Believe it or not, the crushed balsa core comes from the fact that Americans are by and large, VERY FAT. We've taken out families where every member weighed over three hundred pounds. We've taken individuals who weighed over five hundred pounds. I'm astounded by what I've seen. I'm constantly lifting people aboard who are fifteen years younger than me but whose legs and knees are shot due to the fact that they are dramatically over weight. Take four people that weight over two hundred fifty pounds each on the foredeck in a tight spot and it's just too much weight over a period of five years. It has slowly just crushed the balsa core.