‘As Good As it Gets’: Mikey February, Bobby Martinez, Barron Mamiya and Team Channel Islands Devour Cooking Rincon

Originally posted on SURFER | By August Howell | Last updated Apr 9, 2025 9:05 PM ET

Britt Merrick, a lifelong Rincon surfer, was reminded of a universal truth about great surfers—you can’t teach instinct. With Rincon “as good as it gets” on a random weekday morning last month, Britt paddled out with Mikey February, who had surfed there before but never on “proper” rippable day.

“I was sitting out the back, pole position, and it was Mikey’s first time at proper Cove,” Britt recalled. “I’m like, ‘Mikey, this is where you line up.' I showed him, this is the spot. Then he sits there for 10 seconds, then paddles 60 yards up the point. I’m just like, ‘What is he doing? I just showed him where the lineup is. He’s out to lunch.' Then this really good set comes in. I’m in pole position, I’m shaking, I’m so excited. As I paddle for it, I look up the point, and he’s 60 yards up the point already flying and coming down the line. He fully pro-surfed me. I had said, ‘This is where you sit.' And he said, 'Nah, it’s way up there.' So I just dropped in on him.”

When you build and give out the number of boards Britt had, you’ve earned the right to share a wave with your team riders.

That story comes from CI’s latest episode of Backyard Field Notes, which highlights just how well team riders on the ground took advantage of the winter’s last solid west swell at Rincon. The full cast includes Mikey, Bobby, Barron Mamiya, Parker Coffin, Eithan Osborne, Kilian Garland, Josiah Amico, Talia Swindal, Tomas Hermes, Bella Kenworthy and Dane Gudauskas.

Britt and Brent are tight-lipped about a new thruster that Mikey and team are working on. But expect more footage of that in the future. Mikey rides that hush-hush model, his Feb’s Fish and a stubby shortboard thing exactly the way you’d expect at a pumping right point. Just superb.

Speaking of surfing well, Barron Mamiya was another standout from the swell. He was in Carpiteria for just half a day to update his quiver before the El Salvador CT event (He’ll face Alejo Muniz tomorrow in the Round of 32). Never mind that this was his first time ever at Rincon, he looked at ease, belting section after section.

Until next winter, Rincon.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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