Josiah Baker-Connick is a self-taught board builder from Portland, Maine, where rugged coastlines and hard winters instill grit in everything—and everyone. A former tri-sport athlete, Josiah now channels his competitive edge into hot yoga, pickup basketball, golf, and chasing waves. By day, he’s a healthcare technology entrepreneur. By night, he’s the driving force behind Baker Surf, launched in 2020 as an homage to his grandparents—visionary Portland business owners who ran a legendary record store and coin-op machine empire for over three decades.

Baker Surf is an exploration of timeless surf design. Josiah draws inspiration from legendary shapers of the past and today’s leaders, combining these influences to craft custom boards tailored to surfers and their waves. 

A few standout moments from the early years of Baker Surf include selling the first custom board to a small rental shop called Quiverito in Sayulita, Mexico; receiving a surprise video of a Baker board catching a sick wave in the Mentawais; surfing in Maine with friends and spotting four Baker boards in the lineup; trading a custom board for a month’s stay in NYC; and crafting a custom fish for a friend’s pizza pop-up, Small Dough Co.