Al Merrick of Channel Island Surfboards located in Santa Barbara, California has been one of the world’s premiere shapers since the 1980’s. His claim to fame rose as when his top team rider Tom Curren turned pro and exploded on the professional surfing scene. Both Curren and Merrick worked hard tweaking Tom’s boards in attempting to create the higest performing surfboards ever seen in that era. Curren, who has been riding for CI Surfboards since he was a teenager, won 4 world titles on Al’s magical boards. After the 80’s and Curren’s dominance in the sport of surfing, CI Surfboards exploded again with the rise of Al’s most successful protoge and up and coming surfing star Kelly Slater. Throughout the majority of Kelly’s career, he and Merrick have consistently worked together refining and improving CI Surfboards and creating surfing’s most famous surfer/shaper relationship. That relationship was a key force helping Kelly win an unprecendented 8 world titles.

Merrick’s front loaded surfing team has helped him become the shaping world’s most iconic figure and has garnered CI Surfboards as one of the world’s largest surfboard manufacturers. Merrick has been instrumental in helping the careers of such notable names like Rob Machado, Tim Curren, Taylor Knox, Bobby Martinez, Yadin Nicol, Dane Renolds, Kalani Robb, Lisa Anderson, Rochelle Ballard, and Sofia Mulanovich to name a few. You can find CI Surfboards in most major surf shops.

News: CI Surfboards was sold to Burton Snowboards on June 29, 2006. The new deal is expected to help with the distribution and marketing of Channel Island surfboards. It looks as though CI Surfboards, one of the top surfboard manufacturers in the world has totally gone mainstream with this new deal.