Trampling Trepidation on the Loaded Tesseract

Check out those curves.

So, as you may well have noticed, Loaded has been busy in their workshop once again and has this time brought a killer new creation to the longboarding world: the Tesseract. What is a tesseract? Well, it's a four dimensional shape of two cubes attached at the corners that rotates through time and space. Kinda hard to wrap your head around at first—I didn't even know a shape could be four dimensional. Don't worry too much about that, though—the board is three dimensional and extremely rideable. Loaded did do quite a bit of three dimensional stretching and warping to the wood and fiberglass in order to produce so much contour and form within a single deck and I'll talk about that soon enough.

First, as with all boards I look at, I like to talk about the specs. A 39” deck on a 24.5-26” adjustable wheelbase that's 9.5” wide at its chunkiest point. Other features include 0.33” of rocker (resulting in 3.5 deg of wedging at the trucks), 0.30-0.39” of concave, a nice fat W running the centerline, wheelflares and some fairly wide 7.25” kicktails. Oh yea, and the Tesseract is symmetrical meaning you can shred any which way you like.

Blunts and mad tigers in the SLO sun.

Right from the start, we can see a lot of similarities to Loaded's last freeride/downhill deck: the Chubby Unicorn. Let me assure you, the two decks, although they share many of the same features, ride very differently. Just a quick comparison between the two before I dive into the meat of the Tesseract review. The Chubby leans more towards the DH discipline and favors bigger riders with it's longer size, slightly wider standing platform (though I hardly noticed the difference) and having a bigger wheelbase. The Tesseract, on the other hand, will serve the freeriding and downhill enthusiast just as well as the Chubby Unicorn but with slightly snappier handling, less frills (no UHMW base layer, no urethane sidewalls, no recessed truck mounts, no grab rails), and a more buyer-friendly price tag. I've ridden both and I love riding both, but I think that right now my deck of choice would have to be the Tesseract.

Santa Barbara hidden hills

So, what is it that sets the Tesseract apart from the rest of the longboards on the market? Well, that's what the rest of this review is for. After all, the Tesseract is not just a wooden replica of the Chubby Unicorn—it deserves to be viewed in its own light. As per usual, Loaded has gone the whole nine yards when it comes to construction, but has also added some creative twists into the process. The Tesseract has Loaded's tried-and-true layers of vertically laminated bamboo between layers of fiberglass as well as an extra layer of pattern-textured cork on the bottom to for durability and dampening. The different materials combine to create a stiff deck with a little bit of a damp flex to provide good road feel while giving your feet a little bit of a break at higher speeds or on coarser pavement. I was skeptical about the cork's durability at first, but it seems to have held up well to the scuffing and grinding my boards go through.

Santa Cruz forests. Photo: the lovely Sam Kass

What else is good about the board? I think that Loaded really hit the nail on the head with the Tesseract's concave and standing platform. This board offers a slew of different features that keep your feet where you want them and allow you to know where your feet are on the board without looking down. Now, any company can throw a bunch of things like rocker, concave, elliptical W, wheel flares and kicktails into a board, but Loaded managed to do it in a way that's not too overwhelming. The board feels natural under my feet from when I first step onto it to when I'm going 40mph on rough roads. The wheel flares compliment the tapering of the W-cave (yes, the W concave actual gets less dramatic near the bolts of the board) which then transitions nicely into the kick tails without altering the shape of functionality of them. The rocker is subtle enough to not be noticed if you're not paying attention to it, but it does a great job in creating a big dish for your feet to stick in. For me, the features of the board are configured to fit my size 12 feet and tucking/freeriding pretty much perfectly. It's a big plus to not have to constantly be maneuvering my feet to take advantage of the board's bumps and grooves.

One of the lovely coastal hills on my commute after visiting the farmstand for some fresh produce.

Right when I got the Tesseract, I took a roadtrip with it all up and down the CA coast and even up into Oregon, visiting friends and hitting some awesome hills along the way. And while I consider that roadtrip to have provided the true proving grounds for the board, I think I've gotten to know it best through “commuting.” My commute, however, has become a little different than most since I moved to the coastal hills north of California's Bay Area. Typically I have a 6 mile skate into a little surf town which involves lots of downhills and uphills, sharp turns, gentle sweepers, very rough pavement and a skatepark (if I decide to stop there, of course). This board was a natural for the downhill and I felt sure-footed the entire time, even on the sketchier pavement (which there is plenty of around here). When I first moved out here, I was sliding to slow down a lot since I didn't know the roads very well. Never once did my feet even think about sliding off the deck. Check after check, I was able to work my way down the hills until I got confident enough with them to just tuck and bomb. Oh, and those wheelflares are perfectly placed for toeside checks and 180s, too. Just sayin.

I also mentioned the skatepark in my “commute.” I hit up the skatepark from time to time, but the features were a bit small overall for the boards size. Most of the time I would ride around on the funbox, attempt the quarter pipe, and mess aorund the parking lot. The board's kicks are nice and wide and well proportioned to the board which makes manuals a breeze to control and pivots a breeze to whip around. Ollies and fliptricks took awhile to get (still working on most actually) due to the boards curves. These curves also make dancing a little awkward at first, but your learn to use them to your advantage by letting them guide your feet around the board. As I said before, this board is a jack of all trades, which also means it is a king of none. The board isn't ideal for for everything, but it does a great job at most!

San Luis Obispo playtime.

A few notes on board setups: Loaded has tested a wide range of trucks on this deck and recommends trucks below 45 deg (Caliber 44s, Paris 43s, etc) to keep the steering geometry sorted and suggests a soft riser for trucks over 45 deg (I could list any number of cast/precision trucks here, but you get the idea) to keep everything sitting nicely. Loaded does a nice sum-up of all the trucks they rode on the board here. When I first got the board I swapped out the stock trucks to try out some 50 deg Randals and Calibers since I ride 50 deg on all my other boards. Well, it felt alright, but when I switched back to the Paris 43 deg, the board felt both alive and much more controllable. The 50 degrees with the wedging seemed to be a bit much for me (note that I didn't use a riser/wedge the trucks at all) and the 43 degrees with some loose trucks worked well for all my usual skating shenanigans.

I've also heard some complaints about wheel size. I've had the best luck with 65-70mm wheels and didn't get any bite on the inner wheelbase with just a soft riser. I threw on some 75mm wheels with a 1/8” riser and it worked alright on a faster run, but I felt like I had to avoid sliding to avoid wheelbite and where's the fun in that? Then again, I do like to run fairly loose trucks (I weigh 180lbs and was running riptide APS barrels 85a all around), so that explains some of the bit. If you're hesitant at all stick to wheels under 70mm and you'll be golden, even with little to no riser. Go above that, and you may need to increase the board height a bit depending on your setup.

Cruising Humboldt Redwoods area.

So, what do I think of the Tesseract? It's probably the most well rounded board Loaded has produced to date. It's a jack of all trades, but seems to hold it's own best on steep hills and sharp turns. Take it sideways and you'll feel right at home. Ride it on two wheels instead of four, or take all four wheels off the ground. It's not the best for pushing—the W concave makes it a little funky after a few miles—and it's not the best in a skatepark, but hey, you're likely not buying this board to ride bowls and stair sets. Yea, it's beefy enough to handle some serious drops, but this board is just asking to go fast and sideways. The kicktails are also a nice feature to throw some spice into your riding. Plenty of screwing around in between runs, seeing if you can pop an ollie at 25mph, and of course, blunt slides galore if you're into that sort of thing (I sure as hell am). It's a great board to add to the quiver and if you're not careful, it may take over a lot of your quiver without you even realizing it!

Loaded Boards Chubby Unicorn Review

Check out my new review on Skateslate! I put the Loaded Chubby Unicorn through some serious field testing, so let me know if you've got any questions about it. The deck goes on sale tomorrow (Dec 4th) so get ready!
Stay chill, skate happy.

Loaded's New Steed: The Chubby Unicorn Photos

 The Loaded Chubby Unicorn. The pudgy mythical beast in all its cushy glory.

 Behold its delicious curves. Its cradling concave. Its inviting platform.

 The simplistic beauty of its coy inlayed graphic.

And the whorl of features that can sometime be too much to wrap your head around, but is ultimately what makes me so excited about having my grimy little hands on this board. I have been and will continue to get well acquainted with this equine creation in preparation for my upcoming review. Check out Skateslate around the date of the product release (Dec 4th). For now, you can read more about the magic and craft that went into this board on Loaded.

Getting Intimate with the Loaded Kanthaka: Preview Photos

 The Loaded Kanthaka. A reliably speedy and agile steed.

Ready for popping, sliding, and general all around gnaritude. Those curves, like waves of grain, amplifying your ultimate shredding experience to a higher state.

A graphic to remind you of what else lay out there, reminiscent of the old Tan Tien proto graphics.

This board makes my feet happy and has flare with room to spare. I have been and will continue to get intimate with this street slaying stallion in preparation for my upcoming review. Check out Skateslate around the date of the product release (Dec 4th). For now, you can read more about the essence of this board on Loaded.

Deville Bomber Wheels Check-In

So yea, I posted a link to my review on skateslate not too long ago. Just wanted give a little end of the line report on the Deville Bombers. They finally cored, but they lasted me a lot longer than I figured they would. Yea, they coned a lot, but they never really flatspotted (until the very end when I did hit the core) and they stayed pretty damn circular until the bitter end. Above is a photo of their demise. The Sector 9 centerset raceform is there for a 70mm size comparison (stay tuned for a new review on the raceforms! feel free to check out my one from awhile ago if youre bored).
My final opinion on these wheels? I would definitely buy them again.

Deville Bomber Wheel Review

So, it's been quite awhile, but maybe i'll try and be better at posting a little more? I spent most of my summer without a computer so things feel a bit strange, but I figure with the raining months coming I can catch up on my backlog of photos...maybe. 

Regardless, here is a review I did before the summer started for Skateslate. Check out the goods on some slippy slide wheels by Deville. Review HERE.

Dervish Sama Review

Hey guys, check out my review of the Loaded Dervish Sama on Skateslate! It’s a hell of a ride.

Orangatang Balut Wheel Review

So, I've been testing out the new Orangatang Balut wheels and worked up a review for them. Y'all should check it out over on SkateSlate! These wheels are a blast to ride, and are coming out soon! Keep an eye out because they drop on Thursday, Feb 2nd. Here is an outtake shot from when I was still warming up and getting used to sliding in the rain. Gotta love that facial expression.

Longboard Review: The Bombsquad Saltflat Throwback

First, a short bit of history on this smaller company. Among those who have tried Bombsquad board, there is a bit of a cult following. Yes, they are lesser known, but they have become quite popular among riders who are looking for performance decks developed for and by riders. Wes Coleman and Tanner Leaser are the founders and have been in many disciplines of the longboard scene for many years now. Now, Bombsquad has been making bombproof products since day one (several years ago) when they noticed a demand for a beefier noseguard and began to deliver that very product to the public. It only makes sense then that their decks be just as beefy as their first products.

The Saltflat was one of Bombsquads first and most popular boards. It has gone through a few different iterations (aluminum and wooden), but their most recent is my favorite. Ladies and gentleman, please join me as we enter the Bombsquad Saltflat Throwback. Now, I did do a quick photo post when I first got this board with the specs and all, but I figure I’ll just post em again. The board is made of a solid 9 plies of tasty golden maple and is 37 inches long. At its widest point (right where your front foot sits) the board is 10.25” and tapers down to 9.5” right before the rear wheel wheels. So, it has a fairly symmetrical shape with a taper from the nose to tail and has an asymmetric concave (which I will talk about later. It is drilled for three different wheelbases, 28.5, 29.5, and 30”, so you have some options.

I used this board with two different setups. One was more slide oriented which involved 10” Fifty Caliber trucks and Sector9 Centerset Raceform 70mm 78a. The other setup was for a bit more speed and had paris 195mm (soon to try out Prandals w/ 42 baseplates) and some lime BigZigs. Both setups were mounted on the longer wheelbase.

Now this deck, as you might have guessed, rides like a responsive and agile bulletproof tank. The weight is considerable, but it is a wooden topmount speedboard so that is to be expected. The 9 plies of maple feel extremely solid under my feet and it is stiff as a rail under my 175 lbs—literally zero flex. Due to its size, however, it is still very easy to whip around for freeride and sliding and whatnot. Also, it feels great for early grabs and I actually am able to whip around 180 early grabs off flat ground—something that I was not able to easily do on my Bhangra.

I wanted to make a special note on the concave since the version that I picked up was one of a limited run with a unique concave. The concave throughout the board is pretty mellow: the front is about ½” radial and the rear is a VERY mellow W. Personally, this is a great setup for me because I like my boards to not torture my feet; I prefer mellow cave with gnarly grip (Gator is your friend!) rather than vice versa. The ½” up front keeps your foot where it should be and if there is any time you think you may slip off for some reason, the edges are wicked sharp and work great for digging in and throwing your board around.

I’m a big fan of the W in the rear mainly for when I use the board for garages or hills (every once in a blue moon). It is in just the right spot so that when I’m going around turns, I don’t have to worry about moving my foot to dig in on the edge or something. Instead, I can just keep my foot right where it would normally be while I’m a tuck and push my toes into the little pocket where the W is. I had never been a fan of W before mainly because I found it uncomfortable to stand on for long periods of time, but I couldn’t be happier with this mellow concave. That being said, this version of the board may not be for everyone. This model is great for those who love a directional board, something a little more race oriented. But to all those searching for a beastly topmount with symmetrical concave, there is nothing to fear! That’s because this concave was only for a limited run and they will soon (or may have even started now) be running the Saltflat throwback with a deep tub or radial concave throughout. Should be dope!

Another feature I wanted to point out on this updated 2011 Saltflat is the wheel wells. Bombsquad went and cut out some nice deep double wheel wells to accommodate tons of crazy setups on any of the wheelbases. Now, I am a fan of loose trucks so I was stoked to see the wheels wells in person—the placement is spot on. I can run my 70mm centerset raceforms on 10” Calibers with no riser on the outer wheelbase and I can run my 75mm Bigzigs on paris 195 with only 1/8” of riser. One of the huge advantages of topmount riding is that you have such great board control with all the weight you can put over the front truck. Often, however, you have to sacrifice a bit in terms of ride height, often putting at least ¼” of riser to get a desired setup. Bombsquad did an awesome job with these wells so that you can still run your favorite setup while keeping it reasonably low.

And a little on aesthetics: there is something to be said about the style of this board. I suppose it can be said for most topmount speedboards, but the simplicity of this deck really just stands out. Classic shape with no extra frills or fads going on; this board was designed for a purpose and it wants to go fast. The simple shape coupled with the vintage black and white roadster graphic makes for a hell of an attractive board, but why do I have to tell you that? Just look at the photos yourself! Though I must warn you, it is much sexier in person.

Anyways, this board has an awesome price point if you’re even thinking of picking it up. Depending on where you’re buying from, they can range from $100-115 which is about the price of an entry level board even though you are getting a professional quality product. Check it out! If you’ve got any questions, I’d be happy to try and answer them. And as always, keep skating.

Sector 9 Centerset Raceform 70mm

I picked up a set of new 70mm CS 78a (yellow) raceforms when I was throwing together my Saltflat complete and man am I happy I did. I had noticed a lot of hype around these wheels, or rather Raceforms in general, and I wanted to see if they were really as good as everyone was saying. Well, as of now they are my favorite slide wheel. They are extremely buttery and it seems like the wheels just melt from traction to slide effortlessly. Very predictable, but don't have a defined traction point. That being said, these are not good wheels for cornering. I my back wheels tend to slide out when I try to corner at the local garage, but you know, I'm alright with that. Plus, they're centerset, so you don't even really need to worry about coning if you just remember to flip and rotate your wheels every once and awhile.

Thank you sector 9 for making some tasty, greasy and very affordable slide wheels. I can foresee more sets of these in my future.

Finally, a Fully Loaded Fattail Review, in the Flesh

So, you’re back for more, eh? My first review wasn’t enough for you? Don’t worry, I understand, and now that I have spent well over a month with the Loaded Fattail I really feel confident enough to get into the nitty gritty and dirty dirty of this board and deliver some insights to you! Again, I weigh 175 lbs and I’m rolling on the flex 2 Fattail with Prandal 150mm trucks, 80a otang stims, and orange otang nipple bushings. Now, if you want a bit more info you can check out my first review with photos and tech specs here, my initial opinions on the board in my second review here, or you could get some info from the horse’s mouth here.

Now in my opinion, every board has a soul intent or purpose for its creation. In a perfect world, every board would be perfect for every discipline of skating, but you know as well as I do that this is far from true. I will start off by saying this board is not one that I would label as an all around board. I will say, however, that you will be pleasantly surprised with how much ground (in both a metaphorical and physical sense) the Fattail can cover. And if you haven’t gotten what I was hinting at yet, well, let me put it clearly: this board is a mythical commuting beast, the type that will make you grab your skateboard to run an errand instead of hopping on your bike or in your car because, after all, it is only 10 miles away.

One of the most substantial characters that this board brings to the table is its weight (insert weight here). It feels like a feather if I’m carrying it around in places where skating isn’t possible and it can be likened to ridingPegasus while ripping around the streets and sidewalks. I have strapped the board to my backpack before and forgotten it was there, leading me to believe that I left it somewhere only to find it still strapped to my back after searching high and low for 5 minutes (now you’ll just have to take my word when I say this is a testament to the boards lightness rather than my forgetfulness).

Not only does the light weight help with transporting it while not skating, but it makes pushing it a breeze as well. Jump on the Fattail and ride to a friend’s house, then cruise to downtown for some lunch, head to another friends house, then hit up your favorite spot, and before you realize it, you’ve put in more miles than you can count. It also makes it convenient while carrying strange loads (perhaps a giraffe head or a bag full of cantaloupes).

Another fine attribute this plump little piece of bamboo holds is its maneuverability. This thing carves like mad! Much like a dolphin weaving through giant schools of herring, the Fattail will whip and wander its way through pedestrians and obstacles with purpose and grace. Simply lean your weight to one side and the Fattail will respond instantaneously and without effort. This is a huuuuge plus for those looking to get their urban slalom on, but it also means that this board has a bit of a learning curve. If you are used to a tank or a boat of a board, this one may feel sloppy or loose, but once you get a little more accustomed to the dance of the deck, well, you begin to truly notice how lively it is (I highly recommend getting used to it before you try shredding your local garages or hills). It’s the combination of the classic pintail camber, with a new shape and concave that gives it that little extra bit of spring.

And with all this talk of flexy, fun, and light weight you must be thinking that this board is a major push over—one that will snap if it is pushed too hard or will crack, snapple, and pop its way to your board graveyard. Well, you are wrong! Loaded went through and through the old pintail design and updated the construction to put a little more fat on its bones. It still pairs the time trusted vert-lam bamboo core sandwiched with layers of fiberglass, but now they use a new carbonized bamboo and also added in extra layers of carbon and fiberglass in the tail to make it a bit stiffer and more functional. Hearing about these extra layers gave me a new confidence in the board and lately I’ve been early grabbing and pounding down landings on this thing—I even took it to the skatepark the other day! The flex of the deck actually helps to keep it from snapping by absorbing more of the impact and distributing evenly so that it does not concentrate in a single area (don’t worry, I won’t discuss any of the physics because frankly, I don’t know them).

Now, we all know that all work and no play make Jedediah a dull boy (or girl), and so far it seems like I’ve been talking mostly about how this board’s features make it a killer commuter. Well, this board indeed has another side, one full of gusto, moxie, and enough chutzpah to kick your teeth out. The lightness is a big plus and will save your arms when early grabbing and your legs while ollieing and throwing those shuvits around. The extra thought put into the construction really let you give the board a good beating. Maybe that involves some bouncing off some stair sets or maybe it means you’ll be busting some rock ‘n roll stalls at your local skatepark; either way, the Fattails thin but beefy goodness has you covered.

Continuing with play, one has to comment on the most obviously updated feature that the Fattail offers over its predecessor: the kicktails. Kicktails have been popping up on a lot of new boards as of late, and for good reason. Extended the standing platform a few inches past the trucks mounts allows for better control and more precise movement in manuals. This, plus the little bit of upward curve at the very tip and tail of the board create one fine platform for keeping your feet where they should be and having them land in the right spot time after time again. They work well as reference points for your feet and let you focus on what you’re doing instead of having to look down at your board. Hell, you may even get some new tricks out of it by learning how to do some nose and tail blunt slides, let loose!

Like to get down and dance around? Well, although the Fattail is by no means a dancer, there is still enough room on the standing platform to throw in a bit of style while going from place to place. Even with my size 12 chunky Vans, I’m able to throw together two consecutive cross steps on the cambered surface.

And one final part where I would like to comment is the aesthetic of the deck. I mean, come on, just look at it. That is one sexy piece of wood if I do say so myself. They certainly did some fancy work to get an inlay teardrop graphic on the bottom. Treat it to a box of chocolates and a bubble bath, then go out and put some scratches on that pretty bamboo veneer and scuff up that coarse grip tape. Earn some battle scars!

Sum up: this sexy deck is a perfect pair of commuting and light freeride. Its light weight is ideal for pushing and stowing when necessary and its solid construction lets you raise hell when necessary. Its agility makes it beautiful for urban exploring and getting you from spot to spot and session to session. Though it will set you back a pretty penny (about 30,000 pretty pennies, actually) you definitely get what you pay for with the Fattail. Remember, it is designed around 70mm wheels and 150mm RKP trucks, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t explore other options.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. Happy skatings and wear a helmet! Vicious sloths often hang from trees and pick at the hairy heads of foolish humans who skate without them.

Introducing: The Bombsquad Saltflat Throwback

And here is the newest addition to the quiver. I'm very proud to introduce the limited run Bombsquad Saltflat Throwback (i.e. wooden). I've been considering a top mount speed board for a long time now and finally decided to pull the trigger when I saw this one. I'm extremely glad that I did.

The board made of 9 plies of maple, is 37" long and 10.25" at its widest point (right about where your front foot would sit in a tuck). The width tapers down to about 9.5" right before the rear wheel cutouts. The double wheel wells are really well placed and look like they were made with a lot of thought and care. And just LOOK at that graphic. Now that is what I call rad.

Front concave shot is nice and not super aggressive which makes it really comfortable. The rear has a mellow W concave that is perfectly place to make your back foot stick where it should.

Gripped with 36 Gator where it counts and Mob elsewhere. I had so many extra left over Orangatang sticker that I finally decided to use one. Remember kids: Get rad, stay rad, go fast, and keep skating.

Longboard Review: The Loaded Fattail

After mucking around in the marsh waters every morning catching snakes for the past week, I couldn’t help but think that I was being a bit ripped off. I mean, yea, some of the snakes were big and all, but none of them were really all that fat, you know? I suppose I was on a search for something plumper, juicier, and a bit more rotund. Luckily for me, I was able to find my feet planted firmly on the new Loaded Fattail recently, and it seems as though my desires have been met.

The specs can be found in my previous post here. I must say that I was a bit skeptical when I first laid eyes on the Fattail; I thought the Ceviche and the Bhangra may have gotten together and created a baby. Well, in some ways I was right and in others I was wrong.

Remember the old description of the pintail? Something like “You will stop sleeping. Sorry, but it's true. Versatile, light and fluid, this board is designed to promote an assertive, dynamic riding style. It'll hold its own on hills, banks, commuting, and beer runs. But if you're anything like us, it's all about the late night parking garage sessions.” Well it all holds true for this board as well. This board is indeed still the Loaded Pintail that you learned to love when they first released it years ago, with some slight modifications. It really comes alive under your feet; full of more spring and rebound than any other board I have been on before (even my Vanguard felt a little damp in comparison). Paired with some high rebound bushings (I have the 80a Nipple barrels all around) and some 150mm trucks, this board will keep the energy you put into the turns and may even spring you out with a little bit more (I was able to get some decent pumping action on this setup right out of the box). One thing is for sure, the Fattail is a little beast of a commuter.

Now, some people were wondering if you can ollie/kickflip/hardflip/backflip this board and while I’m sure you can, I just wasn’t quite feeling it for this type of riding. I weigh 175 and ride the flex 2 with the board at its shortest wheelbase and the tail seems a little too floppy for me to really get a good pop out of it. I would suggest that if you want this board to do more flip tricks and whatnot that you should definitely check out the flex 1, especially if you are sort of in-between on with weight/flex charts like I am.

I was also asked about how the board is for sliding. Well, with my current set up, the board is definitely more geared toward gripping the pavement than going sideways on it, so my thoughts may be a bit biased. As is, it is not really a sliding board due to how flexy it can be. However, due to its fairly short wheelbase, its compactness, and the kicktails, one can certainly adapt to sliding on it. It is easy to flick this board around and is great for low speed sliding. Also, the stock grip that Loaded puts on the deck and the little bit of concave can lock your feet in fairly well.

So, as it turns out, the Loaded Fattail is a killer commuting creature and performs perfectly for plundering parking garages. The updated shape is definitely an improvement over the old pintail in that it provides a bit more versatility to the deck. If you have the chance, I would definitely recommend checking it out.

As a heads up, I intend on writing another review after a month or so to see how it holds up. Keep an eye out and happy skatings!

Orangatang Nipple Bushings

Ever want to ride trampolines as bushings? Well now's your chance! I recently got a set of Orangatang's newest product, their Nipple Bushings. I currently am riding 80a barrels all around on my Fattail set up. These bushings have some of the most rebound I've ever experienced. I would even go as far to say that they have more than Venoms SHR.

These bushings are poured with the Orangatang "Randy" formula; apparently they first tested it as a possible urethane for their wheels but decided that it wasn't quite right. Well I think they pretty much hit the nail on the head by pumping out these barrels with the Randy formula. I'm loving the high energy I get out of these when carving and pumping. I'm definitely going to be playing with these guys on other setups.

They'll be available commercially soooooon. Just have to wait for a few batches that were eaten by flamingos while they were in transport (or something like that).

First Look: The Loaded Fattail

I got greeted by a box with a smiley face on it when I got home this monday, and everyone knows that smiley faced boxes bring great gifts. Lo and behold, upon opening it my eyes were cast upon the bodacious bamboo curves of the new Loaded Fattail. Now, I'm not one for getting fat, but sometimes it is necessary, and this board proves it. So, since I just received it today, here is a little photo dump of the Loaded's recreation of their old Pintail. I will try to get a more thorough write up done on it in a week or so after getting to know the board a bit better.
The complete setup came with the flex 2 deck, Paris 150mm trucks, orangatang stimulus 80a wheels, loaded jehu bearings, and orangatang Nipple bushings (80a barrels all around).

38 inches of lean, mean bamboo and 8.5 inches wide through the main part of the deck with the camber (and a little bit of concave) that Loaded was first known for. Upturned kicks on both the nose and tail. The front kick is a little over 4 inches wide and the rear kick is a bit over 5 inches. Two wheelbase options (drilled twice in the back) of roughly 26.5 and 27.5 inches.

Updated graphic inspired by the old Loaded Pintail graphic.

Needless to say, I am stoked to be trying this fine board out and will have a review in the works soon. Its official release is on August 1st. In the mean time, if you've got any questions, feel free to ask. But for now, I'm off to a garage session!

Happy skatings all! Eat lots of zucchini!

Answer to my previous question: Prandals

The common question: Paris or Randal trucks? I have been riding my Bhangra with some Paris 180mm for quite some time, and until my Vanguard broke, I was riding 50 degree Randal 180s. Well, I couldn't really decide what I wanted to try on the Bhangra now that I had some gear freed up.

Essentially I was like "pshhhh" and decided to run Prandals (meaning Paris hangars on Randal base plates). Well, when I first did it I was expecting to notice any sort of difference. I mean, they're both 180mm hangars and supposedly both 50 degree baseplates (though some companies measure their geometry differently than others). I kept the same bushing combo as I had on before: Venom SHR 85a cone roadside and 87a barrel boardside.

To my surprise, I was able to notice quite a significant difference in the boards handling. It is kind of difficult to explain, but I'll try my best. It seemed as though the board had a more stable center of balance, meaning that it was less prone to turn when putting just a little weight from side to side. Once the turn was initiated, however, it would turn quite quick. It was liking riding straight, then I shift my weight just past a certain threshold and "woooooosh" the board would turn. It took a bit of getting used to, but I like it. And for right now, I'll keep running the Prandals.

The [Broken] Loaded Vanguard: Rest In Peace

I honestly never thought it would happen, but here it is: my beloved Vanguard has finally succumbed to years of shredding. It was the first board I bought for myself and I learned everything from 180 stand up slides to shove-its and pirouettes on it. Three years of loyal service. The majority of that time it was used as my go-to board, my commuter. I couldn't even estimate the miles that I put in on that board.

How it happened: I thrashed it just a little bit too hard. Took it outside of its (and my) comfort zone and paid the price. I spotted an early grab I wanted to try, a 5 stair set. So, well, I went for it after I got the courage. First attempt: I didn't quite clear the stairs all the way. My back truck and wheels cased the bottom stair and my feet were positioned fairly close to the middle of the board. When I landed, I heard a distinct crack and was flung from the board. The bottom of the board was already badly scratched up from bottoming out on various occasions, but this was it's last leg. The board was done. No longer super flexy, just straight up cracked.

Yea, it is a bummer. But at least it died doing what it loved. Note to self, no more early grabs on flex boards. I still view the Loaded Vanguard as one of the best investment I had ever made.

I think I'm going to mount it on my wall like this.

Wheel Review: Orangatang Durian 80a

Seriously, these wheels are saweeeeeeet as sugar (hence why I shot them with sugar when I first got them). I’ve had the privilege of putting on some serious commuter miles with them over the past two weeks and I must say, they’re quite appealing to me. So, with that being said, I would like to go out and say that the majority of what I’m going to be talking about in this review is how these wheels perform in a commuting manner. Now don’t worry, I know that they’re intended to be the freeride wheel series from Orangatang and I did test them in that field as well, but most of the miles I’ve put on this new thane is through commuting 10+ miles a day over the past few weeks.

Now, let’s get into the cold hard stats. I’m rocking a pair of the Durians, so they are the 75mm wheel. They come in a variety of 80a, 83a and 86a thane (as well as their other wheels in the freeride series: the fat free and the stimulus). The durians have a 45mm contact patch with benevolent teacher known as the ground and come pre-stone ground. “What does this mean?” you may ask. Well, that just means there is almost no break in time for these wheels. They will slide in a pretty consistent manner from when you take them out of the box, to your first week of sliding on them, all the way till a month+ down the road (if they last that long).

So, like I was saying, I put in some serious miles (okay, nothing as serious as that) on these guys making sure that they were up to par with the previous O’tang wheels I’ve ridden. I’ve got one word for these wheels: PREDICTABLE. Now, that may not sound good, but it is exactly what you want in the urethane that connects your board to the ground. When you want them to stick, they will, and when you want to bust a nice standie to shed some speed, you will have no problem throwing your board out and pushing the wheels sideways. What does all this mean? Again, another awesome all around wheel.

Besides skating everywhere on these wheels over the past weeks, I also dedicated some pure fun time to them as well. Because they are free ride wheels, I decided to take them to the local parking garage and see how they fared. Well, they held up just fine. Obviously, the parking garage took me faster than I am able to push while commuting. They would hold their own on an array of different slides and were able to handle the sharp corners at higher speeds better than I initially expected.

Pros?: well, it’s an awesome all around wheel. What more can you want from it? Skate from your house to downtown and throw in a few slides to keep things interesting. Use em to grip or slip, either way you’ll be happy.

Cons: I’ve always got to address this stuff. Orangatangs are expensive, yes, but you pay for quality. Now I know there are a lot of people who say O’tangs wear out super fast. That is a true. It would probably take me twice as long to go through a pair of Classic Freerides as it would for a pair of O’tangs. But hey, you make sacrifices.

Overall, would I recommend this wheel? Yes. The 80a happy urethane (Orangatang formula) is probably one of my favorite types of thane out there. For dedicated sliders however, you may have to buy a few pairs if you want to keep using. For the mean time, however, I will keep these wheels on my trusty commuter, where they’ll probably stay for a long time.

a shot of happy wheels in a Loaded family

wear comparison on my old O'tang in heats (used to be 75mm)

The Frankenboard: Zip Zinger Nano Review

Now, while I'm sure that my setup is not exactly how the creators at Krooked envisioned their board to be used, I'd like to mention that I've had this deck set up like this for well over a year and it is SO rad. This has to be the strangest board I have ever built up, super fun though haha. Here are the specs: 29" zip zinger nano, phantom 2, bone swiss bearings, 75mm big zigs, yellow khiros, and four pairs of 1/8" risers to fit the massive wheels haha. This thing is seriously a blast to ride around and is awesome for pushing around town.

The Deck: super stiff, short (29"), narrow (7.125"), SUPER responsive. When I first got it, I was worried that my 6'1" stature and size 12 feet would be too much for the little board to handle. I was definitely wrong. Old school asymmetrical shape and there are nice big nose and tail kicks and a tiny bit of concave, too. Construction is pretty in line with your standard skateboard deck, made from layered canadian maple so really no flex whatsoever.

This thing is one hell of a versatile deck. I have seen people slaloming hills, commuting around town, and blasting transitions (or at least trying to) at the local park all on the same set up.

Pros: Super fast. Once you get this board going with a few pushes, the 75mm wheels just keep rolling, they're so good for keepin up your momentum and makes for quickie commutes around campus. The nose and kick tails are also extremely convenient for maneuvering and pedestrian slalom as wheel as ollieing up curbs and busting fat mannies all over the place. Also, due to the narrow trucks, wheels with a big contact patch, and high standing platform, this board seriously cliiiiings to the ground which allows for quick tight turns without even using the kicktail. And one more, did I mention how tiny it is? The deck platform is 29"x 7.125" which means I can almost stick the whole thing in my backpack. Makes for awesome portability.

Cons: As you might guess, the 1/2" of rise on top of the 75mm wheels gives me quite the elevated pushing platform, which is not necessarily ideal for commuting long long distances (my quads will be pretty unhappy with me if I had to go over 5 miles straight on this guy). Not too much negative stuff to say honestly. It is a bit heavy for how big it is, but I do have it set up with monster wheels, so yea.

That all being said, I may look to mod this board a little bit so it will become for of a compact long distance pusher. I'm tempted to try and re-drill the deck to mount the trucks on the nose and tail kicks in order to lower the platform as well as give the deck a bit longer wheelbase. Now, if I actually follow through with this I'll be sure to keep you guys posted.

Happy skatings.

Loaded Bhangra Review: After Further use

above: finding balance with the bhangra and testing out its durability with a nice fat boneless. Both timed self portraits.

So, I received a Loaded Bhangra a little bit ago (check out the first impression here) and have been rocking it as my primary board for about a month now. Here are a few follow up comments I have.

What is the Bhangra?

I had some trouble classifying what type of board it was at first; dancer, freeride, cruiser, etc. But the more and more that I rode it, the less sure I was. Many people pushed for the idea that the Bhangra was the second version of the late Dancer, but that only makes sense as far as using the Dancer as a jumping off point. Thats right. Loaded created a whole new monster with this deck (no pun intended).

The Dancer was exactly what it said it was. It was the perfect platform to bust a move while speeding along and feel confident while doing so (check my review here). However, it was limited in that it really was a board specified for dancing. And while you could technically do all other types of riding on it, it just didn't feel as good as cross stepping and pirouetting your way down your favorite chillar run.

The Bhangra on the other hand is an all arounder. You can feel confident sliding and freeriding on it (thanks to the improved grip and the concave to hold your feet in), you can feel confident hucking it off some major drops (thanks to the shorter wheelbase and stiffer flex), you can use it as a carver if you like (with the proper truck/bushing setup), and if you are so inclined, you can use it to bomb hills to some extent.

The Bhangra is capable of accomplishing all of these tasks, as well as others, but there is a CATCH. Because it is such an all arounder, it is not really specified for one task. You can definitely find a better freeride deck, or a better downhill or carver deck. But that deck most likely won't be as versatile as the Bhangra is. It is essentially your one board quiver.

Now, We Can't Always Be Positive

While there were few negative things to bring up with the board, I wish to address two that I found.

1) The griptape. Yes, yes, it was a HUGE improvement on the Dancer's griptape, which would rub off within the first month. The problem was, it seemed to stick more to my shoes than the board itself. Maybe I just got a lemon? But my grip went over the boards edge and was actually peeling off at one point. Some bits chipped off on the nose and tail. Eventually I just went around with a razor blade and cut off the excess and sanded everything down a bit. So yea, little griptape problem, but quick fix.

2) COST. My god this board is one of the priciest on the market (next to carbon fiber boards and things like that). And while you are getting a hell of a lot of bang for your buck when you invest in a Bhangra, the price alone is going to be a huge limiting factor in who can actually ride one of these decks. That being said, if I spy people eyeing my board, I try and get the to try it out. That way, they will at least know if its worth dropping $350 for a single complete.

thanks for sticking around and reading, guys. Hope this was helpful. And as always, remember to spread the stoke. Now go out and skate!