Joe Bark SUP Stand Up Paddle Board Factory Tour and New Race Boards
Joe Bark is one of the dominant shapers for paddleboards and stand up paddle race boards. On a recent trip to California I stopped by his factory and Joe gave me a quick tour. I found the address for the factory but it was a series of warehouse buildings, many without any signs. Just as I was going to call Joe to ask which one he was in, I saw a huge pile of foam. At that point, I knew I found the right place. Joe also spent some time showing the new boards he’s working on and how he tests their performance. I took a few pictures but the videos will give you a personal tour of the factory.
Video Part 1:
(click thumbnail to launch video)
Video Part 2:
(click thumbnail to launch video)
Joe Bark unloading an 18 Foot SUP Racer
Joe Bark Paddleboards, surfboards and SUP’s
Joe Bark shaping room
Joe Bark shaping and sanding a new SUP racer
Carbon and fiberglass cloth
Joe Bark board prototypes
Joe Bark’s partner Charley
Joe Bark 18′ race SUP’s
Joe Bark repairs
Great interview Evan! It really conveys the consumate professional Joe is and how meticulous he is with his R & D. It shows in his boards which are not only fast but have superb craftsmanship and are almost works of art. On top of that most people also know how nice a guy Joe is but if not its worth mentioning. At BOP Joe had loaner boards for all the Hawaii crew and his other team riders including a brand new 18′ for me to use. I really would have rather have had a used demo board but he insisted. So we were all styled out for the race which helped immensely since it is not practical to take boards up for the race. At the pro race the boards were taking a beating from the conditions but Joe calmly took it in stride saying that is part of the deal in racing. He was there everyday from early in the morning till late afternoon demoing boards and making sure everyone was taken care of. He is definitely a man of aloha and it carries over into his business which is why he is so successful.
Keep paddling!
Jeff
wetfeethawaii.com
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