Dimensions: 7’8” x 21 1/2” x 3”
Year Built: 2024
Shaper: Chase Jacoway
Model Name: Bird Dog
Location: San Diego
Description: Best Doggone Middy I’ve Ridden
Growing up as a thruster-riding, contest-surfing kid that only wanted to rip the top off of a wave, I thought midlengths were a crime against surfing. They seemed like they had everything I didn’t like about riding longboards, but without the speed and paddle power of a longboard or the ability to really walk up and down the board to noseride. In essence, I thought of them as too big to rip but too small to just enjoy cruising.
I’ve matured a lot in my thinking about alternative boards since my strict thruster riding youth. I fell in love with twin fins, twinzers, and finless boards. I even got a longboard for those micro days. However, I still was under the impression that a midlength was not a spot in my quiver that I needed to fill.
Chase Jacoway, a shaper based out of San Diego, shaped me and my wife a 7’ 8” Bird Dog to share. I figured it would be primarily my wife’s board that I took out occasionally when the waves were small, but boy was I wrong. I now think the Bird Dog might be the most versatile board that I have in my quiver.
Chase describes the board as “A tri-planed midlength that blurs the line between classic elegance and modern performance.” I couldn’t agree more, emphasis on modern performance. I ride it as a twin fin and since the first time I rode it, I’ve been amazed at the maneuverability, control and speed it has. It has so much zip off the bottom that slingshots the board down the line. It’s one of the most satisfying feelings in surfing to me. The tail is pulled in and highly responsive which allows for tighter arcs and effortless micro adjustments. Overall, these factors add up to a very natural, effortless board feel with delightful bursts of speed that’s carried throughout the entirety of turns.
Because the board is so maneuverable, I generally surf the board off the tail. However, when gliding through a flat section or highlining, I tend to move up to the middle of the board where there’s a great planing surface that glides and carries speed effortlessly. Even while standing in the middle of the board, it is responsive enough to weave around as needed. Then stepping back on the tail, you can use all that speed and carry it through the entirety of the turn.
In short, this midlength freaken rips. I don’t feel like I’m wasting waves on it. I can still do turns that feel good or just glide and highline it, whatever fits the mood for the wave or day.
If you get a chance to work with Chase on a board, I highly recommend it. He takes great care and listens to the feelings that you want to feel, then customizes his shapes to emphasize those feelings. 100% hand-shaped, quality glassing and excellent customer care (a shaper that actually communicates… what a concept?!).
If you think midlengths don’t have a spot in your quiver, hop on a Bird Dog. It will keep you in the water and keep that smile on your face even in the most dismal conditions.