How a stolen surfboard launched a global surf empire ⁠65%

By Arabella Bennett⁠97%

6/29/2026, 6:30:54 PM

BS Summary: This article contains 23 faulty reasoning types, including Halo Effect, Appeal to Authority, and Optimism Bias, with Post Hoc (False Cause) as the most egregious example at 46.6% saturation with 146 hits. Analysis detected 990 faulty-reasoning hits from 313 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 59.3% and a BS Rank of ⁠65% (7,306 of 20,407 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 64.20% of the article peer group.

A surfboard stolen from a California teenager nearly seven decades ago helped launch what has become one of the world's most recognizable handcrafted surfboard brands. 
FOX Business correspondent Kelly Saberi joined FOX Business’ Stuart Varney on "Varney & Co." to highlight Harbour Surf Shop in Seal Beach, California, home to the world's oldest surfboard manufacturing shop operating continuously from the same location. 
Founded after Rich Harbour decided to build his own board when his original was stolen, the shop continues to operate from the same location, preserving many of the original tools and shaping templates that helped establish its reputation. 
Current owner Robert Howson said the company's focus has never been chasing professional surfing trends, but instead understanding everyday surfers. 
BELOVED PIZZA CHAIN TURNS AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY INTO SUMMER-LONG CELEBRATION 
"I think the level of appreciation for handcrafted products is improving globally… We are not one that follows necessarily professional surfing as a barometer to the success of surfing. 
We take a look at the people that are at the beach. 
What are they enjoying?" 
Howson said. 
That philosophy has helped keep the brand relevant across generations. 
Each surfboard is still crafted in the original shaping room, and the company produces only about 400 boards each year, emphasizing quality over volume. 
MCDONALD'S BRINGING BACK FRIED APPLE PIE TO CELEBRATE AMERICA'S 250TH BIRTHDAY 
Harbour Surfboards has also earned a place in pop culture. 
The company's iconic triangle logo appeared in the 1959 film, "Gidget," and later in a 1965 television series starring Sally Field, introducing the brand to audiences well beyond Southern California. 
Nearly 70 years after one missing surfboard changed Rich Harbour's path, the shop remains a symbol of American craftsmanship, proving that a small business built on quality and tradition can leave a lasting legacy. 
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP 
Article reasoning-pattern comparisonThis article: 12.5%Arabella Bennett: 8.2%FoxBusiness: 4.4%Confirmation Bias12.5%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 2.6%FoxBusiness: 3.5%Anchoring Bias0.0%This article: 17.6%Arabella Bennett: 5.6%FoxBusiness: 4.1%Availability Heuristic17.6%This article: 11.8%Arabella Bennett: 1.3%FoxBusiness: 1.1%Representativeness Heuristic11.8%This article: 10.9%Arabella Bennett: 1.5%FoxBusiness: 0.7%Hindsight Bias10.9%This article: 3.2%Arabella Bennett: 6.4%FoxBusiness: 3.8%Overconfidence Bias3.2%This article: 9.6%Arabella Bennett: 14.7%FoxBusiness: 13.0%Framing Effect9.6%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 2.4%FoxBusiness: 1.5%Loss Aversion0.0%This article: 19.8%Arabella Bennett: 1.5%FoxBusiness: 1.1%Status Quo Bias19.8%This article: 12.1%Arabella Bennett: 1.5%FoxBusiness: 0.2%Sunk Cost Effect12.1%This article: 20.1%Arabella Bennett: 14.5%FoxBusiness: 8.9%Optimism Bias20.1%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 2.6%FoxBusiness: 2.0%Pessimism Bias0.0%This article: 3.2%Arabella Bennett: 6.7%FoxBusiness: 7.8%Negativity Bias3.2%This article: 6.4%Arabella Bennett: 2.5%FoxBusiness: 4.5%Self-Serving Bias6.4%This article: 6.4%Arabella Bennett: 2.2%FoxBusiness: 0.9%Fundamental Attribution Error6.4%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.0%FoxBusiness: 0.2%Actor-Observer Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.7%FoxBusiness: 1.7%In-Group Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.8%FoxBusiness: 0.8%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias0.0%This article: 40.6%Arabella Bennett: 2.2%FoxBusiness: 3.9%Halo Effect40.6%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.1%FoxBusiness: 0.1%Horn Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.1%FoxBusiness: 0.0%Dunning-Kruger Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 2.7%FoxBusiness: 2.3%Recency Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.5%FoxBusiness: 0.4%Primacy Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.1%FoxBusiness: 0.1%Blind-Spot Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.2%FoxBusiness: 0.8%Ad Hominem0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.1%FoxBusiness: 0.4%Straw Man0.0%This article: 21.4%Arabella Bennett: 8.2%FoxBusiness: 7.2%Appeal to Authority21.4%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 3.1%FoxBusiness: 1.6%False Dilemma0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 1.1%FoxBusiness: 1.2%Slippery Slope0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.1%FoxBusiness: 0.2%Circular Reasoning0.0%This article: 20.1%Arabella Bennett: 12.9%FoxBusiness: 6.3%Hasty Generalization20.1%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.9%FoxBusiness: 0.8%Red Herring0.0%This article: 1.3%Arabella Bennett: 1.5%FoxBusiness: 1.2%Bandwagon1.3%This article: 8.0%Arabella Bennett: 5.7%FoxBusiness: 6.1%Appeal to Emotion8.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 1.5%FoxBusiness: 1.2%Begging the Question0.0%This article: 46.6%Arabella Bennett: 7.0%FoxBusiness: 4.5%Post Hoc (False Cause)46.6%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.0%FoxBusiness: 0.1%Tu Quoque0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.5%FoxBusiness: 0.4%Burden of Proof0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.0%FoxBusiness: 0.1%Appeal to Nature0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.4%FoxBusiness: 0.3%Composition/Division0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 3.6%FoxBusiness: 2.4%Anecdotal0.0%This article: 7.7%Arabella Bennett: 0.2%FoxBusiness: 0.1%No True Scotsman7.7%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 2.3%FoxBusiness: 1.9%Ambiguity (Equivocation)0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.0%FoxBusiness: 0.0%Gambler’s Fallacy0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.0%FoxBusiness: 0.1%Middle Ground0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.0%FoxBusiness: 0.1%Personal Incredulity0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.0%FoxBusiness: 0.3%Special Pleading0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.0%FoxBusiness: 0.2%Genetic Fallacy0.0%This article: 9.3%Arabella Bennett: 3.6%FoxBusiness: 1.8%Unattributed Quote9.3%This article: 9.3%Arabella Bennett: 3.2%FoxBusiness: 1.4%Quote-first Misdirection9.3%This article: 9.3%Arabella Bennett: 7.4%FoxBusiness: 4.1%Biased Writer Voice9.3%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 1.7%FoxBusiness: 1.7%Indoctrination0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 0.1%FoxBusiness: 0.1%Politically Left Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Arabella Bennett: 4.6%FoxBusiness: 2.1%Politically Right Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 9.3%Arabella Bennett: 3.6%FoxBusiness: 4.4%Attempt to Sell a Product or S…9.3%

313 words analyzed.

Speakers

4speakers39%attributed speech190writer words
Voice mapSelect a segment to jump to its words
Writer's voice • 9 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 25 words • 0.0% coverageFOX Business • 37 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 38 words • 0.0% coverageRobert Howson • 20 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 10 words • 100.0% coverageRobert Howson • 29 words • 100.0% coverageRobert Howson • 12 words • 0.0% coverageRobert Howson • 4 words • 0.0% coverageRobert Howson • 2 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 10 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 24 words • 0.0% coverageMcDonald's • 11 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 10 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 30 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 34 words • 0.0% coverageFOX News • 8 words • 100.0% coverage
Selected voice

Robert Howson

97%flagged-word coverage
67 attributed words54% of attributed speech100% writer coverage
0%22.5%45.0%Unattributed Quote+43.3 ptsWriter: 0.0%Robert Howson: 43.3%43.3%Quote-first Misdirection+43.3 ptsWriter: 0.0%Robert Howson: 43.3%43.3%Biased Writer Voice+43.3 ptsWriter: 0.0%Robert Howson: 43.3%43.3%Attempt to Sell a Product -5.3 ptsWriter: 5.3%Robert Howson: 0.0%0.0%

Attribution is sentence-level. Pattern percentages are calculated only from words assigned to that voice.

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Analysis

Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.