Britt Merrick comes from serious surfboard stock. His father, Al, has been mowing foam for the best surfers on earth since the late ’70s. The Channel Islands label was under the feet of legends like Shaun Tomson and Tom Curren, and for decades has been one of the most respected surfboard brands in the world. Channel Islands is nearing the half-century mark, and Britt has been a large part of the company for his whole life. The shaping bay was his playground, and shaping tools were his toys. By the time he was 16, he knew that he was going to follow his dad’s footsteps. Now, he makes surfboards for Dane Reynolds, Conner Coffin, Zeke Lau, and many more. “I literally grew up in that factory,” he says. “Shaping is pure art. Every board I shape is deeply connected to me. I feel it in my heart. It’s part of who I am… it can’t just work. It has to be beautiful.”
