Peter Mel, Barron Mamiya, Pat Gudauskas & More Ride CI’s Swallow-Tail Rip Stick

Originally posted on SURFER | By August Howell | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 3:22 PM ET

I’ll admit it, I wasn’t sold on yet another Channel Islands shortboard. Sure, they pump out good, even great models, but could a swallow-tail quad really break through the noise? This was a fresh take on board that debuted four years ago. Then I tried a fresh 5’10” Better Everyday at a Costa Rican pointbreak (You can rent them at the Gilded Iguana in Nosara). I was floored.

Specifically, I was impressed by the speed off the bottom turn and the ease of going from rail to rail. This thing had a motor, yet still felt grounded and in control. While trying to distill the ingredients in the lineup, I decided the spark must be coming from the wide tail block and the four fins.

Turns out that is the case. Here’s how CI broke it down, per the YouTube caption:

Keeping all the characteristics that made Happy Everyday a great stepdown performance board, Britt made several notable updates to help it ride even better. He relaxed its trademark hip; added a swallow tail; increased the tail rocker; and put an emphasis on riding it as a quad while making sure the 5-fin placement still worked great as a tri.

The relaxed hip allows the Better Everyday to feel smoother through both the transitions and critical turns, and also opens its range in slightly larger waves. The swallow tail provides more bite and hold but still maintains the looseness the original design was known for. Increased flip out the tail on the Better Everyday loosens up the board, creating a positive feel out of the top while the decreased hip provides a more positive feeling off the bottom.

This thing goes vertical and can handle big wraps. Kian Martin, Charly Quivrount and Cam Richards demonstrate that it fits in punchy tubes. Hit play above to watch a barrage of CI team riders put the board through its paces in Canggu, Rincon, Lower Trestles and beyond.

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

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