The answer:
Keen surfer Ron Hasted is very familiar with the damage that the sun and ocean can cause to surfboards.
So instead of sitting idly by, Ron set about designing a stronger and durable surfboard. The result: aluminium coated surfboards.
The 0.6mm thick aluminium skin increases toughness but keeps an ability to flex, creating a smooth and comfortable ride.
They have a higher resistance to impact and do not suffer fibreglass rot, delamination and ultraviolet degradation.
The rider also gains greater speeds off the crest of waves, providing a more responsive board.
The boards, thanks to the highly polished chrome-like appearance, also look out of the ordinary. This provides the user with a completely novel and "radical" image.
One of the keys to the invention has been the perfection of a secret technique to apply molten aluminium to the foam core without melting the foam.
And importantly the skin forms a mechanical bond, rather then a weaker chemical bond as is the case with fibreglass.
Development has spanned 10 months and has only ramped up seriously since the Gold Coast surf expo in March.
Ron and his team are now putting in long hours on the development of the product and it should be ready for a launch in the coming months.
Ron's day job as a marine engineer requires him to fly-in, fly-out to various seas around South-East Asia, working on a five weeks on, five weeks off basis.
He has found this to be an ideal arrangement as the job pays the bills, while allowing him plenty of time to immerse himself in the development of the surfboard.
So far the project has cost Ron more than $24,000 in research and development, as well as obtaining patents. It also involved about 780 hours of work.
The retail price is expected to be about the same as normal boards, but it is envisaged that the superior performance characteristics of the new boards will eventually make it the board of choice for surfers.
Ron is keen to pick up a major sponsor for his board company, and also would like one or more high-profile users to check out the boards for themselves.
Whats with the battering.
... Strong heat can do nasty things to boards.
