Britt Merrick is a man who needs no introduction in the surf world. He is the lead shaper & designer at Channel Islands Surfboards, perhaps the biggest — or at least most well renowned surfboard brand in the world. Built on heritage, quality, and strong family values, CI Surfboards was founded by Britt’s mother, Terry and father, Al Merrick. Over the past several decades, the brand has helped shape the careers of such iconic legends as Tom Curren, Kelly Slater, Dane Reynolds, Bobby Martinez, Mikey February, Lakey Peterson, the Gudauskas and Coffin brothers, Lisa Anderson, and the list goes on and on. Britt and his wife, Kate were born and raised in Carpinteria and have surfing in their blood. Kate wears many hats at the CI flagship shop in downtown Santa Barbara. Together they have carried the torch of the family business, they have overcome tremendous challenges and adversities, and planted roots in the beautiful hillside valley just minutes up the road from Rincon. They are pillars in the local community and an inspiration to all who meet them.

Your home and the land surrounding it is stunning. How long have you been living here in Carpinteria? What are your favorite parts of your home?

Britt: We’ve been living in Carpinteria our whole lives. We’ve been living in this house for about 11 years. Our favorite part of our home is that it feels kind of like you’re way out in the country — you’re surrounded by greenery and trees, flowers, birds and animals, but you’re only 5 minutes from Rincon.

What are your favorite parts about Carpinteria and the area in which you live?

Britt: Our favorite part about Carpinteria is that it’s a small town where you know everyone. Everything is familiar, you’re surrounded by friends all the time, and that’s a valuable thing.

It’s clear from your hunting activity and garden beds that you care about where your food comes from. How did you develop your relationship with food?

Kate: My mother has a major green thumb and I grew up with her creating the most insanely beautiful, bountiful gardens. So I grew up eating the food she grew. We just love watching things get planted in the ground; you nurture something, watch it grow, you tend to it, and then you get to eat it.

Britt: For me with hunting, one part is that I am always looking for adventure and hunting is kind of the ultimate adventure. We’re committed to healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle overall. We don’t trust big farming, we don’t trust big ranching. We really believe in pure, natural, organic, sustainable things.

Tell me about the black CI board hanging upstairs. What’s the story behind that one?

Britt: The black board hanging upstairs is the first board that my dad and I ever shaped together. My dad obviously started Channel Islands Surfboards and taught me how to shape when I was growing up. Once I began to get proficient, we shaped this board together. He shaped half and I shaped the other half — it’s the only time that we’ve ever done that. It’s really special to me. It’s a special father / son thing, and it was a special moment in time.

Describe your roles within the family business.

Kate: Officially, my job title is “buyer,” I do the buying for the shop, but I’m generally also the “shop mom” keeping all those kids in line. But my favorite part about working in the family business is having the surfers and the employees to our home and creating relationships, feeding them and getting to know them, and just loving on them in general.

Britt: I’m the lead shaper and designer at CI. I’m also sort of the guy who provides vision and direction for the company overall.

Do you have a favorite board design?

My favorite board design is generally whatever our pro team is riding on the world tour. What fascinates me most — and challenges me most with surfboards is high performance designs. It’s the hardest stuff to do. It’s most challenging to meet the needs of surfers at that level, so that’s what I’m into all the time. It’s also my favorite thing to ride whatever designs I’m working on. My go-to board at Rincon is whatever I’m working on for current guys on tour or top free surfers.

What have been some of your biggest challenges and successes over the years?

Kate: Our biggest success over the years is loving our family well, loving each other well. That’s it, that’s our biggest success.