Scientists Save Surfers

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed a "water-blown, closed-cell, rigid polyurethane foam that features formulations as low as 2 lbs.-per-cubic foot density." So what's the big deal? Well, for starters, the National Nuclear Security Administration can use the foam to protect sensitive electronic and mechanical equipment from "harsh weapons environments." But forget about that. The really important thing is that this material could save the country's $200 million surfboard manufacturing market, Sandia officials say. Manufacturers and sellers of surfboards have been in a panic since late last year, when the leading manufacturer of polyurethane surfboard foam closed its doors in the face of increasingly stringent environmental restrictions. Sandia's TufFoam, which the lab is actively seeking to license, doesn't require the chemical that has run afoul of regulators.