Aku Surfboard Shaper Andrew Enz ITMG Prof. Rebman

The first surfboards  The first surfboards were just pieces of bark ripped off of trees and shaped using canoe tools into a surfboard shape.

First innovations  Once surfing was brought to the islands of Hawaii, the surfboard began to undergo some changes to make it lighter and more maneuverable.

Introduction of fiberglass.  By introducing fiberglass surfers could use a lighter material for the inside part of their boards.  Foam let surfboard shapers create a design for their boards much easier then use the fiberglass to make it structurally sound.

Shaping a board  Until the Aku Shaper was invented, the methodology of shaping surfboard had remained the same.  The tools became more advanced but the way to go about shaping a surfboard never really changed.

Aku Shaper  The Aku Shaper was invented in the 1980’s but never ready for use until mid 2003 when its inventor, Mike Rickard, was happy with his product.  The Aku Shaper is a machine that can shape a surfboard from the measurements that the shaper puts into the program.

Aku Shaper cont…  By using this computer technology to sync up to the computer a shaper can use a shape that they have stored onto the computer.  So if a surfer broke a board that he or she really like they can go to the shaper and have the Aku Shaper Machine shape the same exact board if it has been stored on that computer.

Compatibility  The Aku shaper is compatible with Windows, MAC OS X, and GNU Linux operating systems.  Since it can be used with so many types of systems it gives the Aku Shaper company a wider market to sell their products to.

Controversy  An issue with the Aku Shaper among shapers is the fact that each board is now the same  While before no board was exactly the same as another.

Controversy cont…  Robert August is a well known shaper out of Huntington Beach who still shapes all his boards by hand giving each board a special feel rather than a machine made duplicate.

Updates for Aku Shaper   The company offers updates for their programs so that clients can have their machine running smoothly and up to date.   Also they have introduced modifications as of May 2008 (self oiling feature, raised machine and high tension tungsten cutter)

In Conclusion   Surfboards can now be duplicated and sold on a much larger scale which may change how surfboards are sold in the long run.   The Aku Shaper is a just a start in the mass production and innovation of shaping surfboards

Reference Page   Posted by Daniel Leuck on February 9, 2008 at 6:54pmDaniel Leuck   View Daniel Leuck's blog View Daniel Leuck's blog   ers-robert-august-c- 176_181.html?gclid=CPal7tvB- 5YCFSJIagodmH0HXg ers-robert-august-c- 176_181.html?gclid=CPal7tvB- 5YCFSJIagodmH0HXg   [Published: Dynamic Content on Fri, 29 Aug :42:32    