We’ve always been on the lookout for how to do and be better. We believe the environment demands it of us. This means better materials, better decisions, and better boards that last longer and leave less behind.
As we look toward 2026, we want to share what’s ahead—not as a product announcement or a trend forecast, but as a clear statement of intent. Everything we’re working on this year is guided by one idea: progress without compromise.
Here’s what that looks like.
Innovation: Moving Surf Forward, Quietly
Innovation at Grain happens quietly, behind a computer screen, in the shaping bay, often during nights and weekends, and ultimately in the water. This year, we’re doubling down on the kind of innovation that actually matters: refining our board-building methods, creating new DIY pathways, and designing boards with performance, durability, and real-world use at the forefront. These represent just some of our core values, and we’re excited to keep them front and center of everything we do. We’ll continue to ignore the industry’s norms—about materials, production, lifespan, and about what “progress” is supposed to look like. Because to us, a surfboard built by hand from natural materials, and that performs beautifully for years to come, is perhaps the most innovative thing we can do.
Want to be in the know about testing opportunities? Click here to get first dibs!
Materials: Why We’re Leaning Into Cork
For us, cork isn’t a passing trend—it’s a practical, proven solution. As we head into 2026, we’re making cork an even more intentional part of our builds because it works at every level of the process, from the shaping bay to the water. Cork is easy to work with, shaping cleanly using the same tools we already rely on, and it speeds up rail construction without sacrificing precision or feel. It’s naturally regenerative and renewable, aligning with our waste-no-waste philosophy. Best of all, people love it!
Check out our cork products:
Camp Grain - 5 Day Workshop | The Sick Day - 3 Day Workshop
CorkRail Kit | CorkRail Framesets | Custom Boards now available with CorkRail
Storytelling: Built in Maine, Built With Intention
Grain’s story starts in Maine, but it’s connected to every person who has walked through our doors. Every custom board we’ve built, each student and homebuilder, they’ve all helped shape who we are, and they’re all a part of our story. A 2026 goal is to share more of the stories that really define Grain: working closely with other brands and craftspeople, choosing to build surfboards on the coast of Maine with natural materials rather than somewhere warmer and easier, and focusing on a quality of life over profit-at-all-costs. We believe where something is made, and how it’s made, matters, and we’re proud to share that with you.
Check out a few features from 2025 that show that:
Form and Function Collide
We get it, Grain boards are beautiful—but nature takes most of the credit for that. Our job is to embrace that beauty and build a surfboard that surfs as well as any other. In 2026, we’re pushing back against the idea that our boards are “too pretty to surf”! Every Grain board is built to be surfed, and with just a little care, will last for years with very little wear. You’ll see more of our boards in motion, not just in photos, more feedback from surfers who’ve put serious time on them, and more proof that craftsmanship and performance aren’t opposing ideas. A board can be beautiful and still hold its rail. That balance is our obsession.
Order a custom board & surf it | Check out our in-stock inventory
Looking Ahead
Everything coming this year—our designs, our materials, offerings, and our storytelling—connects back to one goal: to build boards that have more impact on your surfing and less impact on the environment.
We’re not trying to be the biggest. But we are trying to build the best!
Thanks for being part of this next chapter. We’ll see you in the water.