surf boards 73

When we started surfing we hit the following challenges:
• We wanted to build our collection (known in the surfing world as “Quiver”) of surfboards, but they cost a lot of money.
• Surfing became a daily addiction, but corporate America is not sympathetic to these needs
• There is very little surfboard choice for girls.
• We noticed everyone else had similar complaints.

So we put our heads together and with our combined knowledge of business, IT, water sports, and successful financial investments, we came up with three key concepts for how to approach this business venture. First is to shape the boards in Asia to save cost. Secondly, kick the industry standard and go with epoxy construction. Finally, make it an online business for less overhead. With our unconventional approach, that makes us a “rebel” in a sense, we decided to call our product, “RebelBoards”; thus, our company was born.

It took six months of research to answer our first challenge, to find a reliable manufacturer and business partner in Asia.. Then, after coming up with our logos, we ordered seven different sample boards. When we unpacked them, first impressions were good as we had a unique product, epoxy boards with stringers, very cool. Then, we invited a bunch of surfers from beginner to expert to test drive these boards and provide us with feedback. We were hoping for a sanity check to ensure they were as good as we thought they were. The boards received thumbs up and two immediate orders! And so, it was time to put together our first order of 100+ surfboards. Coming up with the different design specifications including graphics was fun but surprisingly challenging. As we are not shapers by any means, we left the final details of each board to our manufacturer’s master shaper.

The next order of business was to build our web site. It did not have to be perfect, just something to get us going and to save money, we put a simple site together along with a shopping cart. When the surfboards finally arrived, we started getting the word out through friends, family and creative marketing on the internet. Our goal was only to sell two boards a week for the first six months, yet we exceeded our wildest expectations. We started selling boards steadily, then the news hit, the biggest foam blank manufacturer closed its doors. Suddenly, there was chaos in the surf industry – shortage of fiberglass surfboards. Armed with high quality epoxy boards with wood stringers, using completely different foam blanks, we became a part of the solution and the only alternative to the traditional fiberglass surfboards.



We immediately opened our wholesale market. All we needed were the right people to help us grow; and as we found the rest of our team, orders started to come in. The next container was ordered and another one on the way. A new improved web site was put together. And each passing day, we are making our history.
Watch us grow.