Company Profile: The Foam Company

Maui Hawaii

Winter 2005

Maui is full of talented bodyboarders, therefore it is fitting that the island has it’s own bodyboard specific shop: The Foam Company.

The 850-square foot store opened in December of 2003. The store is located right across the street from Kahului Harbor, which gets pretty sick in the winter. The store is located 15 minutes from the north shore and a half hour from the south shore for a nice central location for bodyboarders to access.

“Sometimes a person can find a higher bodyboarder to surfer ratio in the lineup on Maui and fortunately there’s very little friction between bodyboarders and surfers. The waves on Maui are very diverse, which is good for our sport because it is so versatile. We recognized that the market on Maui is big, and is only going to get better as the island population grows, and as more people get into it,” Alisha Kayama said.

The two owners Cary and Alisha Kayama have been bodyboarding for a long time and shared the same vision of opening a bodyboard only shop.

“We wanted to do something we believed in, and fortunately the lack of board choices on Maui and a growing bodyboarding population created a special opportunity for us to fill a large void in the bodyboarding community. We prayed about our vision for nearly two years before the doors were opened. Everything just fell into place, like it was meant to be. Much thanks to friends in the industry who supported our vision,” Kayama said.

Business is seasonal just like any other surf shop. Winter and summer are obviously the best seasons, but people are always coming into the shop.

“There are also a lot of regulars who come in a few times a week to cruise. We have a bunch of DVD, a couch and a Play Station 2, so friends can come and hang out,” Kayama said.

The foam shops best selling product as of late has been Ballistic boards and a DVD produced by Maui local Michael Kini, titled “Operation 7: The Lost Tapes,” which features all Maui riders with the exception of Jeff Hubbard.

The store has done quite well and the owners are optimistic.

“Bodyboarding is making a comeback. Right now we don’t have a solid monthly mag, but mags do exist and they are growing. The Internet is also playing an increasing role in industry growth, as we have seen online mags sprout up, along with message boards, galleries and other Web sites dedicated to our sport. People are making their own underground bodyboarding DVDs and clothing companies. The tricks are getting crazier, bodyboarders are surfing more critical waves, and the younger groms are killing it like no one has ever seen. Bodyboarding will never go away and I think this new era will surpass anything that we had before,” Kayama said.