What is there to say about the iconic Channel Islands Surfboards. The names Al Merrick and Channel Island Surfboards will be synonymous forever. Channel Islands Surfboards actually belongs to Burton, but Al Merrick is still the man as far as Channel Islands Surfboards shaping is concerned.
Al Merrick once said “I’m a designer but I haven’t discovered anything”. Judging by the number of world titles under the Channel Islands Surfboards’ banner, I think that Al Merrick has discovered something special.
So the formula for CI Surfboards seems to be… get great surfers, listen to what they want in a surfboard and refine the shape based on the surfers’ feedback. The selection of world class surfers riding Channel Islands Surfboards is pretty impressive. Kelly Slater, Dane Renolds, Jordy Smith, Taylor Knox and Yadin Nicol to name only a few.
Officially, Channel Islands Surfboards have been around since 1969. CI Surfboards landed the 1st of 20 World Titles with Shaun Tomson in 1977, but it took Al Merrick another 5 years and getting his surfboards under the feet of surfing legend Tom Curren before the Channel Islands Surfboards label began to take off.
With over 45 years designing & shaping surfboards, Channel Islands Surfboards are known for both the quality of their build and great surfboard designs, and as far as I’m concerned they may as well be called Al Merrick Surfboards.
Visit the CI Surfboards website here.
