Eco-friendly Boards Arrive In The SUP Scene

Ryan Harris and Todd Patterson of E-tech Boards.

SAN DIEGO, California - Technology and innovation of surfboard and paddleboard making is seeming to advance at a pace unlike any other. Every year there is always something new and better to help with performance and durability, and E-tech Boards is taking it one step further.

E-tech Boards are relatively new to the industry of board making but they are making a solid name for themselves in not only the SUP industry, but the surfing industry as well. Todd Patterson and Ryan Harris, co-founders of E-tech Boards, take a different approach at board making and they aim to make their products environmentally friendly using the most sustainable (as well as incredibly light and high performance) materials out there that have as small an impact on the environment as possible.

Supconnect had the chance to talk with Todd Patterson and ask him about E-tech Boards:

Supconnect: So what is E-tech, and how did it come to be?

Todd: E-Tech is the first full scale all Eco Surfboard and SUP manufacturing facility offering eco board building services the industry.Ryan and I were both local shapers at the time (about 5 years ago). I was building eco boards out of my studio while Ryan was building eco boards under the Entropy Resins warehouse. When Entropy pulled the plug on surfboard production, I was Ryan's first phone call. We immediately hooked up, joined forces and decided to launch our own new ecoboard line together and offering eco board building services to the industry.

It seems you are pretty passionate about eco-products, what fueled this fire?

Many reasons actually. Knowing how toxic normal board construction is and how it is damaging our oceans. Health reasons. The fact the there are now Eco products that are at least as good as, if not better than, their non Eco counterparts. These are just a few of the reasons we are increasingly passionate about the products we represent.

What makes your product eco-friendly? How does it set itself apart from other materials?

It starts with the blank, we use recyclable eps, or recycled Envirofoam from Marko, we only use sustainably harvested wood for the stringers or bamboo. And the resin of course!!! Super Sap from Entropy Resins is the only USDA certified bio epoxy, and it is the only resin we use. We also utelize vacuum bagging as much as possible to reduce the total amount of fiberglass and resin used. bamboo veneers, as well as many industry firsts in terms of eco materials. We have a honeycomb foam made from recycled plastic bottles, and several different types of fiberglass replacement materials both recyclable and bio based.

Does the eco-aspect of your product make it more expensive to buy?

No! Our boards are no more expensive than any other U.S. made epoxy boards. The difference here is actually WHERE its made. Given that approx 95% of SUP's in the U.S. are made overseas with little to no environmental regulations and underpaid workers. U.S. made boards are more expensive, but, dare I say, Higher quality.

In a very competitive industry, E-tech seems to be growing rapidly, despite being such a new company. Why do you think this is?

Well...we have paid our due's. From the garage to being mentored by some of the industry greats, to struggling to bring something brand new to the industry, we have shown that we are not going anywhere. We have also proven time and time again that our products are not just Eco, but also extremely high performance and durable.

Who have you partnered with, who are you currently working with, and who do you hope to collaborate with in the future?

We are currently working closely with LOST Surfboards. We also work with Channel Islands, Cole, Robert's, Pau Hana, Invert and others. There are many people we would be stoked to work with. Kelly Slater, Jerry Lopez, Joe Bark, Laird Hamilton...these are just a few.

What do you see/hope for E-tech in the future?

In the immediate Future, Ryan is taking a promotional West Coast trip to both educate and capture some SUP sales. There are plans for other green glass shops, and while it has not been our plan to monopolize this, since we set the bar we will be consulting with anyone that plans to pursue green glassing. We will continue to educate the public and keep dispelling the old myths about eco boards. An eco lifestyle brand is a long term goal, with our own full line of surfcraft. From handplanes to surfboards and SUP's. GREEN is finally in in our industry and we hope to continue to raise the standard on what makes a high performance eco board.

Tell our audience, why E-tech?

Look...I'm not going to give some cheezy sales pitch about why we're so great. "Helping keep the Blue planet Green" is our motto. We're just trying to green up the industry one board at a time. We don't make claims...we educate with facts. We make the most environmentally responsible, high performance surfcraft on the planet and we are quite proud of that. And we are constantly striving for better. How can we make the boards more Eco? How can we make them perform better? how can we make them last even longer. We just want to share the stoke with as many people as we can. So... Why E-Tech? I guess I would say because we are one of a kind. Shouldn't YOU be?

For more info on E-tech Boards go to their website at www.etechsurf.com 

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