A few months after cork surfboards have started to be developed for the Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara, he claims to have found the ideal material that will allow him to tackle the fury of the waves of Nazaré in the short term. This is another initiative of the MBoard project led by Mercedes-Benz combining the use of advanced technology with materials of excellence, with a view to developing high performance surfboards.
The development process is now completed and as soon as the ideal conditions for surfing will be present, we’ll be able to watch Garrett McNamara riding these new cork surfboards at any time. According to the legendary surfing world record holder, cork endows these boards with the same features of a "magic carpet ".
In the words of Garrett McNamara: "This project means a lot to me for several reasons. On the one hand, the use of a cork stringer allows for greater functionality and strength of the surfboard while, at the same time, enabling increased flexibility for the surfer and for the shaper who can customize the board. On the other hand, it is the environmental factor. The cork stringer will, certainly, revolutionize the surfing industry. Just imagine the additional incentive in terms of maintenance and care of the cork oak forests worldwide that this represents for an industry such as the cork industry that does not need to cut down the trees. I am proud to team up in this project with Mercedes-Benz and Amorim, two companies that are the best in their fields and are placing all their know-how at the service of the surfing world."
The blanks used in the new surfboards are of the CoreCork range of products manufactured by Amorim Cork Composites and provide the boards with significant impact strength and flexibility that are essential to withstand safely the impact of giant waves.
Hugo Cartaxana, shaper and founder of SPO, highlights the benefits of using cork, especially as regards weight, flexibility, strength, damping capacity and wave shock absorbing capacity: "Cork has a good feasibility to be used in tow-in surfboards because it makes the boards heavier and more flexible. Cork will accordingly become a highly sought-after material for this type of surfboards."
Joerg Heinermann, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Portugal said: "Mercedes-Benz has always been concerned about the sustainability factor in the development of its car models and commercial vehicles. With our involvement in the MBoard project, it is very natural that Mercedes-Benz will support the development of surfboards made out of sustainable materials, although highly resistant, durable and flexible to withhold the impact of big waves. This is our commitment at Mercedes-Benz: The best or nothing."
In his turn, Carlos de Jesus, marketing and communication manager at Corticeira Amorim, highlights "Amorim's attitude and willingness to continuously develop innovative cork composite materials with different densities and sizes that effectively respond to the needs of our partners. Our willingness to listen and work in close cooperation with different business players has been, indeed, a decisive factor that has led to the development of many new uses of cork in recent years."
Two cork surfboards have just been delivered to Garrett McNamara for tow in surfing. These surfboards can be seen in action in the most recent world surfing event organized by Mercedes-AMG Red Chargers, that will be taking place in Nazaré until 29 February 2016. But the big news is the new cork surfboards that were first developed using a stringer entirely made of cork to replace the traditional wood stringers. This, in addition to the flexibility that cork offers which translates into a board that feels light and responsive. This innovation prevents cutting down trees for making the traditional wood stringers - a forward thinking, innovative and environmentally conscious measure as a result of a greener and a more sustainable surfboard production method.
Three surfboards, out of a total of 12, have already been delivered to Garrett and are strategically distributed over 4 locations worldwide so the surfer can move rapidly in search of the largest waves in the world without having to carry the boards when traveling the globe.
