At the age of 18, Iconoclast founder Mike Wallace embarked on his journey learning to surf relatively late in life on Oahu. But he made up for this late start with a vengeance, eventually coaching the Half Moon Bay high school surf team and getting drawn into the art of shaping boards for family and friends.
Influenced by renowned figures such as Marc Andreini, George Greenough, and Michel Junod, Mike designed and shaped his first board while authoring an “In the Green Room” column for SurfPulse. Following an interview on computer shaping, Wallace shaped a 5’10” fish inspired by Chris Christenson.
If you find yourself stagnant and not innovating, you’ll be left behind. We’re constantly seeking to innovate. Don’t be a sheep – that’s our motto. — Mike Wallace
Venturing beyond traditional methods, Wallace’s journey evolved to experimentation with flax-basalt, agave, carbon-innegra, and epoxy bio-resin. Mike has placed twice in the Boardroom Show’s “Best in Show” competition, tying for first with a finless model.
20 years later, Mike is now collaborating on edge board guns for 3-time World Surf Champion Grant “Twiggy” Baker and other Mavericks chargers such as Wilem Banks and Steve Rice. Each year they refine and customize guns for the world’s heaviest waves.
Looking forward, Mike aspires to collaborate with SwellCycle on 3D printed boards, utilizing recycled plastic hospital trays in a fully closed-loop manufacturing process. As a proud participant in Sustainable Surf’s ECOBOARD Project, the innovation continues.