Candlemaker waxes poetic on scent of surf
'Ted Shred' creates a pipeline to youth market with surf wax products
BY JOHN SUTTON
Correspondent

HIGHLANDS - As the summer begins on the Jersey Shore, surfers throughout the area will wax up their boards in anticipation of another season at the beach. While most will be using their wax to repel water and stay on the surf board, Edward Hennessey will be using his to sell candles.

Hennessey, known as "Ted Shred" to those who buy his surf wax-scented candles, has created a product which is selling as quickly as its idea began. The idea originated when Hennessey was working on a car in his auto repair business when he sensed the smell of surf wax coming from the car. He never did find the origin of the smell, but he already had what he needed to begin his business.

Hennessey, a graduate of Middletown High School North, wanted to take a product which normally sells to an older crowd and market it to younger people who may be more interested in the surfing lifestyle. His primary target audience is 15- to 35-year-olds, which is another factor that separates Hennessey from others in the candle business.

Hennessey has found that the scent and emotion which his candles evoke remain with his customers. He

simply used surf wax and added a coconut scent to arrive at the product he has today.

"Once they have that killer surf wax scent in the house they typically don't want to have too many apple pie candles after that," Hennessey said.

What began as Hennessey himself going to various surf shops door-to-door has now expanded into an international product. In Hennessey's office is a map of the United States with about 40 to 50 pins locating each spot where his product can be found. There are even some places off the map, such as Japan, Australia, parts of the Caribbean and if a deal he's working on goes ahead, potentially Portugal.

While most of these locations are on the east coast of the U.S., the west coast is growing along with the middle of the country where Hennessey is looking forward to introducing a skate wax. He hopes that this product will expand his audience and create more opportunities to sell to those places without a coastline.

All those who appreciate the surfing lifestyle will appreciate this product, Hennessey said, and that audience is expanding throughout the world.

"Where there is a coastline, people are surfing," Hennessey said. "In many of those same places, people burn candles. The logo transcends cultural barriers. You look at it, you smell it, you get it."

The candles are produced with the same ingredients that give surf wax its appealing and recognizable fragrance. To build his scents, Hennessey sends a bar of surf wax to his lab partners, who use their computers to determine what makes surf wax smell the way it does. This information then is sent to a candle producer, where Hennessey's surf wax candles are made.

Hennessey sees a bright future for his product. He believes that growth will come from people becoming "hip to the trends" as he has begun to sell to cities like Chicago and New York City.

The concept is simple and different from most candles, but it has found its niche and has flourished in that area. There is now a candle that appeals to the younger generation, and still provides appeal to those looking to forever be on the beach.

"It's something everyone has in the house," Hennessey said. "And it's just a much cooler alternative than purple petunia."

Hennessey's candles range in price from $7 to $22. He also sells candle holders, stickers with the Ted Shred's logo and air fresheners at prices ranging from $3.50 to $2.99. For more information about his products and other surf-related news, visit his Web site at www.tedshredsonfire.com.