6c - Formal Longboard Design Idea

Since it's my mode of transportation, I have my Longboard with me everywhere I go. Whether I'm cruising around campus, walking through a mall, or just sitting on the bus, my board is always under my arm, or under my feet. -- usually not under my ass.--

Whenever I'm out and about, I can't help noticing that people are constantly staring at me.  I'm pretty sure it's because of my colorful red, yellow, and green board, but who knows, maybe it's because I am devilishly handsome.

Anyway, I feel like people see my board, check to see who is riding it, and will immediately remember me when I coast past them a week later.

I talked to my roommate, Mark, about this strange phenomena, and he couldn't agree more.  He said that on more than one occasion, a girl at a party recognized him as one of the guys who Longboards around campus.  It's pretty crazy that a Longboard can have that big of an effect on people.  I mean, obviously the person riding it makes all the difference, but the board makes you memorable.  Eventually, when I get the time, space, and tools, I would like to design and construct my own boards for this very reason.

Being in the Communication, Culture and Information Technology program at UTM has made me realize that you have to make connections to make a name for yourself.  This can sometimes be very difficult when all of your fellow classmates are trying to do the same thing.  

Imagine you are in a lineup of one-hundred recent university graduates.   These graduates are all applying for your dream job with an environmental company who promotes electric cars and the use of bicycles.  Every person in the line is dressed to impress.  Black slacks, suit jackets, white button-up shirts, black ties, and dress shoes are the most popular attire.
Of course you want to look formal and classy, but how can you differentiate yourself from these clones?


A funny tie?  -Nope. Bad Idea.





 
A formidable scent from an expensive cologne.  -Nope.  Not unless you're going to seduce the interviewer.
 





 A Longboard?
 -Maybe, but who wants to show up with a red, yellow, and green deck that has scratches and chips covering it?









My design idea is to make an affordable set of Longboards that relate to the person riding it, and help attract attention whenever you're skating or carrying the board.

In this particular example with the environmental company, I would want the board to scream, "I am a formal, scholarly gentleman that likes to have fun while reducing my emissions."

This could be done using a design from a Formal Suit T-shirt, and maybe something related to environmental aspects, such as a pin from Green Skate, a company that promotes the use of Longboards as transportation.

You would definitely be the only person in the line with a Longboard, and with an idea for other aspects of business.  You would be noticed, differentiated, and memorable.
 

5d - Hero Distance Boarders - Rob Dyer and Paul Kent

Longboarding has a huge following that has been growing rapidly in the last ten years.

A lot of the boarders that I look up to are constantly in the public's eye.  They are seen online, in magazines, and hosting, or taking part in events.  After winning races or competitions, and getting more known, they have been using their fame to raise awareness and funds for various charities.

 Rob Dyer - Skate 4 Cancer 

At the young age of 16, Rob Dyer, the leader in the Skate For Cancer project, lost his mother and his best friend to cancer.  Devastated by this loss, he decided to do something positive to help other families who are affected by cancer.  Rob started a huge skate marathon to prove that anything can be done with enough determination, and he hoped this would inspire people to stay optimistic when dealing with cancer.



In 2004, he did his first trek, starting in L.A. and finishing in his hometown of Toronto.  It took five months to complete the journey, but when Rob and his team got back, he saw the effect he had made.  He successfully created the newest facet of cancer research- Skate4Cancer.  Whenever his team was not on the road, traveling miles and miles to raise awareness, they held events and concerts to raise money for hospitals.  It is truly amazing to see such a young man taking such a big stance on the issue.


 I simply idolize Rob Dyer, --even though he is a skateboarder not a longboarder-- and I think it is amazing that he is doing what he loves to do, while being completely selfless and helping to find the cure for cancer. 

Paul Kent - skaterpaul.com

 Another boarder who I truly admire is Paul Kent.

Paul is a professional longboarder from Calgary.  He is Canada's top distance skateboarder, a world record holder, adventurer, father, husband, teacher, and writer.

Since I started longboarding, I have been going out riding almost everyday, and going quite the distance.  During the 24hour Ultra Skate 7 in 2009, Paul Kent broke the world record, skating 403 kms in 24 hours.  One day I would like to attempt to break this record.


Paul longboarded 2000 kilometers in 40 days around Morocco with his friends Adam Colton, Aaron Enevoldsen at Long Treks On Skate Decks. They also boarded across Peru, and Bolivia, reaching a top elevation of 4400 Meters.

Kent is also a contributing author for Concrete Wave Magazine, he organizes and judges competitions, and he designs his own websites.





He is a co-founder of an environmental group called Greenskate, a co-founder of the Speedboard and Longboard Association of Calgary, and he runs slide and safety clinics with other Pro riders.



These days, Paul is the owner and head instructor at Learn 2 Longboard riding school, and he holds the prestigious title of "Dad," when he is at home with his daughter, Annik Kent-O'Neill a.k.a. Danger Baby.

I like how Paul Kent and his friends go to distant parts of the world, with nothing but a longboard, a backpack, and a video camera.  When I am finished with my schooling, I would really like to do something like this. I feel like I have a lot in common with these guys, as we all live for adventure and good times.  Check out their documentary style videos to see what a two-month longboard trek is like. --Watch "No Free Guitars" to see them having fun with some of the locals.

4d - Fall Longboard Fails

The days are getting shorter, and the multi-coloured leaves are scattered across the ground.  I always hate this time of year because it's cold outside and it rains constantly. With the longboarding season coming to an end, I find myself going out as much as possible, building confidence, and trying out new tricks while I still can.



Yesterday I went out with my roommate, Mark, and tried to duplicate some of the slides and dancing tricks that i've been studying on the internet.  Loaded Longboards has numerous trick tip videos on YouTube that explain the moves in a step-by-step guide.  I've been trying my hardest to follow these steps but I keep falling... Hard!   I really should start wearing more safety equipment, like slide gloves and my helmet, when I try these things. I am a hurtin' unit these days.

Fail #1

We were cruising through Brookmede Park, down the long easy pathway, and came across a nice hairpin turn.  I yelled at Mark to stop and wait while I tried my standup slides. I went far back enough to build more speed.  When I reached my starting point, I turned around, faced towards the corner, dropped the board from my left hand, and landed on it before it hit the ground.  I started pumping with my right leg.  One pump, two pumps, three, and I had enough speed.

I eyed up the corner and decided to first veer right, and then carve sharply to the left.  During my first attempt, I took the corner pretty wide, but lost a lot of speed when I waited too long for my left hand carve. Of course, my back wheels whipped around only about 90 degrees, not the full 180, and I stopped in my tracks.  With the board at a stand-still, I was immediately thrown off.  I tried to run and get my footing, but the speed was too great.  I looked like a big idiot and went running off the path, and rolled into the grass.  At least it wasn't on the pavement... this time.

Here is a video of one of my attempts.  I didn't fall, but I didn't slide very well.  I just needed more speed this time.  Trust me, sliding is harder than it looks!

Fail #2

Mark, being discouraged after watching me fall to the ground, wouldn't even try to slide.  So, I grabbed the board out of his hand and said, "watch, you can do it, your board will be easier to slide than mine."  Why I was so confident after I just bailed so hard, I do not know.

I went  up the path again, this time moving my starting point back a little further.  I dropped the board from my left hand again, I landed on the bamboo platform and I was immediately reminded of how much flex it had.  It felt like the middle of the deck, where my feet landed, was almost touching the ground.   I started pumping again.  One pump, two pumps, three, and I was on my way.  I lined up my left foot on the nose of the board, and my right further near the back.   I veered right and made sure to carve left sharper this time.  As i went into my left turn and tried to slide out the back end, I was again stopped in my tracks.  This time my left foot on the front of the board got wedged between the deck and the wheel.  I was unable to stay upright and actually rolled onto my left shoulder.  What a fail, maybe I should've stuck to my own board. 

Fail #3

  After a few more attempts on the hairpin pathway, I was successful with my stand-up slides.  Mark and I continued down our favourite downhill route, past Erindale Highschool and towards Homestead.  On the wide, newly paved road, I pulled off a few more freestyle tricks.  Hippy jump 180's, shovits, and cross-stepping.  My confidence was now soaring.  We came around the corner, pulled onto Redstart Drive, and we passed a middle aged lady walking her dog.  Mark, being the friendly guy that he is, waved and smiled as he bombed the hill past her.  I, on the other hand, was taking the hill a little slower because I wanted to try the slide again.  Why do I do this to myself!

I carved gently to the right, then carved a hard left, while I tried to whip my back wheels around.  This time I actually swung the board all the way around, which felt awesome at the speed I was going.  But, as soon as the board completed its rotation, and I was stuck riding goofy, and the board flew out from under my feet and smacked into the curb.  I fell backwards off the board, landing on my ass, and slapping the pavement with my right hand.  I'm glad it didn't rip my jeans right off of me!  Mark was now pretty far away, but he said he could hear the lady's gasps as I hit the ground.  She didn't say anything at all, but the gasp was enough.  I avoided looking at her, shook it off, and rode away because I was so embarrassed. 

Although I wipe out and fail all the time, I never really hurt myself too badly. -- knock on wood--
Sometimes terrible things happen and people are seriously injured, or even killed while longboarding.  Thats why it is important to use  safety equipment.  I know that I am definitely going to buy some slide gloves before I try those high speed slides again.

Here is a compilation of some funny and some scary longboard wipeouts.  I hope this will teach you that longboarding can be very dangerous at times.  You'll see some boarders in a tuck position, holding their line down the hill, and some who stand up with no balance, getting speed-wobbles.  (watch the guy at 0:53) 

3e - Good Cop, Bad Cop - A Personal Longboarding Narrative

    JaHwan’s board flew out from under his feet and smashed into the wall.  He laid on the ground for a few seconds and laughed it off.  He and I were longboarding on the bottom floor of the parking garage at UTM.  The entire floor was empty and brightly lit and there was only one car parked in the far corner.  We sped around the pillars, got down really low and held onto the inside of the board while tried to kick out the tail end at high speeds.    We boarded around the glossy floor and tried to master our slides for about an hour before the campus police arrived.

...

    Two policemen slowly crept down the ramp in the cruiser and another policewomen came down the stairwell in the opposite corner.  We were surrounded.  I immediately stopped riding, got off my board and started walking towards our pile of jackets, hoodies, and backpacks in the middle of the room.  I dropped my mitts on the ground and leaned my green Sector Nine board against the pillar.  As I lifted my jacket off the ground I heard angry shouts from behind me.  The young male officer barked, “What do you think you’re doing, you know we hate skateboarders down here!” 

    “Sorry, I wasn’t aware.  We’ll get out of here right away,” I said in the nicest possible tone.

    I told the police that we wouldn’t skate there anymore, but instead they took our boards and ordered us to get in the cruiser.  As we squished into the tiny area of the back seat, I overheard the officers talking.

    “So, we’ll go up to the top of the ramp and give these guys their tickets.”  I knew I didn’t have long to make my point, so I started with my defence.

    “I can’t afford a ticket, I’m a student at U of T, I have tuition payments and books and rent and food and phone bills to worry about.  We weren’t causing any trouble down there.” 

    The young officer answered with, “There’s a shit load of signs and cameras down there.  Skateboarders burn things and leave garbage everywhere.”

    I snarled, “It’s pretty shitty that we get stereotyped with those people, just because we like to longboard.”  This comment was followed by silence.

   
    We sat uncomfortably in the back seat of the cruiser while the older officer wrote out our tickets.  He continuously leaned over to the young officer and asked him to read out a sentence.  After helping him a few times, the young officer said, “This writing is so fucking small.” JaHwan and I looked at each other and shook our heads.  Very unprofessional, I thought.  The older officer tried to relate with me by talking about my hometown, Dryden. 

    “I’ve travelled through Northwestern Ontario a few times. Nice place up there,” he said.

    “Yep,”  I started replying with only one word answers and stared out the window.

    JaHwan was handed his ticket and ID, and we were let out of the cruiser.  I gathered my longboard and my backpack and my mitts from the trunk, and the old officer pulled me aside.  He returned my ID, gave me the sixty-five dollar ticket and rested his hand on my shoulder.  He looked down at me and said, “you are the straightest guy I could’ve given this ticket to, so don’t take it personally.”  The young cop interrupted again with another stupid comment.

    “If you get mad about other skaters in the garage, you can tell us about it.”  All I said was “cheaaa, okay,” and we walked away. 

    “Where do you want to board now?”  JaHwan laughed.

    “I dunno man, to the Courthouse, the Justice of the Peace?  There’s no freaking way I’m paying sixty-five dollars for this!”

Why can't all cops be this cool?

2f - Setting The Standard Online: Switchback Longboards. Silverfish Longboarding. Bustin Boards.

Many companies are combining their knowledge of longboards with well designed and easy to use websites.  Like other industries in today's market, we are beginning to move away from the brick-and-mortar skate shops.  Fellow enthusiasts and newcomers alike browse through the vast assortment of boards, products, and media available online.  Forums or blogs are included for interaction, options for customization are often available, and making a purchase is simple using online banking or a credit card.  This really is Web 2.0 at its finest.

All of the information and reviews needed to find the board for "you" are only a click away.  And trust me, once you start skating and improving, you'll always want something different and new.  I haven't been longboarding very long and I already have two boards, four sets of wheels, three sets of trucks, and a bowl full of used bearings.

Luckily, my information is conveniently saved on these sites.  Placing an order, looking up product reviews, or just following trick tips an is effortless task. 

1. Switchback Longboards

 Switchback is my absolute favorite place to browse for new longboard products.  They have dubbed themselves, "Canada's Premier Online Longboard Retailer," and I would have to agree with the title. They have all of my favorite brands and products, and they ship for free in Canada and the US on orders over $25.  I wish I had known about this site before I overpaid for my first board from West 49.  I could have gotten a better quality board for the same price.

Switchback Longboards is a grass-roots, community based shop that spawned out of Nanaimo, BC. They simply wanted more friends to ride with and better products offered in their area, but in the process, they reached the entire country and now the US.   They have been operating for over 4 years and deal with nothing but longboards.  Their expertise is shown in the description of every product, and they offer advice that can help a new or experienced rider in choosing a product.

The Switchback Team uses their 'community' page to keep longboarders connected and involved. They organize, promote, and sponsor local events that attract some of the biggest names in longboarding.

Switchback provides a simple environment to shop for anything, from the board itself, to a sporting wind sail.  Their prices are quite reasonable and they'll ship your order very quickly, often accompanied with a free magazine or stickers.

Check out Switchback Longboard's Facebook, Twitter, and Vimeo pages.  You will be amused by the witty status updates, amazing videos and the funny pictures.

 2. Silverfish Longboarding


When the banner says, "Everything Longboarding," it is not stretching the truth at all.  Anything you need to know about longboarding is available on this site.

It is simple to navigate through the pages using the content bar and drop down menus.  It includes news, forums, gear reviews, buy and sell ads, events, galleries, downloads, links, and a search section.  An infinite amount of focused information is available on 'the fish'.


The reviews are very helpful with personal and honest opinions about various products. The forums touch on every possible subject, such as the best setups or the biggest hills, and the galleries share the most popular media sources.  Their Twitter and Facebook pages are also a good way to follow the feed and they allow followers and friends to view everything as it is posted online.

'The Fish' is the largest online community of boarders today. The user generated experiences, media and thoughts are the main source of content on this world renowned website. Silverfish Longboarding stands as the absolute hub of the longboarding industry, and will continue to do so, with their use of Web 2.0.




3. Bustin Boards


Bustin Boards, based out of Brooklyn, is one of the coolest, most innovative sites in the longboard world.  They continue to release new technologies, materials and ideas into the market.

They use flash on their site so riders can design their own board.  The customer chooses the flex (example: 7-ply or 8-ply), the graphics right down to the color of the layers, the trucks, wheels, and the bearings.  During the entire process, your board is previewed on the screen, exactly how you design it.  Like Dell and other huge companies, Bustin Boards is using the option of customization to compete in today's market and to provide the ideal board for "you."

Here is an example of a 38" Maestro I designed on their site:

Bustin Boards also has a Twitter and Facebook page where they share information on their new products, team riders, and other company activities.

In a recent tweet they wrote, "Hooking our mailman Tony up with an early holiday gift!  It's the Brooklyn way!  Here is a photo of 'Toe Knee' getting his new board:

Aside from the great reviews I've read about Bustin Boards, I cannot provide any opinion about the products themselves, as I have never ridden one.  I had to include this company in my list because of it's amazing design and growing online presence.

 

 Out of the hundreds of longboard sites on the web, I am especially drawn to these three.  I will continue buying from them, checking their blogs, watching the videos and sharing my own experiences when a topic intrigues me.  If you are an avid longboarder, or just starting out, I would highly recommend visiting Switchback Longboards, Silverfish Longboarding, and Bustin Boards.

1f - Riders and Setups

Over the years I've tried many different types of boards.  Some are long, some are short, some have a nose and tail, and others are directional.  I feel like after test riding so many setups, and continuously upgrading my own, I've figured out my favorite style of riding and the ideal board for me.  If only I had an extra 208 dollars to buy it!  But, until I do, I'll keep riding what I have --and what my roommates have--, pushing my limits and dreaming of the Loaded TanTien that will someday be mine. 

Mitch Pateman (Me)

Board: Earthwing Supermodel 40"
Trucks: Randal II 180
Wheels: Sector 9 Race Formula-81mm/82a
Bearings: Bones Reds

Style: Downhill, Freeride, Freestyle
Favorite Hill:  Sir Johns Homestead to Redstart Dr.
Favourite Boarding Music: Jaydiohead, The Sheepdogs, Born Ruffians


 The Supermodel is great for cruising and weaving through crowds of people on campus.  I like the concave shape of the deck because I can shift my weight on the edge of the board and carve as sharp as I want.  I wish the board had a lot more flex and was a bit lighter, but I guess that's what I get for buying a 9 ply maple deck instead of bamboo.

My board is a drop-through deck.  Drop-through decks are naturally much lower to the ground because there are holes where your trucks can fit through and mount.  I prefer the lower deck because it provides a very stable, yet responsive ride that seems to be more forgiving to mistakes.  This is beneficial because the rider doesn't need to bend their knee as much when they pump or foot-brake.  Drop-throughs have less traction than top-mounts, and they are known to be better for controlled slides.

I recently went on switchbacklongboards.com and ordered a new pair of Gullwing Charger 10" trucks to replace my Randal IIs.  I'm hoping that this will make my 81mm wheels flush with the outer edge of my board.  --And yes, I know my wheels are huge, but that's how I like it!--  I just don't feel like bailing because of short trucks that cause wheel bite when I'm throwing my body weight around sharp corners.

As for the bearings, we all use Bones Reds, because they are the best in their lower price range.  They are fast, smooth and reliable.  The Earthwing Supermodel is excellent for anyone who wants to cruise, fly down hills, and slide --both hands down or stand-up-- with stability. 




Mark Dumschat

Board: Loaded Vanguard
Trucks: Gullwing Charger 10"
Wheels: Abec 11 Gumballs- 76mm/78a
Bearings: Bones Reds

Style: Downhill
Favorite Hill:  Sir Johns Homestead to Redstart Dr.
Favourite Boarding Music: Wu-Tang, Hey Rosetta

Mark's Vanguard is one of my favorite boards to ride.  The flex is amazing and it feels like you're riding on clouds.  His trucks are very wide and can turn circles inside of my Randals.  This is one of the reasons why I ordered the same ones.  His wheels are 76mm, big enough to absorb some of the rough terrain, but also wider than most, for increased stability.  Other than the fact that this board has almost nothing for kicktails, it is a great deck that provides a smooth and responsive ride.

Mark's board utilizes a top-mount pattern for his trucks.  Top-Mount decks are higher off the ground, providing the rider with more leverage when turning sharply.  Stability and traction at high speeds are the key features of a top-mount board.  They are maneuverable and agile but you can feel the grip when you're carving down a hill.

Jigten Nyandak

Board: Kracked Skulls Scimitar 42"
Trucks: Randall II 180
Wheels: Abec 11 Flashbacks-70mm/78a
Bearings: Bones Reds

Style: Cruise
Favorite Hill:  UTM South Entrance Hill
Favourite Boarding Music: Coldplay, Kings of Leon

The Scimitar is a handmade board with great value.  The owner of Kracked Skulls designs and skates these boards himself.  You can order one of these decks from krackedskulls.com for less than $80.

This deck is pretty light, has a lot of flex and is very fast.  The trucks mount a little different than usual drop-throughs, but it makes the board even lower to the ground than mine.  On the other hand, it is so low that the tail hits the ground when you jump on and start out, or when you pull it up a hill like a suitcase.


Amanda Costantini

Board: Sector 9 Joel Tudor Signature 38.5"
Trucks: Gullwing Charger 9"
Wheels: Earthwing-76mm/82a
Bearings: Bones Reds

Style: Cruise
Favorite Hill: Council Ring Road (Burnhamthorpe to South Millway)
Favourite Boarding Music: La Dispute, Against Me, Every Time I Die

The board in the right side of the photo is a real treat to ride.  It has a small kicktail for manuals or popping up curbs, and the nose works great for shovits as well.  Just before this photo was taken one of my friends smacked into the side of a curb and flew into the grass.  This is why the nose has wood filler in it.  I had to fill the cracked part, sand it down, tape it off, spray paint, then use Varathane to seal it up.  It looks alright and seems tough enough.  We'll see how long it lasts.