Deal of the century or buyer beware? Photo: Craigslist
Hot off the heels of a Tesla and …Lost Surfboards collaboration that produced surfboards for $1,500 bucks a pop and sold out almost instantly, someone recently listed a $15,000 surfboard on Craigslist, and it’s, uh, something.
The description provided is rife with superlatives. “Highest technological surfboards [sic] ever designed and built.” Or, “unmatched in it’s [sic] uniqueness, beauty, and technology anywhere in the world.” And for $15,000 it better be. Hell, for that price it better make you surf well enough to qualify for the Championship Tour.
But what’s unique about it? According to J Michael Caldwell, the designer and creator, the board has a, “hollow carbon honeycomb skin inclosing [sic] full-length carbon suspension rods connected to ‘hydrofoil fins,’ inside the board.” What sort of feel the design is supposedly meant to create is unclear.
Hydrofoil fins. Photo: Craigslist
And why the high asking price? Caldwell explains that compared to the cost to produce, it’s an absolute steal. “The hydrofoil fins alone would cost at least $10,000 to replicate, the molds $25,000, and the internial [sic] carbon suspension system and board materials $10,000.” Okay, so at $15,000 you’re looking at almost 70 percent markdown.
Whether this crazy looking surfboard is the wave of the future or a buyer beware situation ultimately comes down to how it rides. So, if you’re feeling tempted might we recommend trying before buying?
