Toobs

Company

Toobs is a bodyboard manufacturer based in Morro Bay, California.

History
Toobs was started in 1988 by Buzz Morasca and Ben Steelhead. The two friends spotted an ad in the Fresno Bee offering a "Surfboard manufacturing business for sale." It turned out to be a bodyboarding manufacturing business in Sanger, California and following negotiations that began at $25,000, Buzz and Ben bought the assets for $7,500.
Their first sale happened when Ben and Buzz had visited a local surf shop in Cayucos, California to check out inventory and pricing of current bodyboards. After witnessing a would-be customer decline to pay $50 for a bodyboard, the pair followed him back to his home and made the first Toobs bodyboard sale.

After many lessons learned and many upgrades in equipment, materials and the manufacturing process, Toobs products literally began to take shape. Both Heath Erickson and Simon Mason offered plenty of early advice that was incorporated into their designs. Toobs was the pioneer in innovations such as the "tubular stringer", a hollow fiber-glass tube put inside the core to increase stiffness. Toobs also pioneered roller finished edges on boards.

Through word-of-mouth and exposure at competitions, Toobs boards became popular among bodyboarders. As Toobs sales representative, Paul Clare expanded their reach internationally as well as domestically with large revenues coming in from Asia. This was also aided by Nick Mesritz and Toobs Australia. Unfortunately, the crash of the Asian economy in the summer of 1997 and a botched clothing line had a substantial negative impact on the company. Toobs suffered cutbacks all across the company including their team, management and employees. The company was burdened by debt, but fortunately managed to stay in business.

Currently, Toobs is a healthy company with distributors, online sales, and amateur and shop rider programs. They have been and continue to be a very personable company with a large following of loyal customers. Toobs arguably has the best custom board program as well as the best boards for dropknee riding. They also arguably have the most soul of any bodyboard out there.

The name "Toobs" was born when Buzz, Ben and their wives were having a barbeque and Ben's wife said "you guys love to ride tubes, and both of your names start with ‘b’s’ so why don’t you call it TOOBS?"

Products
Toobs currently offers 16 different board models through their website, as well as a custome board program. All boards have options available to tailor to individual rider needs.

Toobs also produces rescue sleds for a company in Hawaii.

Former Toobs products included a "hybrid" line of boards constructed in bodyboard fashion, but suited for standup surfing.

Team
Toobs has had a number of top riders as members of thier pro team over the years. Some of them include:
*Heath Erickson
*Simon Mason
*Kalani Kahaloumi
*Chris Won
*Manny Vargas
*Mark Dale
*Jack Lindholm
*Paul Roach
*Kyle Maligro

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