On December 16th, a chemical fire engulfed Global Glassing, a surfboard glassing factory in San Diego. A Go Fund Me account has been set up to provide some relief. Photo: GoFundMe (L), Taylor Steele/Instagram (R)
An institution of fiberglass and foam for the last 30 years, there’s a good chance that your surfboard was laminated at Global Glassing in Oceanside, California.
On December 16th at 11:30 a.m. the busy surfboard factory was working on Christmas orders when a chemical reaction involving acetone started a fire that quickly engulfed the entire industrial building; causing $500,000 dollars worth of damage and putting ten people out of work. One non-fatal injury was reported as six employees were able to get out of the building as it quickly shot up in flames.
Global Glassing produces boards for Channel Islands, Slater Designs, Firewire, Chemistry, and a wide array of Southern California shapers. The destruction will have reverberations through the entire board-building community.
A GoFundMe campaign has been created to help those displaced by the fire.
Please donate as those who make our toxic toys are the backbone of the entire surfing experience. Their job is critical, but they often don’t receive the praise or the pay they deserve. Those impacted are asking for $20,000 to purchase new tools and get back to work.
