Cross section of EPS & wood laminate (with holes) circa 1983. The brown, or “dirty” foam just inside the wood skins shows resin intrusion into the spaces between the cells of foam. This is where water is absorbed. Closed cells, but open spaces between.

The Bamboo Evolution, a review:
Chapter 2 –
WINDSURFING in the 1980’s:
The next phase of wooden boardbuilding

As more Woodenboards™ were built and tested,
I finally learned how to wrap the veneer around
and overlap at the rails. About this time, 1980,
Woodwinds Sailboards™ was born in Sausalito.
In the years following, dozens of EPS cored
wood/epoxy skinned sailboards were made in
Santa Cruz, Europe and Oakland.

In late 1979 and through the 1980’s, Windsurfing was growing rapidly. San Francisco Bay and Kailua, Oahu area were the hotbeds of new board and equipment development. Many experimental shapes were tried in Wood with shapers like Steve Boehne, Doug Haut, myself and others.

Windsurfers™ at the time were heavy – 50 pounds – and were designed for lighter winds. For a year or two, Woodwinds Sailboards ™ at half the weight, were on the cutting edge of new, lighter board development.

1979 - first Hollow wood skinned Sailboard based on a shape by Steve Boehne. This was a flat water lake sailboard design. Shorter, lighter surfboard shapes emerged later as sailors’ ability increased and surfers got into the sport.

A stubby Windsurf experimental speed model for Hoyle Schweitzer, co-founder of Windsurfer™. This Clark core had two stringers -shaped by Steve Boehne, circa 1979. mahogany, padouk and teak.

1980: Shaping EPS – stringerless – in the Sausalito Woodwinds shop

Due to the problems with water absorbtion and thermal delamination with EPS, in 1983 I searched for other foams. EXTRUDED PolyStyrene - XPS - became the foam of choice because it did not absorb water, so I started using XPS exclusively in Woodwinds Sailboards™.

Probably one of the most challenging boards I have ever made: 13 feet long, 13 inches of nose rocker in the first 4 feet, and four perfectly straight, 1/2 inch deep channels for 9 feet of “planing section”.

Originally built for Woodwinds™ team rider Steve Sylvester, he had sold it to this proud owner. Not sure who this is, someone sent me this photo. Mahogany and teak. Circa 1981

Shaping stringerless, rockerless EPS at the Woodwinds Sailboards™ factory in Dordrecht, Netherlands. Summer 1982

Meanwhile, the sailboard industry had developed it’s own white Extruded PolyStyrene foam blanks - although usually with stringers. Vacuum bagging, epoxy and other, more “exotic materials” were being commonly used in sailboard construction by 1982.

With better sails, lighter boards, high-speed fins and foot straps - sailors with experience now had equipment that allowed them to handle windier conditions. More challenging areas like Maui and the Gorge opened up as the Windsurfing market gathered speed.

I had a lot of interest in Woodwinds™ in Europe, so I followed the breeze to the Netherlands to set up the first Woodwinds factory.

To be continued………………..