MIKE LaVECCHIA grew up building and skateboarding quarter pipes made from scrap wood cobbled together with his friends. Soon he got heavily into snowboarding and began riding wooden snowboards before the sport became an “extreme” phenomenon. Mike eventually moved to Vermont to work for industry leader Burton Snowboards. After 12 years working in the industry, doing everything from building boards to managing a team of the most respected professional riders in the industry, Mike shifted gears and began to follow his other passion. He sat for his U.S. Coast Guard Captains License, and began operating a commercial sailing vessel on Lake Champlain. This new lifestyle allowed Mike the time to explore much of the East Coast by water from the Caribbean to Maine. In 2001, with his knowledge of vessel operations, and experience working on many wooden boats over the years, Mike jumped at the opportunity to manage the construction of an 88’wooden schooner being built by the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. While working on this project Mike had the opportunity to work side by side with some of the best craftspeople in the country. Recently, Mike again followed his instincts and moved to York, Maine, where the surf is just across the street. With the ability to surf nearly every day, Mike has combined his knowledge of the board sports industry with traditional boatbuilding techniques and a passion for surfing to produce beautiful, functional wooden surfboards under the Grain Surfboards name.