CHANNEL ISLANDS SURFBOARDS

AL MERRICK&CHANNEL ISLANDS SURFBOARDS

Since 1969, Channel Islands Surfboards has been dedicated to performance and quality through hard work, innovation, and originality.
Over the last 38 years, Channel Islands has grown from a local grass-roots operation to a cutting edge organization, catering to the best surfers in the world. It started with hard-core surfing and quality in mind and these guidelines have brought us through three decades of constant change in the surf industry. Channel Islands will shape the new millennium with innovative design and quality as our main focus.

"The driving force behind Channel Islands Surfboards is the demand on design created by the worlds greatest surfers, allowing for the highest performance surfing possible. To provide the most dedicated surfers with the most advanced, performance designs is my passion" - Al Merrick, Designer/Shaper

In July of 2006, Channel Islands Surfboards was acquired by Burton Corporation. This is a marriage of two like-minded companies; both being privately held organizations focused on rider-driven product and manufacturing the best possible equipment available. At a time when the surfboard industry was undergoing massive changes, the added resources brought to CI from Burton allowed us to renew our focus on design and board building in our home of Santa Barbara California. CI promptly moved to a larger facility just blocks from Rincon Del Mar, setting the foundation for developing, testing, and building boards in Santa Barbara for many years to come.

Headquartered in Santa Barbara, in the surfing paradise that is the state of California, Channel Islands Surfboards represents one of the best surfboard manufacturers in the world today. Channel Islands is in the league of the oldest surfboard shapers still in business having begun operations in 1969.

The driving force behind the company's success is greatly attributed to its star studded team that includes some of the best surfers on the globe, including the infamous, surf alien himself - Kelly Slater. This has allowed the company to produce high performance surfboards that fill the needs of these pro riders.

The original brains behind Channel Islands surfboards is none other than pro shaper Al Merrick and since July 2006 the company has been owned by the Burton Corporation. This was a necessary change that helped the company focus on providing high quality, rider driven surfboards.

The Surfboards
Among surfboard shapers, few can boast the wide range of surfboard models that this surfboard manufacturer has. One can choose from shortboards, longboards, guns, traditional models, hybrids, specialty boards, signature models and custom-made models. Overall, Channel Islands Surfboards has more than thirty board models allowing you to buy a surfboard based on intended use, personal capability and budget. If you are a competitive surfer you can choose from one of Channel Islands many pro surfboard models.

These include models designed around the input of Rob Machado, Taylor Knox, Tim Curran, Dane Reynolds and Kelly Slater. There are also a number of surfboard models designed for beginner and intermediate surfers looking to take their surfing to the next level.