When it comes to fins-free, no-holds-barred, let-me-at-this-section surfing, most of today’s top board builders have been tasked with balancing two key traits: strength and weight. The train of thought is that a lighter board will be more responsive but that comes at the cost of strength and longevity.
The team at Channel Islands Surfboards just put forward a product they believe maximizes both variables and still allows their most demanding team riders to surf their best. In the video above, CI’s head shaper Britt Merrick unwrapped what’s been cooking in the oven for some time: All black boards made with new Eco Carbon Tech. It’s not a full carbon wrap, Britt clarified, but carbon infused into the resin.
The carbon comes recycled from other sources, gets churned into powder and then mixed into the resin. Compared to standard construction, it’s a lighter, stronger product, but still retains a familiar flex pattern commonly associated with maneuverable, hi-fi performance boards.
Frame: Channel Islands Surfboards
“It creates a more resilient flex,” Britt tells Peter Mel. “So you get that carbon feel without the foreign feel of a carbon layup or a vacuum bag situation. It feels like your normal surfboards.”
Because the tech is reportedly 15 percent stronger than standard lamination, Britt and the team can glass lighter. For example, a stock ECT board will have a single 6-ounce deck with a 4-ounce bottom, the equivalent of a standard CI (4+4-ounce deck and a 4-ounce bottom).
Frame: Channel Islands Surfboards
Interestingly, while Britt created ECT with smaller waves in mind, several team riders on the CT showed that the boards could handle proper Hawaiian juice. Look no further than Barron Mamiya, Imai deVault and Joao Chianca’s clips for evidence. And if Peter Mel backs it in a tow board at Mavericks, well, that’s a pretty good seal of approval.
ECT also comes in both polyurethane and EPS/epoxy constructions, so you can get whichever floats your boat.
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