Channel Islands

Channel Islands Surfboards was founded in 1969 by Al Merrick in Santa Barbara, California. Merrick began as a young shaper building boards for local surfers and, over the decades, developed a reputation as one of the most precise and influential board shapers in the world. The breakthrough came in the 1980s when Tom Curren – a multi-time world champion – surfed exclusively on Channel Islands boards, demonstrating the performance of Merrick's shapes to a global audience. This partnership set a new standard for how closely a board shaper and a professional surfer can work together.

Channel Islands is known for the range and precision of its shapes. From classic shortboards to fish and mid-lengths, through to high-performance shapes for big waves – the product range is broad, yet every model is the result of years of development. Models such as the Rocket Wide, the Fever, and the Happy Everyday are staples in the performance surf segment. Today, Al Merrick's son Britt leads the company and maintains the close connection to top athletes: Kolohe Andino, Conner Coffin, and other WSL pros ride Channel Islands boards. Production largely still takes place in Santa Barbara – handmade in small batches.

Channel Islands stands for the craftsmanship of board shaping combined with real performance. It is not a mass-market brand – it is a shaper brand that has delivered on the same promise for over 50 years: the best possible board for any given wave.

Channel Islands boards are available at Surfari – for surfers who want to invest in their board.