In this premiere episode of 2 to 20: with Cliff Kapono, our host walks viewers through his experience on riding the Happy Traveler, a versatile step-up board designed by Britt Merrick that addresses the needs for an all-in-one travel board.
Whether at home or traveling abroad, we need equipment that will match the demands of the conditions. We typically feel good about what to pull out of the bag when it’s small-to-average sized surf, because for most of us that’s our daily reality. But when it gets bigger, to a lot bigger, we’re not always prepared and can feel caught off guard. That’s why you need to be at-the-ready with a board you can trust in the larger stuff, so you can position yourself to catch and properly ride the best waves of your life. Those kind of boards are called “step-ups” and we’re stoked to unveil to you our newest one by Britt Merrick called the Happy Traveler.
The Happy Traveler takes the proven rocker curve of the Happy and tunes it for pumping surf, where you need to be able to control and harness speed rather than merely create it. The Traveler’s decreased concave between the fins, straighter pulled in outline in the back third, and leading fin’s placement closer to the rail optimize hold and control in quality surf. This allows you to surf with more confidence and freedom as you are more connected to and seated in the wave face. When all the work is done, you’ll be thinking less and feeling more as you surf epic conditions right at home, up the coast or further abroad.
When the waves are good you need to have confidence that you will get in over the ledge. The Happy Traveler maximizes your paddling power with more thickness carried in the forward deck and rail, and a fuller outline in the front third of the board. When the opportunity arises, you can be sure these same characteristics make the board perform exceptionally well in the barrel.
The Happy Traveler is not just a wave catcher or stable platform for the barrel, its Happy rocker still allows you to do big open face turns at full speed. If the swell drops, the same rocker still gets the job done and proves this board is CI’s most versatile step-up design to date. The Traveler comes standard with a round pin and can be set up and ridden as a thruster or quad.
