Cork: The Next Progression in Surf Board Design?

(Photo Credit: Mercedez Benz)

Not even the giant waves of Nazare can hold cork down, at least according to big wave giant Garrett McNamara who teamed up with Mercedes-Benz & Amorim to design and build the MBoard.  It makes sense that such a bold cork design would be tested at the Nazare Canyon, given its reputation for producing the biggest waves on the planet, and considering the cork was locally harvested nearby in Portugal.

 We have known for years of cork being used in the aerospace industry due to it's unique properties, but seeing Garrett McNamara coming down the face of a monster wave is every bit as exciting, if not more so.

The cork based board which Garrett refers to as "the best" is highlighted in the video not only for its dampening capabilities, but for the Eco-friendly sustainable way in which it was produced.  Garrett goes on to say that being 100% green in board manufacturing "would be a dream come true."

Just when we thought we were using cork to make cool products in a sustainable way here at Etch Tailor, Mercedez & Amorim had to come along and make us look like a bunch amateurs.  And it turns out they aren't the only ones either.  Surf board shaping legend Tom Wegener has also turned to the miracle material cork for its unique properties.  He details his choice of material journey which lead to cork in the interview below:

French board co Notox is also pushing cork into the surf industry's future, with the Atlantic shapers making sustainability a core tenant of their business.

While Amorim, Garrett, Tom, Mercedez-Benz, and Notox, are already on the cork team, our message to anyone considering implementing the miracle material in their own production is simple: