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Gimmicks are not always well
received in such a notoriously skeptical consumer culture as surfing. “So,
like, if you put this four-foot-long paisley sticker on the bottom of your
surfboard, the sharks will leave you alone...” Validity isn’t propelled by a
groovy logo or double-pun catchphrase. When introducing any new product to the
action sports market — from fin keys to wax removers — one needs an
acid test, some reputable trialists sans sugarcoating, and a loud coming-out
party.
Enter Surf Nano Products
— the brainchild of Sea Isle City, NJ, visionaries Andy Giordano and
Howard Loveless. Their subtly named “Board Enhancer” is a clear, nanotechnology (look it up, Einstein) coating that, according to some raving testimonials, creates a
water-repellent, UV-resistant, friction-free surface that increases board speed
and overall performance when applied to the underside of
any snow or watersports board — skis, snowboards, surfboards, wakeboards,
etc. The hydrophobic substance forms a molecular bond with the surface, resulting
in an ultra-thin, non-stick, protective coating that creates a layer of air
between the surface and the board, reducing drag while increasing board speed,
quickness through turns, and thrust for radical maneuvers. Its UV-resistant
qualities reduce board discoloration, since salt sticks to the surface, and one
application can last for up to six months. The application poses no health
risks and takes less than an hour, coming in a clamshell kit with a 2 oz.
bottle of Board Cleaner, a 2 oz. bottle of Board Enhancer, an applicator
cleaning pad, a microfiber finishing towel, and complete instructions.
Depending on the length and size of the surfboard, one kit is enough for four
board applications, and Giordano and Loveless had the existing nanotechnology
chemistry altered for the Board Enhancer to be more specific for epoxy,
fiberglass, composite, polyurethane, and resin-based surfaces.
Once their South Jersey lab rats were sufficiently addicted, Giordano and
Loveless sponsored the Heritage Surf & Sport team, who used the product en
route to victory at the Northeast stop of the Oakley Surf Shop Challenge this May,
and the Ocean City High School Surf Team, who won the New Jersey Regional
Championships of the 2009 Red Bull Riders Cup in May, as well. Further research
commenced everywhere from frigid New England to sweltering Indonesia, and
everyone from pro wakeboarders to accomplished paddleboarders to water photographers applied the Board Enhancer to their watercraft and camera housings
(apparently, saltwater doesn’t bead to it) and reported favorable if not
shocking results. And now, several New Jersey professional
and amateur surfers like the Kelly brothers, ESA Allstar Team Coach Pat
“Surfcat” Emery, journalists like Jon Coen, and Dark Fall filmmaker Alex DePhillipo are putting their reputations
on the line to endorse Surf Nano Products, telling us that Giordano and
Loveless may have indeed captured lightning in a bottle with their homegrown New Jersey super product.
EasternSurf.com: “I’ve got a great idea, guys! Slick shoes!”
Andy Giordano: [awkward silence]…
ESM: You know, Data’s contraption
from The Goonies?
AG: Uh, yes...
ESM: Never mind. So how and when did
this idea come about?
AG: We were introduced to a certain
nanotechnology in the automobile industry and saw its repelling effect on
windshields when driving during rainstorms. Between Christmas and New Year’s of
last year, I thought, “Well, if it’s working on glass, why not fiberglass?” I
applied the product on one of my boards and was truly amazed at what happened in
the way of paddling faster and down-the-line speed, all in a five-mil winter
suit. I was so juiced that I went home, picked up the phone, and called Howard,
who’s my brother-in-law, and said, “I need to talk to you about something.”
ESM: Did you immediately start
gathering data?
AG: Once Howard and I understood what
we had we locked in the global rights to the technology right away. Then we
went to Brian Heritage, who I grew up with in Sea Isle City. We said, “Brian,
look, just do us a favor and give this a shot.” He looked at it with a
skeptical eye, like he always does, and [Heritage teamrider] John Barrie was in
the shop and said, “I’ll try it and give you my honest opinion.” He called back
and said, “There’s something here, no question.” He took two boards out the
next session — one with the product and one without — and said the
one with the Board Enhancer definitely had more glide to it. We thought we had
something viable here, but we needed to hear it come out of a pro surfer’s
mouth. Everyone wants to go faster, and the testimonials are stacking up almost
every day, which really gives us a shot in the arm.
Howard Loveless: Brian Heritage gave
us some very sage advice when we first started the company. He said, “Products
come and go in this industry every day, and whether it works or not, you’re
better off starting it and creating that grassroots effect. That way, you’ll
have staying power in the market.” That’s been our focus, because we don’t have
any direct competition that we know of, so we’re trying to create a demand for
the product by doing free demos and attending a lot of events, getting stickers
on the guys’ boards, and just talking it up. We’re at the point now where we’re
looking for reps and distributors, as well as doing a lot of inside sales
ourselves. We’re trying to kick it up a notch to that second level of business.
ESM: Wouldn’t it be a shame —
and we’ve seen this happen before — if you were to listen to the wrong
people, let your spirit wane, and not follow through with your vision, then
have somebody in California or wherever succeed with the same sort of product?
HL: Yes it
would. In fact, Brian Wynn, who does all the glassing for Heritage, was another
skeptic. So he took the controlled testing approach. He took out the same board
on the same day in the same conditions without the product, came back to the
shop, applied the product to the same board, went back out after an hour, and
reported great results. At this point, we’re attending a number of major events
on the East Coast — the Foster’s Belmar Pro, the ESA Easterns —
and we’ve developed a very good rapport with the ESA and [Executive Director]
Debbie Hodges, who’s been very supportive of us. We have some mid-level pros on
board and would eventually like to see the heavy hitters on the ASP World Tour
using the product.
ESM: How has the Board Enhancer been
received by athletes in other boardsports?
HL: Demoing with paddleboards is the
next biggest success story we have, next to surfing. Billy Neil had some good
luck with the product, finishing 2nd at the SEA NYC Paddle. And we’re sponsoring
Tom Forkin, who placed 5th in the Dean Randazzo Paddle For A Cure, beating out some
professional lifeguards and renowned paddleboarders. We also demoed it at the
New Jersey State Lifeguard Championships, which I witnessed up in Long Beach
Island myself. We have the product on some high school crew boats, some
lifeguard boats, and Andy’s been working with some professional wakeboarders in
Florida. Our focus has primarily been on watersports, but we’ll also turn our
attention to snow sports.
ESM: Where are
you at in terms of branding and marketing?
HL: We’ve
struggled a bit with that, quite honestly. Some of the feedback that we’re
getting is that we need a fresher logo. We’re looking at some professional
firms to help us. Jon Coen gave us a nice referral to a company in Maine, Make Studio,
and I’ve had some initial discussions with them. This is a hands-on grassroots
effort here, but we’re doing what we can. Pat Emery, the ESA Allstar Team
Coach, gave us a glowing testimonial. We demoed his personal board in Belmar
and he plans on giving the product to his teamriders for their upcoming season.
We’re also sponsoring the Dark Fall film
and trying to promote New Jersey and East Coast surfing across the board. I
think either by design or luck we’ve associated ourselves with some really good
players in the industry. Our company really took off when Rob Kelly tried the product
out. He’s been our biggest proponent. In fact, he put together a YouTube video —
we didn’t even know he was doing it — so he’s one of the main guys we’re
putting a lot of our future behind, because he’s a great surfer and such a good
guy.
AG: Half of the
cast in Dark Fall are Heritage riders
— Ian Bloch, Andrew Gesler, Zack Humphreys, Jamie Moran. They’re some
pretty heavy hitters locally, and they’re all saying how much they love using
the product.
ESM: What’s the
easiest way to get the Board Enhancer?
HL: You can order through the site, www.surfnanoproducts.com, and we’re in all three Heritage Surf & Sport
locations, as well as Surfer Supplies, 7th Street Surf Shop, and Cinnamon
Rainbows up in New Hampshire. Everywhere is wide open, and our goal is to be in
every shop and under every board globally. Ideally, we want individuals who
want to buy it to approach their local surf shop and ask for the product, so
that shop will call us and we’ll get that relationship started. Plus, the more
traffic they get in their shop, the more likely they’re gonna sell other things.
People can still buy via the web, but I think our future is trying to align ourselves
with the surf shops.
ESM: So for
being a grassroots East Coast company that’s not even a year old yet, are you
satisfied with your trajectory?
AG: Absolutely.
We were just talking the other night about how far we’ve come in this short
period of time and how many people we’ve been in front of. We took a trip out
to California with the Ocean City High School Team for the Red Bull Riders Cup National
Championships, so we’ve covered some ground. We’re setting up SNP headquarters
at the ESA Easterns in Hatteras and expect good feedback. Once people
experience the nanotechnology, they can’t believe it. I mean, what surfer
doesn’t want to go faster?
Still not buying Andy and Howard’s story? Read some of these
testimonials from Board Enhancer converts:
“After trying the product in
all types of conditions and on different boards, I’m convinced that this
product works! Not only does it add speed to your surfing, it adds quickness to
your turns. I highly recommend this product for all levels of surfing. The
Board Enhancer offered by Surf Nano Products will be the new standard on every
surfboard.” –John Barrie, Heritage Surf & Sport teamrider/ 2009 Garden
State Grudge Match Invitee
“I’ve been in California with
my shaper Mike Walter (of 21-13 Surfboards) getting my equipment wired. I just
picked up two new boards and put the Board Enhancer on both of them. New boards
always feel pretty good the first time you ride them, but these boards fell
into the ‘magic’ category. I was so impressed by the way they felt that I
wanted to really put [the Board Enhancer] to the test. I have an old board that
I rode in most pro events this year that I recently stopped riding. I normally
ride a board three to four months before it loses its glide. I cleaned up this
board and applied the SNP Board Enhancer. It felt as good as it did when I first
got it, if not better. I’m so stoked to be able to continue to compete on this
board that I love so much with confidence that it still rides good as new. I
won’t ever use another board without SNP Board Enhancer again.” –Rob
Kelly, Fox and 21-13 teamrider/ 2009 Garden State Grudge Match invitee/ former
ESA and NSSA East Coast champion
“Had a great trip to Indo. The
Board Enhancer worked great. I felt a noticeable difference in the boards that
I’ve ridden all over the world. The boards also spent a good amount of time in
the equatorial sun and showed no signs of yellowing.” –Dave Breisacher,
photographer/ owner of Garden
State Surf Magazine
“At first I was skeptical, but
after trying it out and seeing that the product actually adds speed to the
boards, we decided to incorporate it in the manufacturing of all Heritage
Surfboards. We have also found that the Board Enhancer has board-saving
qualities with the UV protection factor that is incorporated into the
nanotechnology itself.” –Brian Heritage, Heritage Surf & Sport
owner/ shaper
“I nailed it, scored 5th, which
for an old fart in a field of 22 lifeguards is pretty good! I actually finished
ahead of Sven and a number of all-star lifeguards, so I am stoked.” –Tom
Forkin, 2009 Dean Randazzo Paddle For A Cure competitor
“I can’t tell if it’s faster or
smoother than car wax. I know the theory works, and would rather use this product
than car wax, because it would last longer and hold up to saltwater longer.
I’ve been catching more waves in the lineup and out-paddling lots of other
surfers more than usual.” –Ron Belanger, ESA-Southern New England
District co-director
“I like it! The boards feel
like they have some extra pizzazz, and a very slick and slippery feeling.” –Kai
Dilling, Sol Shapes Surfboards shaper/ owner
“My board rocks!” –Chris
Kelly, ESA All-Star Team member and Ocean City High School Surf Team captain/
2009 Garden State Grudge Match invitee
“It was almost like re-learning
how to surf my board with a volume button. On one roundhouse, I carried so much
speed through the turn I was able to unleash a backhand smash like you’re
supposed to. I couldn’t believe what I was feeling! It was like I was on a
skateboard throwing the board around. If you are ready to turn up the volume on
your surfing, then you must have this product. This technology will take
competition surfing as well as freesurfing to a new level, and bring back the
‘fun factor’. This will be used exclusively on the boards of the ESA Allstar
Team.” –Pat Emery, 2009 ESA Allstar Team coach/ 2009 Garden State Grudge Match
invitee
For inquiries, to send sales rep
resumes, or to carry Surf Nano Products in your shop, e-mail andygiordano@surfnanoproducts.com or hloveless@surfnanoproducts.com, or visit www.surfnanoproducts.com
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