Mercedes is known for being one of most successful car manufacturers in the entire industry, offering plenty of different models to accommodate any and all customer preferences. While everyone is constantly anticipating what new vehicle the company will unveil next, it turns out Mercedes has actually been dabbling into other markets as well. In 2013 the company revealed their latest project, the “MBoard,” the first of many future Mercedes surfboards, and now in 2014 they have another surfboard product coming out.
The new surfboard is a nice combination of gold and black coloring with the three pointed Mercedes logo large and center towards the nose end of the board. The board was created for Garrett McNarmara, a surfer out of Portugal who was the rider of the 2013 Mercedes board as well. The new Mercedes board is made from cork to provide flexibility for the riders when maneuvering on big waves but still strong enough that it won’t easily snap in half. Portugal is the world’s largest cork producer, so Mercedes came up with the idea to use a resource from the home country of the board’s rider.
McNamara is 47 years old and has been a professional surfer since 1978 (36 years). He’s known as a big wave surfer that has accomplished many amazing surfing feats within his career of riding. He holds the record for the largest wave ever surfed and has also surfed tidal waves created by falling glaciers in Alaska. The Mercedes boards are crafted to withstand these massive waves and hold strong if they happen to get crashed down upon. The cork really provides a strong base while still allowing surfers like McNamara to cruise back and forth, making sharp cuts and turns with ease.
The Mercedes surfboards are a nice side project that the company has started, and although they aren’t mass producing them and finding retailers, maybe they will in the future. This is only the project’s second year and it’s interesting to see them innovate into other areas away from the automobile industry.
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