With thirteen years in the making, Roy Stewart’s Dragon longboard is 165 inches long, with a thickness-to-length ratio of 1:63 for a low profile and exceptional flex response. The New Zealand–based craftsman built the board, which cost $1.3milion, by hand from empress wood and inlaid its deck with a 23-karat gold dragon with aquamarine eyes.
The board is new from every point of view, design, hydro and aerodynamics, handling, construction and ergonomics. It is a surfboard which is capable of giving the traditional offerings in the segment, Frye, Cooper, Phillips, Wegener and Parmenter. It is perfectly contoured, with organic shapes underscoring the concepts of simplicity, efficiency and long legged power which inspired the project. The hull features a single curve rocker arc.
A Stuart innovation, the single arc rocker, gives the perfect balance between maneuverability and speed which is so important for boards over 12 feet in length. The board is capable of handling wind force from any direction to the extent of 40mph and beyond, when long boards from other makers become untenable.
