When Jacksonville, Florida surfboard shaper Clay Bennett closed up his shop two years ago to move to Texas he reportedly owed close to $30,000 in boards and cash to his customers. Now he’s back in town and some aren’t to happy about it according to a story on Jacksonville.com.
Bennett riled some surfboard customers in 2007 because he owed them boards that had been paid for when he moved to Galveston, Texas, where he continued shaping boards. Bennett said he always intended to settle his debts, but when he was providing boards for prizes at a Gulf Coast surf contest, Florida surf Internet sites such as Fluidgroove and Surf Station lit up with criticism from some of Bennett’s former customers. Others offered support for him, praising his skills and surfboard designs.
For one more reminder that talented, well-meaning shapers are often bad businessmen, click the link.
[Link: Jacksonville.com]
For the second time in the last couple of years, Florida Times Union and Shorelines has found it necessary to run an article degrading local surf legend and surfboard shaper Clay Bennett.
In this trying economy, hundreds of businesses have failed and thousands of people have lost their jobs. Unlike many of these business owners, Mr. Bennett has openly described his efforts to make good on past agreements he has with previous customers. He could have taken the easy way out by declaring bankruptcy and left his clients with nothing.
Clay Bennett makes a great product. All he needs to succeed and retire his debts is a stronger economy and a second chance from surfboard retailers. Having Tim Tebow wearing his t-shirt on ESPN wouldn’t hurt either.
Articles such as theirs serve only to rub his nose in the dirt, and have the appearance of a cheap shot at a truly good guy. I don’t see the Times Union and Shorelines printing articles about any other failed businesses in the area. I’m not sure why they have chosen to single out Clay Bennett for this type of treatment.
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