Chad “Tree” Miller stands tall at 6’8 x 255lbs. Tree’s got responsibilities just as big, including setting up hundreds of weddings and group events for Ocean Atlantic Event Rentals on the Outer Banks, being the President of the Outer Banks Wedding Association with 280 members, plus spending quality time at home with his wife Anna Beth and two daughters, Charlotte and Lillian.
With all this going on, you might think Tree’s in another league than you and I, but he still has a man cave, college fridge stocked with PBRs, tube tv (for Nascar and Steelers football) and loves to score barrels all day long on his days off. Tree also has a big quiver of BIG boards….
With Tree’s XL size you might be wondering, what the H#$%^&*LL does he foam himself with? Keep in mind that he NEVER over-calls wave size, and his head high is at least a foot taller than your head high. Even at 6’8 x 255lbs, he can grovel at a really high level and scores many a “man-sized” tube. It all comes down to having the right boards for his size, and he got them all off the rack at REAL, well except for the 7’0 Rock Up, which we custom ordered for his birthday.
…Lost BOTTOM FEEDER – 6’2″ 23.5″ 2.88″ 47.4 L – I ride this board mostly in the summer. Knee to waist high waves from mush to mini barrels.
…Lost RV – 6’4″ 23″ 2.89″ 48.70L (not pictured) – I ride this board year round. It has the extra volume for after the holidays with 4/3mm on. The double step squash & pulled in nose lets the board maneuver on wave face, where the Bottom Feeder tends to get hung up on.
…Lost V2 ROCKET – 6’6″ 22″ 2.88″ 45.96 L – My V2 works when it’s waist to head, more toward the mushy side. It doesn’t like late drops or super hollow. It’s a crowd controller, you can sit with the long boards and catch almost any wave you want and it still rips like short board.
…Lost MINI DRIVER – 6’6″ 21.5″ 2.88″ 43L – This my go to board for good days in spring, summer and fall. It works well in waist to head high waves with punch. This board is so perfect for the Outer Banks. I don’t use this board when I’m in a 4/3mm suit or more.
…Lost MINI DRIVER – 6’8″ 22″ 2.88″ 45.47L – This was my first board from …Lost and it has progressed my surfing so much. It’s also the reason I have the same board in a 6’6″ and the rest of my …Lost quiver. This is my go to board in winter with thick wetsuits or larger hurricane swells.
…Lost ROCK UP Custom – 7’0″ 21.50″ 3″ 48.67 L – This was my 40th birthday present to myself! “Custom for Tree” from Matt Biolos aka Mayhem. This board is total crowd control at any time of the year. Designed for shoulder high to overhead++, from the Lighthouse to around world.
BWS Noise Kites: The 8m and 10m are my go to sizes that I use 95% of the time. These kites drift really well downwind while I’m on the wave so I can just concentrate on my surfing and not have to worry about what the kite is doing. If you’re living in a windy place and not kiting, you’re missing out!
Lib Tech Bowl – 6’2 x 20.81” 30.8 L – I use the Lib Tech Bowl for all my strapless kitesurfing. This is the first strapless board that really felt balanced for me at my height (and foot size). I also have a Firewire 6’2 Kitesurf board with straps for the bigger days.
