Airwave Surfboards; Spring 2022 ME Mag

What started as a hobby has quickly become a business for Caleb, the son of a USN Veteran and US Army Special Forces Operator. It all began during a PCS; while Caleb was hand surfing out the car window, he got to thinking… wouldn't it be cool if we could make a toy surfboard to surf out the car window? The family was in the midst of a move, so Caleb's mom thought the timing was not the best, but his dad was intrigued, so they started talking about Caleb's idea. Seeing Caleb's excitement about this idea and his determination to make this happen, Caleb's parents ordered a 3D printer. After some time tinkering with the surfboard design, Caleb asked about his parent's thoughts on selling the toys. To help keep Caleb's business idea moving forward, his dad enlisted the help of an engineer to assist with the Auto CAD Program. After numerous different sizing and weight adjustments, Caleb began to print the boards with the 3D printer and hand drill the holes individually to tie the leash on. After trying several types of cord for the leash, he found one that could be tied onto the wrist while held out the window.

Making the boards, one by one, was taking quite some time; it was a family effort just printing the boards; we were constantly re-starting the printers when we heard them stop. We decided to purchase additional 3D printers to help the production rate. Caleb was busy night and day, constantly taking the boards off and starting the machines again. While Caleb was in charge of production, his parents worked on the business, licensing the name and design.

Once Caleb, had two hundred boards printed, we headed to the local surf shop, Mavericks, to see if there was any interest in selling the boards. The store owner was impressed with Caleb's idea and design but thought his display could use a little work. So, we went back home and worked on the presentation using the suggestions of the surf shop owner. It wasn't too long before we were back at Maverick's with a new display, and Maverick's became the first surf shop to sell Airwaves Surfboards.

The boards were such a hit that Caleb's mom decided to reach out to Ron Jon's Surf Shop, the most famous surf shop in the world, to see if they might be interested in the boards. They were skeptical but interested but needed to see a sample. A week after we sent the sample, we got that call that they wanted to carry the boards in their stores! We soon realized that 3D printers would not work well enough to meet the demands for the number of boards Ron Jon's requested; we quickly adapted the design to a mold, and the boards are now made via injection molding.

It's been over a year since this business venture began; it's still a family effort to get the boards produced and out the door. Caleb's parents are proud of him for his hard work and determination for his growing business. The family hopes to get Air Waves Surf Boards in more stores this year. If you are in Ron Jon's Surf Shops, be sure to look for the boards or shop at www.airwaveboards.surf