The surf culture knows that protecting the waves is necessary to ensuring that the waves will be there in the future. To this end Kitson Boards has changed the way boards are made. Instead of the usual foam and fiberglass, Kitson’s team is utilizing carbon fiber for boards that will last a lifetime.
Michael Kitson, the president of the company, along with engineer Travis Dodge told us why carbon fiber is the way to catch the wave.
KineticShift: What made Kitson look to carbon fiber for surfboards?
Michael Kitson: The technology of boards is stuck in the 1950’s. Weak foam and fiberglass. The foam gives off VOC’s which is unacceptable to the health of environment. We wanted to create the strongest, lightest and safest boards in the world. We wanted to differentiate ourselves from the rest with the best most advanced boards in the world.
Travis Dodge: Carbon fiber is an up and coming composite material, which offers several times the strength of traditional fiberglass surfboards. Aesthetically it is more appealing than fiberglass finished boards.
KS: Does it pose any challenges?
TD: Carbon fiber is also a lot more difficult to work with and transform into a finished product. Anyone can make a fiberglass surfborard. We wanted to differentiate ourselves in the market.
KS: Does this material offer benefits over traditional materials?
TD: When searching for a surfboard you either want strength, or lightweight product. By using carbon fiber our customers don’t have to compromise. Our boards are the strongest, lightest boards on the market.
KS: What about weight?
MK: Minimum of 20% lighter and 145% stronger than a comparable sized traditional board. Also the safest as water can not be absorbed by our closed cell foam and therefore will be a floatation device.
KS: One issue with carbon fiber is that it isn’t easily recyclable so what happens if a board is cracked or dented?
MK: Good question! Actually we will be offering the ability for people to recycle their carbon fiber. We as a manufacturer have extremely little waste because of the large variety of products we are able to craft from each foam sheets. In the unlikely event that the carbon fiber was to be penetrated, we can easily repair it at a very reasonable cost and is a service we do currently offer.
KS: Can it be repaired?
TD: As far as repairing a board, I wouldn’t use the world recycled as much as I would refurbished. There are several, and several more companies to come, recycling composite materials to make new composite material. With our EPS closed cell foam core, a dent or crack isn’t going to percolate into our boards and saturate the material.
KS: Is carbon fiber making it easier to customize boards?
MK: Carbon fiber requires a specialized manufacturing processes. However because we have designed our total manufacturing process to be flexible, our products are totally customizable to the user.
TD: I wouldn’t say carbon fiber is making it easier to manufacture per say. Carbon fiber isn’t an easy material to form and work with. We offer carbon fiber because it’s the best, not because it’s easy. A world-class CNC machine, and J.I.T. manufacturing processes allow us to keep costs low and creating customizable boards easier and easier.
KS: What else can we expect from Kitson?
TD: Kitson boards is just beginning. We offer surfboards, paddleboards, bodyboards, and most recently surf wakes and soon wakeboards. We of course would like to offer all types of boards, even outside the water-sports industry. I wouldn’t be surprised if we start designing skateboards, long boards, snowboards and some new products board industry hasn’t yet seen.
MK: We initially intend to expand into all sorts of water crafts products. In addition, our proprietary and patent pending technology allows the transfer of this technology into many other high tech applications. The automotive and aircraft industries are driving these advanced materials and we have the ability to service these industries.
Thank you to Michael and Travis for taking with us.