Has anyone had the chance to check this board out, or try riding it? Interesting shape with tail kick, pulled in nose, and “teardrop concave.” I’m curious as to what its finer points are. Input appreciated.
I cant tell you how they ride but ive seen several of them shaped start to finish.
i absolutely LOVE that board, but it requires some skill to ride it right. the “what i ride” model is very similar in style, but noticeably more forgiving in the water. i’d like to make one myself, if anyone has some specs. they might be willing to float over my way.
Ill see if i can get some the next time my friend shapes one.
that’d be awesome. 
Soulstice- What are the peculiarities that make this board difficult/unusual to ride? I’m interested in purchasing one, and any experience riding the board would help. Thanks.
it isn’t so much that it’s difficult to ride as it’s just less forgiving. the W.I.R. is a little wider at the center, and a lot wider at the nose. the A.K. was designed for a teenager that weighs probably about 120 lbs. that’s not to say a larger, heavier guy can’t ride it well. it just takes that magic touch and being really light on your feet and comfortable with a more traditional / classic surfing style that comes with more experience. if you’re a little bigger, a little older, or a little less experienced, then you’d probably be happier with a W.I.R. also, the W.I.R. is available with a 2+1 fin setup if that’s something you might be interested in, while i believe the A.K. is strictly a single fin. personally, i like singles, but the sidebites might be a nice add-on if you plan to use this board in a wider variety of conditions. the A.K. is designed to push the limits of traditional longboarding within Robert August’s line of surfboard models. if you aren’t quite at that level yet, it may not be the best board for you.
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it isn’t so much that it’s difficult to ride as it’s just less forgiving. the W.I.R. is a little wider at the center, and a lot wider at the nose. the A.K. was designed for a teenager that weighs probably about 120 lbs. that’s not to say a larger, heavier guy can’t ride it well. it just takes that magic touch and being really light on your feet and comfortable with a more traditional / classic surfing style that comes with more experience. if you’re a little bigger, a little older, or a little less experienced, then you’d probably be happier with a W.I.R. also, the W.I.R. is available with a 2+1 fin setup if that’s something you might be interested in, while i believe the A.K. is strictly a single fin. personally, i like singles, but the sidebites might be a nice add-on if you plan to use this board in a wider variety of conditions. the A.K. is designed to push the limits of traditional longboarding within Robert August’s line of surfboard models. if you aren’t quite at that level yet, it may not be the best board for you.
My thoughts exactly. Alex is an incredible surfer, I believe he is possibly the smoothest/stylish surfer I have ever seen surf Malibu. His board is designed perfectly for his tight-in-the-pocket noseriding style. But I think that most would find it quite difficult to position the board in the proper place on the wave to make it work correctly. -Carl
I’ve seen Alex Knost do some crazy things on that board at Blackies. Like hanging a true ten and begin to gain too much speed, lift his right foot and stick into the face to stall and then place it right back over the nose.
Go look at it… http://www.dotphoto.com/GuestViewAlbum.asp?AID=1333930. In case the link doesn’t work, it’s at www.newportsurfshots.com - feb.5/noseriding Blackies. The website won’t let you cut and paste the pictures, so you’ll have to go look yourself.
I’ve also seen quite a few “normal” surfers riding the AK model @ blackies with not so good results. I agree with solstice that for a bigger/ average surfer the WIR model would be better. Or just a bigger single fin noserider. The AK is pretty pulled in and thin.