Channel Islands Surfboards Review: Epic Boards or Rip Off?
Kelly Slater, Dane Reynolds, Lakey Peterson, Jordy Smith, Alana Blanchard – the best surfers in the world who all have one thing in common. Under their feet when they ride the waves are surfboards designed and shaped by Channel Islands Surfboards. Channel Island Surfboards is one of the biggest surfboard brands in the world and has time and time equipped with the largest names in the surfing world. That tells a lot about the brand. Whatever their secret is in having these big names loyal to them, we’ll find out in our Channel Islands Surfboards review. Channel Islands Surfboards – Who Are They? Al and Terry Merrick created Channel Islands Surfboards in 1969 intending to provide the most dedicated surfers with the most advanced and performance designed sticks. Their hard work, innovation, and originality have paved the ways for their name. Channel Islands Surfboards grew from their humble, local grass-roots undertakings to a radical and innovative organization that caters to the best of the best surfers in the world. The two started the company with hard-core surfing combined with the quality they had in mind. These ideals brought them the guidelines that gave us decades of relentless changes in the surfing industry. For over 50 years, Channel Islands Surfboards have been shaping surfboards that will work even with the changing times. They will continue to do so for the new millennium with their innovative design and quality as their main focus. Just how did Al Merrick gain such knowledge and experience about shaping surfboards? Al Merrick was born in New Jersey in 1944. When he was 7, his family moved to north San Diego County. He was 14 when he began surfing. His move to Sta Barbara when he was 21 led him to meet Australian Bob McTavish. That was when Bob introduced his newly designed short surfboard to California. Witnessing the possibilities offered by smaller beards, Merrick got inspired to shape. He did so in 1969. He made boards under the Channel Islands and started selling them through local surf shops. Fast forward to later part of his life, he was named the top shaper in the world by Australia’s Surfing Life magazine for 1992, 1993, and 1994. He ranked number 11 in their list of most powerful people in surfing and was also among their list of 10 best shapers of all time. No wonder the likes of four-time world champion, Lisa Andersen, world champions Kim Mearig, Sofia Mulanovich, and topflight riders like Rob Machado, Taylor Knox, Shane Beschen, etc., stuck with him even after Channel Islands Surfboards being acquired by Burton Snowboards. To date, Channels Islands Surfboards together with Al Merrick continue to be motivated by their desire to create cutting-edge surfboards for both advanced and average, everyday surfers that have more user-friendly designs that are geared towards fun. Channel Islands Surfboards Channel Islands Surfboards, while allowing you to build a custom, also have different lines of products under their name. You have a wide range of choices to choose from. Shortboards Step Down/Groveler Hybrid Step Up Happy FishBeard CI Mid Taco Grinder Black/White #4 Ultra Joe Black Beauty Bonzer Shelter Biscuit Bronzer CI Fish Happy Step Up DFR Bonzer 3D Average Joe Fever Bunny Chow High-5 Fred Rubble Dumpster Diver Hoglet Girabbit Fred Stubble MINI Rook 15 Neckbeard M13 SP12 Neckbeard 2 Pod Mod The Peregrine OG Flyer Waterhog The Proton New Flyer The Classic Tlow Rocket 9 Chancho Zeus Rocket Wide Sampler Twin Fin Weirdo Ripper Their long list of surfboards will leave us days to finish reviewing, so for now, we will take note of the most popular ones. Shortboards Fever Channel Islands Fever is a performance shortboard that is designed to go well in various conditions. It is Al Merrick’s pro model for Pat Gudaukas – the American/Lithuanian pro surfer who won several surfing competitions. Fever has the performance outline that goes really well on performance waves. However, it is not just limited to that as it can go fairly well in rather average waves too. The goal in designing this board was to make a more accessible tour level performance board that will make anyone who jumps on it instantly feel the speed and enthusiasm for ingenuity. Merrick wanted more speed and drive throughout, so he chopped rockers off the nose and tail to flatten the design and to let it fly. The single concave and a tail stirred by Channel Islands’ MBM give the surfboard the drive and control off the back (1/3 of the stick), to make it fast while still dominating in huge sections and hollow bowls. It turned out to be reliable and easy to access sweet spot for an all-out flare. Peregrine A high-performance surfboard with a twist, Peregrine features four channels through the belly of its board that enhances the element of fun and excitement. Notwithstanding its high-performance outline, fuller Bunny Chow-ish rails that carry foam to the rail, Peregrine is surprisingly capable to run in smaller and average conditions. It comes into its own when the waves are punchy and powerful. Peregrine can grovel surprisingly well for a shortboard. You can ride it from chest high to good overhead. The four channels run through the belly doesn’t just complement the design but actually gears the surfboard for a fast and powerful ride. The low entry rocker allows you to accelerate gently through the tail. With the flatter deck that has foam carried to the rails means it has more volume than the outline implies. It helps with the single concave bottom that runs throughout the board to the four channels in the belly. Step Down/Groveler Rocket Wide The upgrade from Rocket 9, Rocket Wide is Channel Islands Surfboard’s stick that is a blast to ride from waist high to overhead waves. It is packed with fun and energy making it the best stick to … Read more