Tom Carroll vs. Britt Merrick: “It’s Like A Dwarf Throwing Contest”

The height jokes came first.

Before their allotted session, three men engaged in lighthearted banter on the edge of URNBSURF Sydney’s Wavegarden facility.  “​​A dwarf throwing contest,” Tom Carroll laughed from below Britt Merrick’s voluminous facial hair. But therein lies the beauty of the Solution, Britt’s optimistic reply to otherwise uninspiring waves. Its generous tail block and surprisingly foiled rails are intended to work across the body-type spectrum no matter the slop, from Jacko Baker at Huntington Beach dribble to Kian Martin in Indonesia’s smallest calf slappers. 

In the latest board-testing escapades from Onboard Store, Channel Islands’ Solution shows that it can cater to a 6’6” bearded Californian wizard and two stocky Australians at Sydney’s first wavepool. As Luca Elder put it, “Britt’s gone and built one of us. A short little nugget that goes fast.”

As a not so subtle side note, how great is Tom Carroll? A spry 64-year-old who has been through a barrage of physical and emotional trauma, yet still exudes positivity and an earnest eagerness for surfing that’s proved inextinguishable. He grew up riding singles and twins in the 1960s, but can hop on a contemporary shortboard in 2026. Because I don’t have TC’s willpower and dedication to yoga, a user-friendly shortboard designed to milk every last ounce of juice isn’t a bad place to start.