Tokyo Rogu Chop Tail – Pivot
The Tokyo Rogu Chop Tail takes the classic longboard experience in a different direction. Built around a wide, square tail, it combines the glide and stability of a traditional longboard with the lift, release and surprisingly sharp pivoting response of a chop tail.
The extra surface area beneath the back of the board helps the Chop Tail plane early and maintain speed through smaller, softer sections where a narrower tail can begin to bog down. But this isn't simply a board for making weak waves more manageable. The sharp corners of the tail provide clean release, allowing the board to pivot quickly and positively from the back foot.
At 9'8" and carrying 91 litres, the Chop Tail is a substantial board, but it doesn't feel like a cumbersome one. Its generous planing area gives it effortless momentum while the square tail provides a surprisingly lively response when you move back and put the board on its tail.
The result is a longboard with a very different personality from the standard Rogu. Where the Rogu is about classic trim and effortless glide, the Chop Tail is about keeping speed in softer surf and finding surprisingly sharp turns from a big board.
Pivot isn't about turning a longboard into a shortboard. It's about discovering how much a longboard can do from the tail.
Design Philosophy:
The Chop Tail started with a simple question:
Could we take everything we love about a classic longboard and make it work even harder in smaller, weaker surf without losing the ability to turn?
The answer is a wide, square tail that carries substantial surface area beneath the back foot.
That extra planing area provides lift and keeps the tail high on the water, allowing the board to generate and maintain speed through softer sections. At the same time, the clean release created by the square corners gives the surfer a positive pivot point when they move towards the tail.
It is this contrast that gives the Chop Tail its character — 91 litres of glide and stability combined with a surprisingly sharp response under the back foot.
Rather than trying to make a big board behave like a small one, the Chop Tail embraces what a big board can do and gives the surfer another way to use it.
Design & Construction:
Designed by: Lee Willoughby & Bill Atlee – Tokyo Surfboards
Master Shaper: Bill Atlee
Concept: Chop Tail / Square Tail Longboard
Construction: Individually hand-shaped in Britain.
Fin Configuration: Traditional single fin.
Size: 9'8" × 23¾" × 3 3/16"
Volume: Approx. 91L
Designer's Notes:
The Chop Tail evolved from the Rogu, but it quickly became clear that the square tail gave the design a personality of its own.
The aim wasn't simply to make a bigger longboard. It was to create something that could carry speed through the soft, slower sections of everyday surf while still giving the surfer a satisfying response when they moved back over the tail.
The wide tail provides the lift.
The square corners provide the release.
The single fin provides the connection.
Gloss & Polished boards will have a matte underside to ensure speed.
Put them together and the result is a longboard that can glide through weak sections one moment and pivot surprisingly sharply the next.
Big board. Big glide. Surprisingly big turn.
Ideal Conditions:
Wave Size: Knee-high to chest-high. 1 1/2' - 4 1/2'
Wave Type: Small beach breaks, soft point waves and weaker conditions where maintaining speed is key.
Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced.
Best For: Surfers wanting maximum wave-catching ability, small-wave glide and a longboard with a more positive pivoting response.
Not Designed For: Surfers looking for a lightweight performance longboard or a traditional nose-riding log focused purely on classic trim.
Size & Dimension Matrix
9'8" × 23¾" × 3 3/16" • Approx. 91L — Maximum small-wave glide with a surprisingly sharp pivot.
Custom dimensions are available upon request.
Construction Options:
Base Construction — £995
The standard Rogu Chop Tail construction, built to the full Tokyo specification.
Triple Stringer / Fabric Inlay — £1,200
A premium build featuring triple stringers, fabric inlay and a gloss and polished finish.
Available from £995.
Tokyo Design Philosophy:
Every Tokyo Surfboard begins as a conversation.
Ideas are sketched, prototypes are built, outlines are refined and details are questioned until every element earns its place.
We don't chase annual model releases or passing trends. Every design in the Tokyo collection exists because it solves a problem, offers a unique surfing experience or reminds us why we fell in love with surfing in the first place.
Each board is individually hand-shaped in Britain by master craftsmen using carefully selected materials and construction methods chosen for longevity rather than planned obsolescence.
We believe the most sustainable surfboard is one that remains in the water for decades, not seasons.
Tokyo Surfboards was founded on a simple belief:
Build better boards. Build fewer boards. Build boards worth keeping.
