Keyo Cheetah 9'0 review: a single fin that rides anything
Updated 2026-09-20
The Keyo Cheetah is a 9'0 single fin, bought with one brief: ride anything. Of every longboard I have owned, it is the one I would keep if I could only have one.
What it is and why I bought it
Keyo is a brand that goes back generations, steeped enough in tradition that Bob McTavish rode boards like this back in the vee-bottom days. This one is a speed shape rather than a dedicated noserider: there is no concave under the nose, a rolled entry that flattens out through the middle into a double concave with the stringer sitting outside the rail, then running back into a vee through the tail. There is a fair bit of tail rocker in it too, which is what lets it turn well off the back foot.
How it surfed
It has lived up to its brief. Its best wave covered 430 metres, cracking close to 30 km/h along the way, and it has also handled Nationals and Granites at six to seven feet plus. I have taken it as a travel board to Crescent Head too, in conditions barely worth paddling out for on anything else. It takes an FCS Connect fin around 9 inches, on the shaper's own recommendation after I tried everything from 8.5 to 10.5 inches, and its position can be shifted in the box on the day: forward for small, loose waves, back toward the tail once it gets big, for extra stability.
Who it suits and who it does not
A speed-shaped single fin like this suits someone who wants one board that covers almost everything, from the smallest days through to good size, without needing to think too hard about conditions. It is not built for classic noseriding, even though it can still be walked up on occasion; a dedicated noserider does that job better.
What happened to it
It is still with me, and I cannot see that changing. This is, by a clear margin, my favorite longboard.
Questions people ask
What fin works on the Keyo Cheetah?
An FCS Connect fin around 9 inches is the setup the shaper recommended, and it has held up as the best option after trying everything from 8.5 to 10.5 inches.
What is the longest ride on record for the Cheetah?
430 metres, on a run that also cracked close to 30 km/h, making it the standout ride on this board.
What conditions suit the Cheetah?
It has covered small, sloppy days as a travel board right through to six to seven foot plus at proper points, which is what makes it the most versatile longboard in the quiver.
This one is still in the rack; more on where it fits sits on the quiver hub. For other single fins in the record, see the AQSS Bronze Whaler and the Wayne Lynch Involvement. For how many boards a quiver actually needs, see how many surfboards do you need.