Channel Islands and Grain Surfboards

" Channel Islands Surfboards produces some of the most well-known surfboards in history. Led by legendary board shaper Al Merrick, and with a team of riders that include Slater and Machado, they are the envy of the surfing world.  Though it's hard to picture when you visit their current state-of-the-art factory, many remember the humble beginnings of CI that echoed in the rickety halls of their former HQ where some of the world's best shapes were jammed under every rafter.

But we remember. "Humble" isn't the word for our own hardscrabble start - old drafty barns, borrowed tools, and cadged supplies - we're practically still living it. Yet both companies are dedicated to building boards of the highest quality, and subjecting them to constant R&D and improvement. There the similarities stop, though. We could never hope to approach the sophistication of Al Merrick's shaping abilities, the global scale of Channel Island's appeal or the recognition that they have earned over the years."