From Where the Shape Came : Ala Bing

[The Board That Started It]
The first Ala Bing started at Joel’s house.

He had a very early Bing in his collection—probably from around 1961—that he especially liked riding at Malibu. Joel has a lot of boards, and at one point he simply told me, “Take a template off that and make something.” So that’s exactly what I did.

The first one I shaped for him followed the original outline pretty closely. He rode it a bunch, and that was that.

Later on, though, I started experimenting with the outline. One of the biggest changes came from widening the tail. The original was around 15 inches in the tail, and when I pushed that out to about 16¼ to 16½ inches, it created a really nice hip. What was interesting was how well the original nose curve still worked with that adjustment, which left me with about a 17 1/2-inch nose.

The original board was 22 inches wide, which was typical for boards from that era. I bumped the width slightly to 22¾. At 9’4, with that updated tail and outline, the board really started to take on its own character.

I just loved the look of it.

Todd holding the Ala Bing outside the shop.

[Refining the Outline]
That outline reminded me a lot of what some of the Australian guys have been doing.

I’ve always shaped a little differently from the classic California noseriders and traditional logs that a lot of people gravitate toward today. Those boards often have wider noses and tails and a more parallel outline, which makes them excellent for noseriding—but sometimes not as agile.

With the Ala Bing, the slightly narrower nose, the wide point set a bit behind center, and the added hips in the tail make it a much more maneuverable longboard.

Another thing I did was reduce some of the roll in the bottom compared to a traditional log. That immediately adds speed and glide. The board also features a simple dished nose concave that blends out about a third of the way down from the nose.

The rocker has a nice flat entry with lift through the tail—something I use often. It’s a go-to rocker that just works.

The rails are closer to a 60/40 than a 50/50. That helps the board feel faster and more responsive. With some traditional logs, when you take off you almost have to walk forward just to get them moving. These boards are already alive right from takeoff, which opens up more opportunities to turn—or head straight to the nose.

I’ve been super stoked on this shape. A lot of people love it. It’s kind of become my go-to log.


Todd riding his 9'8" Ala Bing at Queens.

[The Session That Confirmed the Shape]
One session that stood out to me wasn’t some magical day in the surf, but a day at Queens that ended up being more fun than I expected. 

I was riding a 9'8" Ala Bing that I made for myself, and I was also testing a 10.25" True Ames standard fin made from my template that day. The waves were only about waist to maybe chest high, but Queens has that nice little pocket that sets up perfectly for nose riding.

What really caught me was the speed I could get out of such small waves with that board. As soon as you step on the tail and engage the rail, it just wants to come around into a full roundhouse turn.

That combination of the fin and the board really confirmed it for me.

I knew I had a good one.


10.25" True Ames standard fin made from Todd’s template.

See Related Items
Ala Bing (Model Catalog)
9'6 Ala Bing for sale
True Ames x Pinder Standard 10.25" Fin