Clark Foam - The Backbone of Every Epic Ride

Founded in 1961 by the legendary Gordon "Grubby" Clark in Laguna Niguel, California, Clark Foam didn’t just change the surfing game—it redefined it.

Before Clark Foam, surfboard makers were largely on their own when it came to the core material, which led to a lot of trial and error. Enter Clark’s genius: polyurethane foam blanks, which became the foundation of nearly every surfboard ever made. These blanks were the perfect starting point for surfboard shapers, providing them with the raw material they could refine and customize into their signature creations.

A Surfer’s Dream Team: From Grubby to Legendary Shapers

What makes the Clark Foam story even more epic? Gordon Clark didn’t just work alone. He collaborated with some of the most respected names in the industry, including Dale Velzy and Dick Brewer—two shapers who helped him design the blanks that would forever change the surfboard landscape. This collaboration led to the creation of the ideal foam core that would allow shapers to focus on what really mattered: the shape, performance, and ride of the board itself.

As you might imagine, the success was off the charts. At its peak, Clark Foam supplied about 90% of all surfboard blanks globally. That’s right—nearly every surfboard in the world had Clark Foam at its core. Whether you were cruising Malibu or tearing up Hawaii’s North Shore, chances are, your board came from the same foam factory.

The North Shore Connection

It’s no surprise that Hawaii’s North Shore—the spiritual home of big-wave surfing—was an integral part of Clark Foam’s history. The North Shore is where legends are made, and many of the world’s top shapers used Clark Foam to create boards capable of tackling the monstrous waves of Pipeline, Waimea, and Sunset Beach.

North Shore's waves demand precision and performance, and Clark Foam’s blanks became the backbone for boards crafted to handle the toughest surf on the planet. Many of the iconic boards used by surfing pioneers like Jerry Lopez, Mark Richards, and Duke Kahanamoku likely had a Clark Foam blank hidden inside.

The partnership between Clark Foam and North Shore was more than just a business connection; it was a fusion of innovation and culture. The North Shore’s local surf community, with its legendary reefs and challenging waves, helped push Clark Foam's blanks to the limits, and in turn, those same boards helped shape the future of surfing.

The End of an Era

But as with many things in the world of surf, the good times didn’t last forever. In 2005, Clark Foam closed its doors, leaving the surfboard industry to search for a new supplier of foam blanks. The closure was a shockwave felt around the world, and many still feel the ripple effects of Clark Foam’s absence today.

Despite its closure, Clark Foam’s legacy endures. The innovation that Grubby Clark brought to the industry, combined with the collaborations he fostered, continues to influence the way boards are made. Today, shapers all over the world still look back to Clark Foam as the gold standard, and the boards they create—whether they’re destined for a local surf break or the heavy barrels of the North Shore—are built upon the same principles of craftsmanship and innovation that Clark pioneered.

So the next time you catch a perfect wave, remember: you're not just riding the swell, you're riding the legacy of Clark Foam and the waves of history that made surfing what it is today.