. "So our costs have been going up as a result of that."
Saunders' backyard business did so well between 1999 and 2005, the company needed more space than his parents' garage and shed would allow. Last year Saunders bought Fibercraft Products Inc., from Barnes, a move that put Austin Surfboards in a unique position.
"He's the only surfboard factory in Virginia Beach," Barnes said. "Any (fiber)glass work that people want done on surfboards in Virginia Beach most likely goes through him."
Coating a surfboard with fiberglass is an all-important step, as it provides the foam board with the strength to hold a person and endure brutal waves.
Barnes is impressed by the way Saunders has handled his growing business.
"I'm a veteran industry guy and I've been around for 30 years, so Austin had some big shoes to fill," Barnes said. "I'd say the first few months, he had a tough go at it. But he's done well since then."
Shotton, who has been in the surfing industry for more than two decades, said he's in awe of Saunders' work ethic.
"At 24 years old, not many young guys are as anxious to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty like Austin," he said. "He's a freak, of sorts. To be the age that he is and produce the type of work that he does, it's really amazing."
Saunders' operation also gives the Eastern Seaboard more credibility in the surfing world. "It creates a really nice hype for us here in Virginia Beach," Shotton said. "The East Coast has always been the underdog in the surf world."
The quality of Saunders' surfboards are making surfing enthusiasts think twice about the East Coast when it comes to their sport of choice, Shotton added
"To have somebody like Austin who can make boards that will go up against those vintage California boards is really nice," he said. "I think the only question for Austin is where to go from here."
Saunders has been trying to decide how to best build his brand and secure a loyal following across the country at the same time.
His original designs are in shops as far north as Maine and as far west as California. The plan right now is to continue to find surf shops to carry his products because the Internet is not the best venue for him.
"It is very hard to sell a surfboard online, especially to a first-timer," he said. "A board is something people have got to see and touch to know if it's right for them, so I've got to find a way to put this in people's hands."
Whatever happens, Saunders plans to stick with his surfboard business.
"I had commitment issues before," he said with a boyish smile. "I went to Tidewater Community College for two years and almost finished, but I started skipping class to fill orders for boards. I've done much better with those issues lately.
"Besides, it is a pretty tempting job since I do my research at the beach," he added with a hearty laugh.
