Article: Tide turns against California's surfboard makers

For California's world-famous surfboard manufacturers, time looks to be finally running out on the endless summer that started in the Sixties and saw them bring their sport, together with its laid-back beach culture, to a global audience.

Artisan firms, which until recently still dominated the multimillion-dollar industry, are facing a crippling financial crisis. Many craftsmen, who turn blocks of foam into the colourful wave-riding equipment, have hit the wall; others are down-sizing or going part-time.

A collapse in America's wider retail market is to blame, together with increased wage bills, competition from cheap imports, and the burden of new environmental regulations. Experts report ...

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