Why Barron Mamiya Is a ‘Game Changer’ for Channel Island Surfboards

It was trial by fire in serious water that sold Barron Mamiya. According to Channel Islands head shaper Britt Merrick, there was a particular moment in 2023 when the young Hawaiian surfer knew the triple hexagons could hold up in the crucible. 

The catalyst came at Teahupo’o, days before the Championship Tour event, and Barron was sampling a CI step-up, for the first time, in pumping conditions. What better way to gain or lose faith in a model? 

“It was a borderline tow day,” Britt recalled. “And as soon as he got out there, a bomb came. It was the first time he’d ridden one of my step-ups. He told me later, ‘This thing better work, because I might die on this wave if it doesn’t.’ I guess it worked, he said he was stoked. In my memory, that’s when he told me he made the decision to go with CI.”

Two years later, Barron has won the past two Pipeline CT events on Channel Islands boards and released his first signature model, the barrel-centric Goldie. This winter, Barron is looking as dialed as ever, on his Goldies and CI Pros, as evidenced by his three finals showings in the recent run of Hawaiian regional Qualifying Series contests: Sunset Beach (fourth), Haleiwa (second) and Pipeline (third). It’s worth noting that the 2026 CT season ends, not starts, at Pipeline, the contest Barron thrives in, and the venue that will decide the world title next season. Food to chew on. 

The partnership hasn’t just been beneficial for the Hawaiian surfer; it’s been rewarding for Britt and his shaping aspirations. “For me, it’s been a real gift, because all my life I’ve been obsessed with Hawaii," he said. "I used to go with my dad all the time, he used to shape in this shack behind Kammieland. My dad loved shaping on the North Shore. He felt a certain energy, a certain vibe. He loved building boards for Hawaii. 

“For me as a California kid being obsessed with Hawaii, I’ve always had this personal goal to make really good boards for Hawaii," Britt continued. "When you look at CT surfers through the years, a lot of them, no matter what boards they ride the rest of the year, they go to Hawaii and get boards from Hawaiian shapers. I don’t want that to happen. But I want to make boards that work just as well in Hawaii as anywhere else, and I work really hard on that. So having Barron is a gift for that because he’s exceptionally talented over there and puts himself in such crazy positions. It’s been a game-changer for me. He gives good feedback and I listen.”

Britt and Barron’s collaboration paid off from the jump, when Barron won the 2024 Pipe Pro over John John Florence in his first event riding CIs. For the 2025-26 winter, they made modifications to the Goldie model to get it working across the spectrum of powerful North Shore waves. 

“On his backhand at Pipe, he wanted it to be a little more responsive off the bottom,” Britt said. “Like on his crazy drops, he wanted less delay time when he grabs his rail and pulls up into it. So I made some changes to the rocker, the foil and contours. So the board got way more responsive. And he goes, ‘This board went from being only a Pipe board to an all-around North Shore Board.’ He rode that at the Sunset Pro. At Haleiwa, he was on CI Pros, and Pipeline, at least for the finals day, because it was smaller, he also rode CI Pros.”

The CT is on hiatus until April, giving Barron and the CI team an unprecedented break in the WSL schedule. But based on Barron's results and his clinical positioning at Backdoor and Pipeline, they've already nailed his board formula, at least for the North Shore.

"We're just working on Hawaii boards," Britt said. "And I've learned a lot from his feedback. He's critical, extreme, and pushing the boundaries out there."