NEIL Rech opened a surf shop on the Gold Coast last month and unwittingly disturbed the peace.
His store, Sedition Surfboards at Coolangatta, sells Chinese imports for $250, one-third the cost of some Australian-made boards that competitors are offering.
Rival retailers averse to discounts and upset about local job losses questioned his patriotism and even threatened violence, he said.
"It's quite heavy," said Mr Rech, of the backlash.
He was a teacher for two years in China before deciding to open a store.
"I realised how cheap you can actually get these boards so I thought it'd be a great opportunity to bring them here and sell them to the public cheaper."
Inexpensive imports from Asia, coupled with a 54 per cent jump in the Aussie dollar since October 2008, have delivered a double dose of pain to Australia's surfboard manufacturers, as previously reported in The Courier-Mail.
Australia's board builders are facing a choice: close down, or try to preserve local designs and branding by applying them to products made abroad.
"We have to adapt," said Michelle Blauw, co-owner of D'Arcy Surfboards at Currumbin and president of the Australian Surf Craft Industry Association. "You can't always point the finger and blame everybody else for the situation that you're in."
Weaker consumer spending is adding to the pinch as the slowing global recovery hurts sales at companies including surfwear retailer Billabong International.
The Gold Coast-based surf-clothing brand's share price plunged 78 per cent last year, while the broader Australian market - the benchmark ASX 200 Index - lost 15 per cent.
Read more on Courier Mail
