So between burritos and doting over his one-year-old granddaughter Daisy, Al reflected on years past and some of the incredible surfers who ride his boards.

Surfer Magazine: How long have you been shaping?
Al Merrick: Since 1968, so 37 years.

SM: How did you decide on Channel Islands as the name for your boards?
AM: Not quite sure. I just remember thinking about what can I use for a name, and I thought it was obvious that Channel Islands was a good name for a surfboard. I probably could’ve chosen a better name because it’s so long and hard to work with.

SM: When you first began did you ever envision Channel Islands becoming what it is today?
AM: No. It’s way more than I ever imagined. I always had the dream, I was telling Terry (Al’s wife) I’d like to be the best at what I do, but I never envisioned Channel Islands to be what it’s become. I can’t envision surfing being what it is now worldwide. It’s amazing.

SM: Is there anything in regards to shaping that you haven’t accomplished yet, but want to?
AM: No, not really. I’ve accomplished more than I ever dreamed of so I don’t really think that way. It’s more day to day. The big thing is to make magic boards more regularly, and then keep advancing boards. Being able to make boards that will accommodate surfers, their imaginations and where they want to go. Whether that’s reachable or not, I don’t know.

SM: What about the relationships you’ve developed over the years with certain surfers?
AM: That’s motivational trying to make boards for them to surf at their peak or close to it. It’s not motivating to work, but it is spiritually and that connection with people. It’s something that’s really special. That in itself is a much bigger reward I think than shaping.

SM: Do you have a favorite era as a shaper?
AM: I had a lot of fun back during the time we had the team going, the team workouts. The whole thing was so energetic. That was a lot of fun. But then again you’d have to say traveling with Tommy and shaping boards for him when he was winning his titles, and it was the same thing with Kelly. It’s hard picking a favorite period of time. They all have their special memories.

SM: What do you think is your greatest strength as a shaper?
AM: I think my designing over the years has been a big strength. Suddenly they just come. It’s surprising to me I suppose as it would to anybody some of the designs and the amount of designs I’m coming out with. I could be five or six designs ahead of what I’m actually selling to the public as far as what I’m doing for different surfers. Then I think communication. Being able to understand what a surfer is saying to me when their board isn’t working or a rail is catching. Everyone communicates that a little differently. You have to be able to actually weed through what the person is saying and really figure out what the problem is because a guy may say his rails are too thick. That may mean the tail rocker isn’t right, but it may be something to the surfer that he’s obviously feeling, but as a designer and shaper it could be totally different in reality to what’s making the board not functioning the way it should.

SM: Weaknesses?
AM: I’m probably not the best craftsmen in the world, not the best finisher. There are guys better than I am. I’m good enough to get where I want to go, but I don’t think I’m the best. But in reality it’s more important for me to spend time trying to make sure the design features of the board, major design features that make the board really work in my mind are right, and not to be spending my time trying to fine sand it so you can get the most perfect finish.

SM: Do you remember the first board you shaped?
AM: I do. A 7’2” round pin single fin with a purple arrow on the deck and a red bottom.

SM: What about the first board you shaped for Tom?
AM: I really don’t. I remember specific boards, but not the first one. I remember Tommy in the shaping room. He was probably 12 and his mom’s the one that did all the talking.

SM: First one for Kelly?
AM: No, certain boards yes like the Trestles board, things like that, but I don’t remember and I don’t know why (laughs).

SM: Well, there’s lots to remember.
AM: I used to remember every person’s dimensions that I shaped for. You could come in and I could tell you your dimensions.

SM: I remember you had them all on index cards. I don’t know if you still have them?
AM: I do, every board I shaped for my pros and even my amateur guys I keep records on. I got files and files on top of files. I have a file cabinet this big (gestures to about four feet high).

SM: Do you have a favorite type of surfing?
AM: Well, you probably remember from the old days, Santa Barbara was always black wetsuits, clear boards, 7’-6” pintails and everyone wanted to draw clean lines.

SM: We’ve always had the waves to do that though.
AM: I was always interested in Davey Smith and watching the kids go different directions on waves. I still think that is my favorite today. Although I love Taylor’s (Knox) surfing, the clean line surfing, not that Taylor doesn’t do modern things. He does, but it’s really fun to watch people push it. You watch Dane (Reynolds) surf and seeing him clear airs that are 10 feet it’s just amazing, then landing it and going into another maneuver.

SM: Regarding Dane, what is his potential? What do you see for him?
AM: I see the same thing I saw in Tom and Kelly. He has potential to be a world champion. But I’m not sure whether the dominance level is there say at Tommy’s time when he was so far ahead of people.

SM: Dane’s 19.
AM: But he has great potential to be a world champion if he wants to be. He has the physical ability, but right now he’s taken a different approach in that, because the money is there now. Kids can maybe do a little more traveling, do videos and make their decisions a little slower. But he’s very exciting. Obviously, I think Kelly is probably the best surfer in the world by a long shot right now in my mind. You take Dane, he’s probably the most exciting surfer I’ve seen and he’s right up there. He’s very close to the top guys, competitively not right now, but his surfing, straight out surfing, I’d say in the world.

SM: What surfer has changed the sport more than any other?
AM: I think I’m prejudice but I’d have to say Tommy and Kelly. I can’t think of any other that have changed surfing so radically, but I hate to leave anyone out. I know there are other guys, but I feel so fortunate to be able to have been involved with those two.

SM: You could say Simon Anderson as a top competitive surfer and shaper.
AM: Yes, no question about it. Simon brought a giant change with his configuration of the thruster. Of course, before that there was the Campbell brothers of Oxnard that were making 3-fin boards. Generally, you’d have to say Simon came up with the more modern 3-fin the way it’s configured now.

SM: When you see Tom surf today, do you enjoy his surfing more now or was he more fun to watch growing up on your boards?
AM: I spent a whole lot of time watching him surf and surfing with him years past. I was taking him surfing it seemed like everyday. Going to all the contests and all the travel. That was a different sense of enjoyment. Recently when I have gotten to watch him surf, he’s still just a beautiful surfer, an amazing surfer.

SM: Two winters ago there was a day at Rincon and it was almost completely flat, maybe ankle-high. No one was around except this one guy. He’s suiting up, his gloves, hood, booties and paddles out on a beat up, old longboard. At the top of the cove he catches this mere ripple and somehow connects all the way through to the freeway. There was no mistaking the style, it was Tom. It reminded me of surfing against him when we were kids, how he was always able to find a wave when he needed one, or get a tube ride when there was none to be had. My question is he always seems to have that special connection with the ocean. Does Kelly possess that same trait?
AM: I think he does, and I think all great surfers have that connection. It’s almost like they can paddle over to an area where there hasn’t been a peak all day and the peak comes through and they get a 9.5 on it. It’s hard to explain. It seems to me great athletes have that ability to connect and also the ability for time to stand still or slow down. I always relate it to a great hitter in baseball. Great hitters say they can see the stitching on the ball when it’s coming at them. It’s a different perspective. To me when those guys get on a wave, they’re seeing things before it happens in a different time frame than the average person on a wave.

SM: Do you see any other Currens or Slaters out on the horizon?
AM: Maybe an Australian or two, a Brazilian kid that’s very good. In my particular sphere of influence and knowledge, Dane is the most exciting surfer that I see that has the possibility of separating himself from the rest.

SM: It seems like it’s much harder today because there’s more good surfers out there and equipment is better.
AM: I think in a sense you’re right, but it’s harder every time. You know what I mean? So every jump in every progression in each period of time that it occurs it’s always a feat and it always appears harder. But you have to give the accolades to everyone along the way because the time they did it, it was harder than the time before. But that’s what makes progression. That’s what makes it fun and exciting. What came before is allowing what is going on now because people see what did happen and it opens up the possibility of what can happen. You need everything that went before.

SM: Bobby Martinez qualified for the WCT this past year. What is your opinion of his potential?
AM: I told Bobby, I think those guys are in trouble with him coming on the tour. If you put two of the things about surfing that people really love-raw power and rail surfing-getting on a rail and really carving and the ability to blow lips and tails out and come down sideways, Bobby is the perfect fit. He has style and power, and he’s totally into the new realm of surfing which is blowing out of the wave, and has the tremendous ability to put that all together. To me he stands out as the one that’s of the new age surfers that have really put that together. I think it will be devastating when he gets on the CT. I think when he goes man on man in good waves and holds his emotions together, he’s going to be devastating.

SM: So physically he’s there, what about mentally?
AM: I don’t know. Bobby’s Bobby. I think he’s a great kid. I think he’s mentally strong. I think he’s stronger since being laid off from Oakley. I think it’s given him a new desire to go out and prove himself. I think that kicked up everything a notch. So much of it comes down with Santa Barbara kids and traveling. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve watched them all through the years. Tommy was able to travel pretty well, although he did eventually burn out kind of at the end. Chris Brown, tremendous surfer, probably a great hope in this area, at one time was right up there, but couldn’t travel. Bobby has had some problems leaving home and being away, so we’ll see how well he adapts to the schedule. Travel I think is a great part of surfing. I hope he’ll be able to put it together and feel comfortable on the road.

SM: Talking about Bobby blowing the doors down, does Dane fit into that realm?
AM: Dane hasn’t reached a competitive level yet. It’s hard to talk about Dane that way because he hasn’t been at it as long or as serious with it. He’s had the opportunity to travel, do more videos and not have to concentrate so much on the competitive end. Bobby had that, but now he’s had to earn his keep, so to speak. So Dane in respect to how he’ll do, with his surfing he’ll be great, no problem there, but whether he’ll be able to contain himself to surf at a constant level, not making mistakes remains in question. Bobby’s a little older and has that experience. He has the experience of losing, which hurts a guy that likes to win. Sometimes it really matures you. Bobby has more of a maturing process in his life. You need to lose, because if you don’t lose you won’t learn how much you don’t like it. Some lose and it makes them want to win. Dane has a lot of synchronism between his creative ability and physical ability, and he’s able to paint a canvas. He’s able to take that rush and take himself to places that other people probably haven’t thought were possible to reach. The extent of his airs, the stuff he does is why competitively I don’t know how he’ll develop because right now he just wants to push things as far as he can go.

Fittingly, the last clip in Flow shows a high flying Reynolds, nothing but a liquid blur, streaking across a wave with only a frothy trough left in his wake.