We love a good longboard deck review, but you can’t always just take our word for it. We think its equally or even more important to hear how good/bad something is from the average longboarder. So here’s a Sector 9 Super Shaka review that an anonymous longboarder posted on our website (and if you didn’t already know, BOOMbot Ross Druckrey shreds one):
“Good solid shredstick. For 85 bones you cannot do better than this. The rocker is amazing; combined with the width and the concave it makes for a very comfy and confidence inspiring deck. My set up right now is the Shaka, 1/4″ Khiro hard riser, Gunmetal double barrels, and some really worn down Landslides in 83a.
This is my go to board for free-riding and slope-style. I’ve replaced certain spots of the griptape with some Flypaper that I had laying around. Despite the mellow concave you really feel locked-in on the board due to the rocker and the width. The width fits my feet perfectly and I don’t find myself shuffling my feet around that much(i wear a 9/10 shoe depending on brand). With the 8 ply construction the board is pretty stiff and I do not notice any flex when riding, although i am sure there is some very slight dampening flex under my 155lbs. The symmetrical EFP is dreamy and makes riding switch easy. Unless you look down at the nose/tail you won’t notice a difference in the direction and ride of the board.
The nose/kick tails are excellent and make freestylin tricks (mannys,shuvs,gturns,cross-step variations) smooth and easy. However the size and weight might be noticed once you really get into freestyle tricks(such as tiger claws, boneless plants). But if you have good cardio and stamina you should be able to pull off some steeze.
Commuting on this board isn’t that bad either. Yes its a toppy, but with the big EFP and the kicks it is too much fun to notice any fatigue when pushing. When i commute on this i end up working on my mannys, dancing, and slides when the road grade permits. I have yet to try out the shaka on some dh runs, but i am sure it will hold its own.
All around this is a great board offered at a great price. Excellent for free-ride and slope-style, its a killer for slashin the streets on the way to the grocery store, work, or class. It also has good freestyle capabilities if you don’t mind the weight/size. Sector 9 killed it with this board.
Omen longboards designer and MOBOT Trevor Preston breaks it down for us in this video review of the brand new Omen Pike longboard deck. So what makes the Pike unique from all the other decks on the market? Here’s a few reasons….First of all, 9 plies of badass Canadian maple make it durable and sturdy enough for even the biggest riders. Not only can you choose whether you’d rather have a topmount or drop-thru deck, you can also choose between 9.5″ and 10″ widths to customize your ride to your size and style. Nose and tail kicks make it ideal for freeide moves like shove-its while a half inch of rocker keep your feet locked and center your weight during slides. Finally, Omen has revolutionized longboard design with their flattened w-concave for more comfortable pushing.
Tis the season for another one of our longboard deck reviews; this time for the Landyachtz Chinook. The Chinook used to have a bad rep for its previous design with awkward dimensions that didn’t fit in with the rest of the Landy lineup. Ahh, but the new Chinook is a totally different beast, redesigned the right way. We consider it the sleeper hit out of the 2011 Landy decks. It has a super steep w-concave with razor sharp rails to make sure you stay on your deck at all times. With the extreme drops you can wedge your feet close to the trucks for maxed out stability and control. The front to back taper allows you to hang your back foot off the edge for extreme traction. Great for pre-drifiting! Try it with Bear 840 trucks and Blue Mini Monster hawg wheels for a versatile setup.
Motion newcomer talks about all the different Roger Bros longboard accessories. We love these cause they’re a cheap way to customize your ride! The drop-thru risers actually help lower your drop-thru longboard deck for better stability at high speeds. Cover plates help hide your ugly drop thru cutouts when you topmount your trucks or let you lower your topmount deck. The universal footstops work for both regular and goofy riders and help brace your front foot on a topmount. Brake soles extend the life of your shoes while concave implants can create pockets or w-concave. Get some online or at our brick-and-mortar Seattle longboard store.
Rayne longboards just unveiled a new lineup of graphic tees, hoodies and hats. When the guys from Vancouver came down to our shop last month for our longboard deck art show, they brought along some swag with them and a lot of this clothing made its debut. They use bamboo material for their tees and I must say mine is the softest t-shirt I own! I practically live in it. Fresh graphics make these even more awesome. You can check out the latest Rayne clothing here.
According to Rayne: “These shirts are incredibly comfortable, wick moisture, dry quickly and won’t smell like sweat when you’re finished a long day of skating because they are naturally anti-microbial.”
If you “LIKE” our facebook page you can get a discount code to save a little extra on these threads.
Abec11 has finally released its 72mm centerset freeride longboard wheel! Similar to the 72mm classic freeride, with a few new features. Clearly as the title suggest it offers a centerset core rather than the offset of the classic freeride, allowing the wheel to be flipped as it begins to cone. Also the new Abec11 Centerset Freeride wheel features a 39mm contact patch, which is 7mm wider than the classic freeride.
photo courtesy of Sunnyside Longboarding
This wheel is offered in abec11′s classic thane in 78, 81, and 84a covering all of your needs! The most popular duro is by far the 81a since it offers that perfect balance of grip and slide. With these wheels, Abec11 has bridged the gap between freeride and downhill, offering a wheel that covers everything in between. If you haven’t had a chance to check out these wheels be sure to do so! They may be $3 more than their original classic, but they’re worth every penny since you don’t have to worry about coning them out.
A new wheel you may or may not of heard about is the Earthwing Slide B Superballs. These wheels are 72mm and come in red (78a), blue (81a) and black (84a). They have a offset hub and a thick outer lip. A wheel that is comparable to the Earthwing slide B’s are the legendary blue Krypto. Blue Kryptos are notorious for being one of the best freeriding wheels around, sadly they were made in Europe and Krypto stopped making them a long time ago, so finding them is a challenge. Both of these wheels are very distinct, they have the same outer lip attributes, the only difference between them is that the Kryptos bearing hub is side set. Earthwing did a really good job with these wheels, they are some of the most consistent wheels I’ve ridden. We have been using the red (78a) set and so far they leave gigantic thane lines and have no flatspots or any vibrations, the urethane wears very evenly. Hopefully you enjoy them as much as we do!
Everyone knows about drop deck longboards but have you ever really looked at the drop of a deck?
As you can see in the BlackDog Betty, your feet are standing on the drop instead of sitting in or against the drop. This can give you a lot of leverage over your trucks because you are at an angle towards your wheels. This also helps to keep your weight between your feet by canting the angle of your shoes to allow you to place more weight into the wheels when initiating slides.
In the Landyachtz Switchblade you can see that you put your feet into the pocket and that there is a little bit of a wall holding you into the board. This drop will give you the feeling of the pocket matched up with the wall against your foot, it will let you be able to dig into the wall for sliding and make it a lot easier to get the board pushed out.
The Rayne Nemesis shows you the last variety of drop which is having your feet on concave into a drop. This will let you be able to dig into the concave AND pocket which is useful for pre-drifts. The drop also makes it so you can push your feet into it, when going faster g-forces make you want to come off your board, but not with these drops. Whether you’re sliding or just bombing hills, drop decks are an option you can’t go wrong with.
Not in the loop for new product, let us fill you in! One of the newest products on the market are the Bear Bushings by JimZ. Remember back in the day when JimZ bushings only came in one shape option, with a limited selection of two duros? Well boy have things changed… The new bear line up of bushings come in a variety of shapes and duros, offering 4 different duros and 5 different shapes. With so many duros and shapes the bushing combinations are endless. The bushings come in a 75a grey, 82.5a white, 85a black, and a 90a red. The shapes include a standard cone, a stepped cone, standard barrel, stepped barrel, and a double stepped barrel.
These bushing offer some new shapes to the bushing market, such as the stepped cone. The stepped cone is a bit fatter version of your standard cone, with a step giving a more precise fit into the bushing seat and creating an increase in the amount of resistance the rider will notice while turning. The stepped barrel is one of JimZ’s original shapes, but is certainly one of a kind. The stepped barrel is a noticeably fatter platform for the truck to rest on while offering a precise fit due to the step, much like the stepped cone mentioned earlier. Due to the amount of urethane in the bushing it makes this a great bushing for the boardside due simply to the amount of rebound provided by the mass amount of urethane pushing it back to center. These stepped bushings as well as the other shapes offered by bear and jimz work extremely well in precision trucks due to the extremely tight fit, and obviously work well in the bear trucks making for an awesome ride, and can be dialed in for all sorts of riding.
We have been encountering a lot of skepticism and a lot of confusion about the new Dual Durometer Sector 9 wheels. I am just going to clear up some of the thinking going on inside this wheel. The first thing that makes these longboard wheels fast and unique has to deal with the wheel having a layer of softer urethane around a hard urethane inside. This allows the inside of the wheel to remain very rigid, and have lots of momentum.
Meanwhile, the outside of the wheel is a softer grippier urethane. This allows the wheel to gain the speed benefits of a harder core, while gaining the grip benefits of the softer urethane on the outside. Another benefit of these wheels is that they are going to maintain the rigidity of the lips when gripping over adverse terrain due to the harder core, supporting the outside lips of the wheel.
The other benefit of these wheels, is that when you wear the wheel down beyond the soft outside urethane, you are then on a much harder wheel which is a lot better for stand up slides. This wheel is going to be turning a lot of heads, and the fact that it is the first wheel of its kind to be openly available.
Recently I have been using the Roger Bros Implant on my freeride longboard, I have used pieces of toilet paper before to add W-concave to my board, but I have found a much better substitute in the Roger Bros Implant. I Really like that I can just slip it in under my grip tape, as well as I can move the Bump around my board to pocket my foot better in the rear when I tuck. I simply adjust the angle of the bump, and move it closer to the rail, and this gives my back foot more pressure holding it in the spot that I want it to be. The other benefit to this is that i can take it out when I am done using it. This Roger Bros w-concave implant is a great accessory if you are looking to change your board to having W-concave.
All you need to attach them to your deck is some spray adhesive. They come in a 35cc and 45cc volume so you can choose exactly how much W you want to add to your concave.
The 2011 Landyachtz Chinook is going to be the next Evo. Well, it is an Evo, just a more contemporary version of the timeless classic. The 2011 Chinook is similar in name only to its older counterpart. The Chinook of the past used to have an incredibly wedged nose, was very long, and had a flat tail, which pretty much confused anyone who rode it. The new Chinook is still wedged in the front, but now it has a de-wedge in the back, giving it the same directional feel as the Evo, as well as the unmatched stability of a lowered directional deck.
Most longboarders assume that the harder the durometer of a longboarding wheel, the easier it will be to slide. Not only that, but there is also a misconception that a softer durometer can be better for downhill, especially if you’re looking for a lot of grip on a technical course. Nersh wheels bucks the trend and Nate explains why…..
Recently I purchased 2 sets of Nersh Candy Wheels: one set int 80a and another in 76a. I started out using the 76a wheels as grippy wheels on my downhill board, and found them to be a little different then the other wheels that I have ridden. The first thing that I learned was that the harder durometer Candies were better for downhill riding, because with their larger core, and center-set core placement it changes the performance of the wheel. With the larger stiffer core, it increases roll speed, and the general amount of momentum that you can hold while riding. Then, with the larger inside lips of a center-set wheel, it allows the wheels to be more easily molded over the pavement because you are gaining more leverage over the gripping parts of the wheel. This allows them to grip a lot better then one would expect. In my personal opinion the 80a Nersh Candy feels like an 83a Retro BIG ZIG in its momentum, but more similarly to an 78a pink when you start to turn on the wheels. This is one of the reasons that I enjoy this style of wheel, because it is fast and grippy.
Once I learned this, I decided that I would use the 76a Candies as my sliding wheels. Even tho this is a particularly soft durometer, it is still quick due to the larger core. But once you turn these sweet treats sideways the softness of the urethane really comes through. You can feel the wheels slowing down when they slide. I really enjoy the consistency of the urethane as it wears down. It gives me confidence when a wheel behaves intuitively and these wheels must have E.S.P. On a side note, the fact that the wheel is center-set, means that you can rotate the wheel 180 degrees in order to fight coning. This really helps when you are constantly battling wheels crapping out before they are out of urethane. Definately a wheel I will buy more of.
Two weeks ago I mounted up my Black Dog Longboards, Mondo Gato. It is a 49″ long board, 10″ wide, with 2/3 of an inch of concave. What I really like about this longboard deck is that it is the shape of a dancer, with aggressive concave. This allows me to do dancing tricks, until the board reaches a speed where I can do some stand-up slides to bring the board back down to dancing speeds. I especially like the width between my feet for sliding the board. I can really separate my feet and get lots of leverage over both my trucks, and this allows me to control each set of wheels better when drifting. The Concave on this board is from the Blackdog Butterfly, which I love because it was a great transition from my DH Topmount. I really enjoy downhill riding on this board because with the 35 inch wheel base, it means that you have to be much more tactical and aware of yourself with your DH lines, which is greatly improving all aspects of my riding.
Trevor Preston breaks it down on the new Landyachtz Time Machine deck. This aggressive city cruiser features a drop deck with a wedged nose and tail. The symmetrical body offers Landy’s trademark w-concave for doing toe-side standies so the ball of your foot doesn’t slide out. The drops right in front of the nose and tail also lock in your feet, giving you the illusion that you’re riding in bindings. Wheelbite isn’t an issue at all, even with the biggest longboard wheels, thanks to the uber intense wheel cutouts. Ten plies of Canadian maple make this urban assault deck stand out among the rest.
Also in line with the Armada V2 kiteboard is the Best KB Pro Kiteboard which comes in a 130x40cm. Most womens kiteboards are only offered in super tiny sizes, as if all women are 5’0 and 100lbs. But the sizing for this board is a little longer and wider making it a more realistic option for the majority of women who are serious about kiting. With the light winds we get here during the northwest summers, I think this size board will be perfect.
Best of all, pro rider and 9 time world champ Kirstin Boese had a ton of influence in the design so it has the features of a pro board that even a man can appreciate. And if it wasn’t for the polka dots and pink Best fish logo, I bet you’d see a lot of guys riding the KB Pro. It has a very similar flex pattern to the Armada kiteboard which makes for insane pop, cushy landings, and it plows through choppy water. It also features Best’s new super comfy foot straps and pads. If you’re a late beginner or intermediate rider, this board will let you advance all the way to the finish line.
We just got a shipment in of the 2011 Best Armada V2 kiteboard. Although we fell in love with last year’s version, this year has proven to up the ante even more. Though the shape of the Armada has basically stayed the same, it seems to be just a little stiffer which translates to higher performance and increased pop. While we haven’t compared the actual weight, the board feels a little lighter under your feet while riding. Overall, it handles the chop really well, has nice smooth landings thanks to it’s progressive flex pattern and features some sweet new graphics too.
If we had to compare the Armada to something else, it’s like the Best Kahoona V3 in the sense that they took something that was already really great, and found a way to make it even better. This year, Best upgraded their straps and pads so that they’re extremely comfortable. According to Best teamrider, Joaquin, they are some of the easiest to take off and on. The new design really lets you wedge your feet in to get a real locked in feel.
Have you ever lost a longboard wheel while riding? It feels just as gruesome as it sounds. Imagine rolling down your favorite hill only to lose control, get thrown from your board, grind your trucks, and gain some massive road burn. But don’t worry, you can prevent this!
Before you ride, make sure you check your nuts! Always check to see if there is slop in your wheel and if you can wiggle your wheel from side to side then it’s not tight enough. When tightening down your wheel nuts, make sure to fully tighten them so that the nylon locking system will help keep those nuts in place. If you change wheels frequently there is a good chance that the nylon locking system in your nuts has been worn down. Lots of riding will also loosen up your axle nuts over time. New nuts are never a bad choice.
Use bearing spacers for every setup – there is no reason not to! Bearing spacers allow you to fully tighten your wheel nuts without putting your bearings into a bind. Basically they allow you to fully crank down your nut and ensure maximum wheel/bearing stability. Or, you can just get some Biltin bearings which have the spacers built in to the bearings.
I copy and pasted this directly from a review that someone made on our website for the Omen Carbon Matrix longboard deck. They had a lot of nice things to say about the deck so I thought I’d share. It’s 100% legit from an anonymous stranger who just happens to feel the same about this amazing carbon fiber/foam core longboard deck as we do. Also, we heard from an Omen rider in Canada that they picked up one of the original Matrix’s when they first came out and it’s held up awesome. In fact, he’ll often early grab down 3 stairs and it’s taken the abuse like a champ.
“This is my go to board for everything EVERYTHING, this board goes through everything you put in its way. She’s rul light but somehow feels super solid. I love the feeling going dh, something with the concave, and the small drops, but being close to the ground is a magical feeling . this board is DEFENETLY stable enough for dh ( ive brought her to about 50-55 and i havnt met her limits yet) light and symmetrical for free ride and again the pockets are super, light and low enough for commuting. over all love this board and dont tell anyone, but i honestly like the pockets more then the killswitch pocket.”
Rayne longboards is now taking their turn at producing slide gloves that are a cut above the rest. Basically, they’ve found a way to create a slide glove that fits in between the $40 Landy/Sector 9 BHNC glove and the more expensive Loaded or Sector 9 Surgeon Gloves.
The thing that stood out most about the new Rayne Idle Hands slide gloves is how comfortable they are! They fit like a glove. : ) No really though. They fit super snugly against your hand, almost like a second skin. The leather is extremely soft and you hardly feel like you’re even wearing anything on your hands. The puck is also more minimalistic which they tout as being “catch-free”.
It’s only been two weeks since the official spring premier of the 2011 Landyachtz longboards lineup and some of our shelves are already empty. The two obvious heavy-hitters for this season are the much talked about Landyachtz Switchblade longboard and Wolf Shark. The Switchblade is the answer for everyone who loves the double-drop concept behind the Demonseed but found the standing platform to be just a little too long. It’s got really aggressive concave to lock you in too. We blew through a record 20 decks in only a weeks time which makes us think that the Switchblade is going to be the most popular board of 2011.
The Landyachtz Wolf Shark deck plays on the latest topmount speedboard craze but takes it a step further than other longboards. The sanded gas pedals are a nice feature and you can’t go wrong with that 9two5 rocker/concave combo. When you add in the multiple wheelbase options with corresponding “shark bite” wheel wells you have a clear winner. At the moment, we only have a few left in stock and they’ve been flying off the shelves.
Most of the other decks from Landy feature updated graphics from last year and let me just say the colors pop! Their finish work on the graphics is really top notch compared to other manufacturers. You may not like all the artwork but you can’t disagree that they did an awesome job laying up the graphics. The Wolf Shark is either a love it or hate it graphic and I happen to love it for how tacky it is.
We’ve also been flying through their new wheels, especially the zombie hawgs which now come in 78,80,82,84,and 88 durometers. Since Landyachtz has been so busy trying to keep up with demand for these hot new products, we’re going to drive up to their Vancouver-based factory ourselves and pick up more Switchblades, Zombies, and other goodies. So you can expect to see those out of stock items available again later this week.
Max was busy cranking out the videos this weekend and managed to finish up a nice little review of the 2011 Landyachtz Wolf Shark. This particular longboard deck is extra special for a lot of reasons. For one, it’s kind of the first true topmount speedboard that Landy has put out there. You might remember a video we made at the Maryhill Festival of Speed last summer where Landy’s Blake Startup gave us all a little sneak peak of this deck and it’s been highly anticipated ever since.
The graphic alone is enough to set this deck apart but they didn’t stop there. It has multiple wheelbases, is a little narrower than most topmounts (measuring in at 9 3/4″ wide) has multiple “shark bite” wheel wells to accomodate the different wheelbases, and has some monster gas pedals. The Landyachtz Wolf Shark is pressed in the same mold as the Landyachtz 9two5 so it has the same gnasty concave and rocker to lock you in big time. It’s also one of the fastest selling boards we’ve ever had in stock.
Just last week we got our shipment of the 2011 Mystic Kiteboarding lineup. While Mystic is known for their kick ass kiteboarding harnesses, they have tons of other amazing accessories this year. We stocked up on everything from the Shadow and Warrior III harnesses to wetsuits, hook knives, layering jackets, impact vests, travel bags and even waterproof car seats.
The Mystic Shadow harness was first introduced last year and instantly became a bestseller. And if you ask me, it has everything to do with it’s ultra lightweight design that allows for mobility while still providing substantial back support. When you factor in the affordable price, it’s no surprise that this harness is a winner.
Thankfully Mystic saw how much everyone loved the Shadow last year so they stuck with the whole “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” attitude and didn’t over-tweak the design. They made the smart decision to stay with a proven product and managed to make it better than before. Instead, you’ll notice that the 2011 Mystic Shadow harness comes with the updated spreader bar pad and a beefed up covering for the spreader bar straps. It comes complete with the double-blade Mystic safety knife and back safety leash for clipping on your kite leash. The safety leash comes in particularly handy if you’re practicing handle passes. Come on in, try one on for size, and you’ll know what everyone has been raving about.
This fall, we brought our junior teamrider Max on to work a few days in the shop. Not only has it been fun to have him around, but he’s been cranking out the videos faster than we can keep up with (which is a good problem to have). A lot of times, our Youtube subscribers will message us with special requests to make videos on certain products. While we can’t get to all of them, we try to pick out the ones that get the most requests. When it came to longboarding wheels, everyone wanted to know more about the Venom Cannibals which come in a 78a, 80a and 83a durometer.
One of the best parts about being in the longboarding industry is that there is a constant flow of cool new products being introduced into the market. There’s no shortage of innovative ideas taking shape and hitting the hands of consumers. The sport is growing faster than shops and manufacturers can keep up with even! One product that we are suuuper excited about and just happen to have exclusively at Motion Boardshop, is a new grip tape: 24-grit gator grip tape.
The standard 36-grit gatorgrip which is known around town as “gnar grip” has a new 24-grit cousin that we’re stocking. The lower the number, the gnarlier the grip, so we’re calling this stuff “gnasty gnar”. It’s a real knuckle buster and not for the faint of heart. Made out of mineral abrasive double sealed with an epoxy resin, this grip will make your longboard deck stick to your feet like peanut butter.
And on top of that, it’ll take longer to wear down than standard grip. Considering that it’s only $3 more for a board length than regular gnar grip, you’d be a fool not to just go for the gold. Just be smarter than we were when applying your grip and wear some beefy gloves. Never gripped a board before? No problem. Just follow our step by step guide on how to grip tape a longboard deck.
It’s inevitable for all riders. At some point, you’ll be cruising along on your longboard skateboard deck, usually doing some aggressive carving or pumping and all you hear is “squeak squeak” as you turn. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had people come into our shop thinking that it was something wrong with the longboard bushings on their trucks. In actuality, it’s the pivot cup that’s causing the noise.
The pivot cup is the place where the bottom of your hanger sits into the baseplate and there’s a hard, black, plastic insert that helps the hanger fit snugly. But when you get friction in that spot from putting a lot of pressure on the baseplates by heavy turning, it can start to squeak. The best way to eliminate this annoying noise is by taking a few savings of bar soap or wax and dropping them into the empty pivot cup (make sure you take hanger out first). Then just distribute the soap/wax around the pivot cup evenly with your pinky finger. The added bonus is that your trucks will sometimes turn more fluidly when you eliminate that friction.
When I was in a pinch without any soap or wax around, I used Bones Speed Cream to lubricate the cup and that worked like a charm too. But don’t worry, your bushings aren’t defective. And as long as you’re doing that routine maintenance on your deck, might as well clean your bearings too. Click here to find out how.
Despite the flurries of snow, we still hosted our first clinic at our new location. This clinic focused on a topic that has come up a lot lately on the Puget Sound Kiteboarding Forum. So we tried to answer this question: How do you perform maintenance on your bar and bridle system? AND How to you find and repair a hole in your bladder and then replace it back into your kite’s strut.
We had help from our amazing teamriders, Joaquin Hubbard, Eric Van Steen and Nick Ward, who are also representatives for Best Kiteboarding. Between them, they provide an astounding amount of knowledge and experience. When you combine that with Krispy Kreme donuts and fresh coffee, you have the perfect equation for an awesome clinic! We took video of the whole thing so you can either watch that, or join us at the next clinic! Here were the specifics we covered…
Ever wonder what the ABEC rating for longboard bearings really means? Well, according to this source it stands for Annular Bearing Engineers’ Committee and it measures the tolerance and accuracy of a bearing, determined by the American Bearing Manufacturers Association. An Abec 1 bearing is the cheapest and least precise of the bunch, with Abec 9′s being the nicest and most precise.
More often than not, you’ll find Abec5 bearings in longboarding. Basically you get the most bang for your buck with Abec 5′s so that you still get the performance you need when riding, without dropping a pretty penny on bearings. A lot of people in the industry argue that most of the bearings aren’t a true Abec 5, according to the standards set forth by the ABMA. Continue Reading →
RAAAAR! The long awaited Omen Longboards Carbon Matrix Deck has finally been unleashed from it’s cage. You’ve probably noticed we haven’t posted many videos lately but that’s because we’ve been busy perfecting this longboard, going through numerous prototypes, and tweaking every little angle. We finally nailed it down with what we think could be the perfect board. We had so many questions from longboarders who were looking for a board that could do it all, freeride and downhill. We built this longboard deck specifically to fill that need. It’s stiff, light, underflushed, has 3/4″ drop and .666 concave, symmetrical and has amazing pockets to lock your feet in. Check out this teaser with more videos of the Omen Carbon Matrix to come.
For a limited time, you can snag one of these beauties for only $299 as part of the pre-production limited edition promotion. The decks don’t come with a graphic but they do come with a red texalium top that will only be produced in this batch. So everyone will know you got one of the few pre-production Omens. Once this batch is gone and the graphics are on, the price will go up to $349 so get em now and save a few bucks.
Lately we’ve been getting a ton of questions about the differences between Surf-Rodz trucks and Munkae trucks. In our mind, they couldn’t be any more different but it may not be as obvious to a longboarder who’s never had the chance to see them in person or try them out first hand.
Fireball just came out with a little brother for the Beast by launching the Fireball Incendo wheel (70mm and 84a). The Beast is one of our favorite longboard wheels for freeriding because it has a big ‘ol contact patch with a really nice sugary sliding urethane which allows it to wear consistently (no chop and hop feeling as you slide).
The only problem with the Beasts is that topmount riders inevitably get wheelbite because of the size. Now, you can just use the 70mm Incendo version though. It’s a little smaller and a little driftier because the wheel is rotating faster.
Here are a few solid reasons why we’re really loving the Incendo…
-The wide contact patch means they still grip really solidly
-They have a really sugary urethane that wears consistently
-The large bevels on the outside will decrease any chance of chunking or having an odd wear pattern
-They get driftier as you wear them down becasue the contact patch gets even bigger and the actual wheel gets smaller (you’re applying less vertical leverage to a larger contact patch which makes it driftier)
-The fact that they are pre broken in really sets them apart from a lot of other really wide wheels (most pre-broken in freeride wheels are pretty narrow)
-Even though they aren’t the grippiest wheel, they are still wheels that will never be the wrong wheel to be riding, whether you’re commuting or standup sliding, we’ve even DH’d on them too
-Even though they are an 84a, the lips are progressively tapered to soften the lip and still grip and it doesn’t feel as hard as most 84a wheels even though they still slide like an 84a wheel.
Sometimes, the leading edge bladder in your kitesurfing kite blows up so badly that you can’t avoid having to send it in to a professional repair place. But what about those smaller rips and tears in your canopy? Or what about a tiny pinhole leak in a strut bladder? There’s no point spending tons of dough just in shipping costs alone when you can fix many of those problems yourself.
We just stocked up on all the little gadgets from FixMyKite so that you can be a kiteboarding kite repair master. That includes their Tuff Bladder strut blanks, Tuff Leading Edge Bladders, and easy stick on valves. Their bladders are made out of a special top secret material that is twice as durable as any other bladder material on the market which means it can really hold up to a beating. Continue Reading →
I think I can safely say now that kiteboarding with boots is a trend that is here to stay. I think a lot of people are turned off initially by the fact that boots can be hard to get into. However, that’s the same thing that draws most people to boots in the first place: they’re hard to get out of so you lose your board less, allowing you to spend more time practicing tricks and less time body dragging upwind for your kiteboard. Kiteboarding magazine recently published this article which breaks down the pros and cons of riding with boots.
If you’re into wakestyle riding, boots will improve your style and performance. If you find a good pair of boots, they’re usually more comfortable than straps and they will allow your feet to connect with your board like none other. You don’t have to worry about having one or both of your feet some out of your straps while you’re mid-air. That fact also makes it safer for hitting sliders too. Since you can load up with a lot more power when you’re rocking boots, you can explode off the water for maximum wakestyle performance.
The downside, like I mentioned before, is that they can be hard to get in and out of. Most companies make an entry-level boot without laces but since they’re designed to be snug on your feet, you will have to work to get locked in. In the event that you have a really gnarly wipeout, there’s a chance that one or both of your feet may come out of the board. It’s even hard to get boots on in the water than it is on land because you don’t have a solid surface to push against. Since boots come up to your calf, it can restrict your mobility making it harder to do grabs.
At the end of the day, we love boots because they’re a whole new aspect to the sport of kiteboarding. Just like riding strapless, it’ll be a new challenge to reinvigorate your love of kitesurfing. If you want to get into wakestyle riding, we recommend a kitesurfing kite than can perform well unhooked, like the Best Taboo kite.
We got a request from one of our Youtube Channel subscribers to do a special review on the Roger Bros DH 36 longboard deck and how we would set it up if money wasn’t an option. Well, if you’re looking for the most badass topmount speedboard and you have all the money in the board, this is what Nate recommends. With 16 different truck mounting options and CNC precision on the deck, it’s a versatile longboard that’s super responsive. Munkae precision trucks are the way to go, and since it’s a topmount you won’t have to worry about being too low to the ground. The DH36 already comes with some gnarly grip tape and munkaes come with venom bushings already so they’re all ready to go. All you need is some longboarding wheels and we recommend something with a nice wide contact patch like blue Mini Monsters.
Time to graduate from those grippy pink bigzigs to something a little more slippery, but stumped on where to start? Well if you’re looking to do more freeriding and start throwing down big ‘ol standies then you’ll want to get some nice, round-lipped wheels (we call ‘em freeride wheels). With so many choices on the market, we try to break it down for you with some of the most popular freeride longboarding wheels on the market.
In the latest of our longboarding videos, Nate covers everything from Earthwing Floaters to Sector 9 Race Formulas to Abec11 Freerides to the our best sellers, the Orangatang Durians (and stimulus and fat frees too). The rounded lip will help your wheel break free into a nice, smooth slide unlike a wheel with a 90 degree beveled edge which is more for grip and cornering.
Nate Blackburn sits down and tells us about the latest longboarding deck to drop from Black Dog Longboards. This time, it’s the Black Dog Shallow Drop that’s turning heads everywhere. After lots of testing and tweaking, Black Dog created what we call the “pocket drop” because of the cradling feel you get from the drop combined with the waist of the board. Even though it technically doesn’t have rocker to it, you still get that nice “centered” feeling.
It’s a freeride board and obviously has a shallow drop, only 3/4″ all together. So you’ll get more traction than on a Rayne Nemesis or Landyachtz Switch. The concave is 1/2″ so you have just enough to hold your feet in for repetitive slides but your feet won’t feel sore if you’re riding for a few hours at a time. One of our new favorites!
If you already read our blog post on how to grip tape a longboard, then you already know what you’re doing. But if you still have questions about the process, you can watch this handy video we put together which shows a sped up play-by-play. Remember, in order to grip your longboard deck you’ll need: a box cutter, a file, and scissors.
*If your deck is wider than your grip tape, you can do horizontal or vertical stripes instead. Just use a ruler to help you cut a straight line. Then flip it so the ragged edge is on the outside of the board, on the side that will be cut off. Our favorite grip tapes are gnar grip and edger grip. But if you have a deck made of bamboo or walnut, you may want to use clear grip to let the wood grain shine through. If you’re still having difficulty gripping your deck, bring it by our Seattle longboard shop and we’d be happy to do it for you.
To retrieve a loose Slingshot kiteboarding kite, make sure you have a plan and can predict where the kite will go. If the kite is tumbling, don’t try to grab it until it settles down. Wait until the kite seems to be staying on the water.
1. Go downwind of the kite as you approach so that you won’t get into any line behind the kite.
2. As you pass the kite, look for a place to grab where you can control it.
3. Stay a little upwind of the kite so that your kite is pulling you away. This will help to avoid getting wrapped up in the loose kite.
4. The nice thing about grabbing a bridle is that you don’t need to flip the kite over. Simply pull the kite with you, and the wind will lift the kite above the water.
If the kite doesn’t have a bridle, you can grab a wing tip to stop the kite and then drift away from the kite and begin to help it flip over before you start to ride on your board. Either way, make sure you approach, observe, plan, and then proceed to grab the Best Kiteboarding kite. If it doesn’t feel right, just trust your instincts and let go of the kite.
Before you start, decide whether to grip the entire board, leave a pinstripe, a custom design, or horizontal strips. For a solid grip, you need enough length to cover the entire board or the portion of the board which you want gripped. Boards wider than 10 inches can be difficult to grip entirely (since most grip doesn’t come wider than that), so we’d suggest using a pinstripe or horizontal strip design (see Step 1 for details).
You’ll need: a box knife or razor blade, scissors (very useful when cutting patterns for the grip), a ruler or something with a straight edge, something to file the edges, and a sharpie.
Step 1: Remove the paper backing from the grip completely, and line up the grip where you want it, making sure that you don’t have it crooked leaving any standing platform exposed.
To add a pinstripe or horizontal design, you’ll need to cut the grip in half lengthwise (hot dog style, not hamburger) before you remove the paper backing. Don’t worry about how straight it is. Once you have the grip in two pieces, you can flip the them around so the outside edges are aligned on the center pin stripe for a nice straight line.
Step 2: Press down evenly to ensure the grip stays on well. Focus on small sections of your board to avoid air bubbles. With a drop deck (like the Rayne Demonseed longboard), it helps to work from one end of the board to the other once you have lined up the grip.
Step 3: To assure that your grip will stay on, use a spare wheel to roll across the deck using your hand to apply pressure.
Step 4: Now, using the file (the metal handle of a socket wrench works like a champ as well) run down the edge of the grip tape against the rails of the board at a 45 degree angle. When you are done with this step you should see the shape of the board but still have the entire piece of rectangular grip on the board. The whole point of rubbing down the edge is to score the edge and make it easier to cut.
Step 5: Using the razor blade or box knife, while holding the board, run the knife up the side of the board using the rail as a guide of where to cut. It may take some time, so be patient. Make sure that the blade is pretty sharp because a dull blade won’t give you as clean of a cut.
Step 6: Once you have removed a majority of the excess grip, check the edges for any grip that you missed. A nice finishing touch is to take that file again and run it down the edges, this helps ensure the edges of the tape don’t lift up and begin peeling.
This is the Motion Boardshop video review of two of our favorite longboard decks, the Rayne Nemesis and the Rayne Demonseed. We decided to make this video after getting multiple requests from our youtube subscribers that wanted to learn more about the decks, particularly the Nemesis. Trevor lays it down for you all.
Nemesis: Bamboo core sandwiched between two layers of fiberglass giving it for a nice lightweight without sacrificing any strength. This is one of the few boards that will work for pretty much any kind of riding discipline. So many people ask us “what deck will do it all?” and 9 times out of 10, we’ll recommend the Nemesis. Thanks to its short wheelbase, its great for carving, while the symmetrical shape and 1″ drop makes it a killer freeride board. The shorter wheelbase option will make the deck more nimble and the long WB will make it more stable at higher speeds. Wide trucks (like Paris 195s or 200mm Surf-Rodz) work best since the standing platform itself is so wide. The fact that 80% of Motion employees own a Nemesis speaks volumes about the deck.
Demonseed: Newly redesigned to be symmetrical which is a huge improvement upon last years model. It’s basically a longer Nemesis with the added drop thrus. A better option for taller guys with a wider stance. Thanks to the nice big cut outs, you rock wheels upwards of up to 85mm. It has 6 plys of bamboo in the middle between the two sheets of fiberglass making it light but still stiff. Consider it the big brother to the Nemesis. We like it with the Abec 11 Freeride wheels thanks to their buttery-smooth slide. Or for downhill, try the new Nersh Money Hax for super grip and roll speed.
Unlike all the other longboard decks in the Kebbek lineup, the Hairpin isn’t named after one of their teamriders. The thing that stands out most about this deck is it’s super gnarly, aggressive concave. It’s not like your average concave though. A nice, wide flat in the middle makes it a lot more comfortable on your feet than most crazy concaves. But once you get to the sides, the rails jut upwards to grab onto your feet like a claw. Compared to the JimZ and the Steve Daddow, this concave takes the cake. Those claws make sure you have super leverage without having to worry about your feet slipping.
longboard deck
The ever-so-precisely cut drop through mounts make the Kebbek Hairpin longboard ideal for freeriding or speedboarding. Made from 100 percent solid Canadian rock maple just like all the other decks in the line-up, this board is built to last. All 8 plys of wood are compressed underneath tons of pressure to sandwich it all together. This deck features a universal drop through mount so you can saddle up with any combo of trucks and wheels your heart desires. Thanks to deep wheel wells, you can ride bigger wheels than usual.
kebbek longboards
It may have taken Kebbek a few years to get their stuff together but it was well worth the wait. Their new designs are pure perfection. And at $169 a pop, this is a purchase you can’t go wrong with.
If you’ve been skating hard all summer, chances are your bearings are probably due for a cleaning. If you spin your wheels and hear a gritty, crunchy sound, that’s the dirt in there slowing you down. Sure, if you’re lazy you can always shell out $13 for a new set of Mini Logo Bearings but it’s super easy to just clean them too.
1. It should be obvious, but you’ll need to pop your bearings out of your longboard wheels first. You can use the axle of your truck to pry them out which is much better than a screwdriver.
2. To completely clean the bearing, you’ll also have to take the outer shield off. You can use a thumb tack or needle to pull it off but be careful during this step so you don’t damage the shield.
3. Use a papertowel or toothbrush to scrub off any loose dirt on the bearings.
4. Place the bearings in a container (one that has a top) and fill it with mineral spirits or acetone.
5. Shake the jar to distribute the cleaner through the bearings and let them marinate in the solution for 15 minutes.
6. Rinse your bearings off with a high concentration isopropyl alcohol which will remove any last bits of dirt and will also evaporate to dry the bearings.
7. Place 2 drops of bearing lube or speed cream inside the bearings.
8. Spin them to disperse the lube around the bearings.
9. Place the shield back over the bearings.
10. Pop them back in your wheels and you’re ready to take your longboard deck for a cruise.
how to clean longboard bearings
**NOTE: DO NOT use WD 40 to clean your bearings. Avoid riding through puddles which will rust your bearings quick. Thanks to this blog for the play-by-play.
Steve Daddow is arguably the face of longboarding in Australia. He pioneered the sport in his home country and worked hard with local media to get the sport off the ground and portrayed in a good light. Many of Aussie’s best downhill skaters and slalom riders have Steve to thank for getting them started too. He’s been skating for 26 years and has a lot to show for it, including multiple titles for giant slalom racing.
The Kebbek Steve Daddow deck is one of the newer boards added to the Kebbek line-up for 2010. Just like Daddow’s style, this deck is designed to be super versatile for all riding disciplines. Underflushed truck mounts make for stability at high speeds without sacrificing traction in those hairpin corners. Did I mention it has gas pedals too?
Made from 100% solid rock Canadian maple, this board is made to last a lifetime. No need to worry about delams here. Beefy wheel wells and a universal flushmount mean this is one of the rare longboard decks where you can throw down with any truck and wheel combo you can dream of. You want 75mm bigzigs on Bear Grizzly 852s? Not a problem. 76mm Flywheels with Surf-Rodz? Consider it done. I can guarantee we’re the only Seattle longboards shop where you’ll be able to find this deck.
Most people know the name “JimZ” for bushings and trucks. True, this legendary longboarder was one of the first to pioneer the stim shaped bushing which are still regarded as some of the most stable in the industry. He also cranked out some of the first precision trucks to hit the market from his company SpeedParts. But did you know he had his own board too? That’s right, JimZ was an integral part of getting Kebbek up and running in the early stages, and he got one of the sickest pro model boards in exchange.
The Kebbek JimZ Flushcut is legendary in the world of speedboarding. It’s one the very few longboard decks that features a dropped deck in addition to dropped-thru flush mounts. What does this mean? Lower center of gravity for unparalleled stability at high speeds. The flush mount provides a little more grip/traction than a deck like the Rayne Demonseed longboard which is a drop thru/drop combo. The symmetrical shape makes it a killer deck for freeriding and sliding too, in case you aren’t hittin’ high speeds quite yet.
Features: Made in Canada. 43″ long, 9.5″ wide with a 32 3/4″ wheelbase.
**Keep in mind this deck doesn’t come gripped and only fits Paris trucks.
Here’s Nate with a new 60 second video (which ended up being more like 7 minutes…) talking about how he likes to setup his Black Dog Pussy Gato longboard deck which is the topmount speedboard in the BD Series. It has an 1/8″ rocker, 1/2″ concave, and aggressive wheel wells so you can rock 70mm wheels without getting too much wheelbite.
Nate’s Setup
-Munkae Trucks with a red (90a) venom cone roadside and a yellow (85a) venom barrel boardside. Both have a cupped washer for a divey feel on the front truck. For his back truck, he ditches the boardside washer so the bushing can deform a bit for lots of grip. It’s more sloppy bit has more traction.
-1/8″ riser on the back truck and 4 degree wedged riser on his front truck
At the Maryhill Festival of Speed this year, we got a chance to spend some time with Blake Startup from Landyachtz. He just happened to have a sexy new carbon 9two five longboard deck with him. We were able to sneak him away from the races for a few minutes to give us the scoop on this hot new deck and here’s the video for all of you to check it out too.
Blake’s favorite setup for the 9two5? 70mm Mini Monster wheels (he prefers the 78a “turbo” blue race formula ones) and the Bear Grizzly 852s. He’s also got a nice little custom grip job with a skull and wings.
If we don’t have this board in stock, just email, call us, hit us up on livechat, whatever. We’ll special order it for you and the shipping is on us as usual! We got a chance to try it out firsthand and it really was truly amazing.
Benefits of the Carbon Foam Core?
-super stiff and no torsional flex
-input from your front foot will transfer movement to back truck
-results in more control and more grip
-added stiffness makes it a killer deck for racing too
-still has all the features we love about the regular 9two5 longboard deck including drop thrus, gas pedals, rocker, and the widest possible foot platform with big wheel wells.
It’s bound to happen, and nobody likes when it does. You’ve lost your board. Sigh, so sad! Too bad you didn’t have one of these babies to slap on there.
Reward if Found stickers are here again! For the locals, these tags are some great insurance that their board will be returned. Just last week we rescued a Slingshot kiteboard from Harborview Park in Everett. It had been washed up, torn apart and mauled by a boat propeller. None the less, it ended up safely in our arms.
Yes, we sell a lot of boards. But trust us, we remember all of them. You may just be the guy who bought the Earthwing Supermodel 8 ply (with Retro ZigZags, Paris trucks and some Venom Eliminators), but in our eyes, you are the new mama or papa of a precious little baby that we hope you will nurture.
We know that you love you board just as much as we do. It’s a huge deal when you’ve lost something so near and dear to the basis of your existence like a longboard deck. With one of these, you at least know who to call first.
We got some new longboard decks in the shop today that we’re really stoked about. We’ve been carrying Bombsquad noseguards for awhile now and they are an amazing product for anyone with a delicate board that has a habit of sending it flying into curbs or parking garage walls. I hope they continue to crank out new noseguards that will fit all the popular decks on the market these days.
However, Bombsquad also makes some really killer boards. We’ve just brought in two decks for the time being but we’re really impressed with the quality. The F-Bomb and the Wooden Saltflat are the ones that we’re starting out with. It’s not too often you can find a drop through speedboard for just $125! The Earthwing supermodel deck is the only one that can even touch that price range.
The Saltflat longboard deck is a 9 ply topmount made for agility and precision when drafting down big mountains at high speeds. It has just enough concave too-mellower than what seems to be the concave trend these days with super aggressive concave. The Saltflat is $125. I have to say, Bombsquad longboards can do no wrong in our book.
Looking for a grippy wheel to nail hairpin turns on a super tight, technical course? Well look no further than the Nersh Money Hax longboard wheels and the Abec11 Centrax wheels. They both feature a monster contact patch so you get the ultimate contact with the pavement for traction like none other. But for two wheels that seem so similar on the surface, what’s the difference between the two?
*Nersh longboard wheels are an offset wheel with a 70mm contact patch and a 75mm height. The super squared-off lips really dig into the pavement to give you a ton of traction. The softest option, a 76a durometer, will glide over any bumps in the road to give you the smoothest ride possible. In the harder duros, 80a and 83a, you can actually drift them a bit and the urethane gives a pretty smooth slide but they still get a ton of traction to make them a good all around wheel.
*The Abec 11 Centrax wheels are grippy like none other. No drifting out of these bad boys. Made from the “Reflex urethane”, these wheels are fast, grippy and predictable. The urethane also has a reputation for durability and holding up during usage. The square lips will fold under while cornering to give you traction. UNLIKE the Nersh, these wheels are center-set so you can flip them around and get a nice even wear pattern on them.
This video is part 2 of our surf-rodz precision trucks review. You can watch part 1 in the blog post just before this one. In the second part of this series we aimed to tackle life’s toughest questions, like “How do Surf-Rodz trucks compare to Munkae precision longboard trucks?”
Compared to JimZ Precision Trucks, Surf-Rodz come in 3 different baseplate degrees to dial in your ride. JimZ trucks are designed for stability and nothing else so they are limited to a 35 degree baseplate only. Jimz Trucks have a tight bushing seat with minimal lean. Surf-Rodz have a deep bushing seat.
You can expand the axle widths on the Surf-Rodz trucks by purchasing the axle extensions to make it a 220-240mm width. Narrower hangers will offer a nimble ride with quick turning for easy carving. The wider option will be super stable, especially at high speeds. You can also get the 150mm hanger which can extend to 160 or 170mm. It’s suited for small longboards like longboard hybrid minis. These narrow hangers will turn on a dime for ultimate thrashability.
Did we mention that they come in a huge variety of colors like purple, blue, gold, and black?
This is part one of our video for our Surf-Rodz precision truck review. We love Surf Rodz Trucks because they bridge the gap between inexpensive cast trucks and super pricey high-end precision trucks, while still maintaining the quality of a truck twice its price. They have really nice deep bushing seat for maximum rebound (great for venom barrels, but won’t fit an eliminator) and a beveled edge for a super wide range of motion.
They are basically the first precision truck on the market to take carving and freeriding into consideration. They don’t have sphericals so your motion isn’t so restricted and you can choose the baseplate angle for the style of riding you’ll be doing. You can bomb hills and be stable or you can carve and drift with no problems. The 45 degree plates are our favorites. You can flip these too unlike other precision longboard trucks. Unflipped (indented side of hanger will face outwards) they are more nimble for freeriding and flipped they are more stable for high speeds.
In order to reduce costs without sacrificing performance, the threaded part of the axle screws into the hanger. Set screws are inserted on the underside of the hanger to make sure your axles don’t back out while you’re riding. See our part 2 video for more info.
I wanted to tackle one of the most frequently questions we get in the shop. “How does the 10 Best Kahoona V2 kite compare to the 09 Kahoona?” Since we teach on the Kahoonas almost exclusively in our school, these kites practically sell themselves. They have a great reputation among the kiteboarding community and if you do your research and scour the forums, you won’t find a bad word said about the kites. Pretty amazing since you can’t please everyone, and every other kite out there has its pros and cons.
Since a lot of people bought the original 09 Kahoona, they’re wondering why they should upgrade to the 2010 Kahoona. Here’s what we think…
The Kahoona V2 has the newly redesigned V2 bridle system which eliminates a main pulley and incorporates a unique stainless steel block that allows the bridle to move so you can trim the kite effortlessly. The old pulley had a tendency to build up with sand over time so it would glide as easily. Plus, it was a plastic piece that had a higher chance of breaking, compared to the metal ring.
The new Kahoona is made with a higher quality dacron on the beefed up leading edge. We estimate that it’s about twice the strength of last year’s so it’s more durable and resistant to abrasion. Here in the northwets we have to be careful of barnacles, mussles, driftwood, oyster shells and other sharp objects which can mangle our kites.
The new redline bar is a huge benefit too with it’s increased line strength, and other cool features which you can find more about on our Best Performance redline bar review.
It looks like there is a little bit more adjustment per size, especially in the trailing edge. The 13 and 11 have more lower end and are easier to relaunch in lighter wind conditions (the trailing edge is longer so it has more surface area to help catch the wind and relaunch).
In reality, it just does everything better-more depower, much more stable when fully depowered, relaunch is effortless even in light wind, turning speed is about the same which is plenty fast (even in the larger sizes).
If you’d like to try one out for yourself please contact us for a demo.
One of Motion’s biggest supporters, Christian Johnson, took the time to test out the brand-spankin’ new 2010 Best Redline Performance Bar that now comes with Best kiteboarding kites, both on the water and off. He documented the key features that set this bar apart from the rest and was nice enough to put it in a video we can all watch. I have to admit, my favorite part is watching him personally test the chicken loop release in the beginning. : ) He’ll always sacrifice his body for the sake of a good review. So here you have it, the unofficial 2010 Best Redline Performance Bar Review.
This is an unbiased opinion that doesn’t sugar-coat anything. Christian talks about both the good and the bad parts of this kiteboarding bar. He’s tried most all bars on the market so he can offer a great comparison.
PROS-smaller chicken loop (good for people with shorter arms), dependable chicken loop release, stopper ball works really well, above the bar sheeting (less likely to tangle with chicken loop), actual RED line has a bungee feature to decrease shock on your body when you engage safety system, OSR on both sides of the bar, line trim/adjustments under the floats,
CONS-smaller chicken loop (not as good for wakestyle riders), above the bar sheeting (harder to reach, more clutter)
The Cabrinha Custom Kiteboard is a new favorite at Motion Boardshop (particularly the 136 and 140 sizes), thanks to the demo we’ve had a chance to session on over the last two months. I’m guessing the fact that kiteboarding legend and wakestyle phenom, Andre Phillip, collaborating on the design may have had something to do with it. The new flex pattern gives ultimate pop for wakestyle tricks like hitting sliders and riding unhooked. But it also makes the board excel in choppy conditions too.
The unique 3D bottom shape with quad concave means you can rock this kiteboard finless for flatwater riding or for nailing sliders and ramps. The unconventional shape allows for maximum drive and speed. It also has concave that narrows around the middle of the deck which provides a lot of stability.
The Custom is made with a Paulownia wood core and is reinforced with carbon deck stringers. The wood core means that you’ll have a smooth ride but it will also stand the test of time with unparalelled durability. (Slingshot kiteboards are also wood-core which is why we’ve been big fans of their boards for a long time too)
Wanna get on the water and see if everything I said is true? With our choppy Pacific Northwest conditions, I guarantee you’ll love this board more than your mama’s apple pie. Give us a call to demo one on the next windy day.
It took forever for Sam, 7 years old, to save enough money for something very special.
We were honored when he walked into Motion to purchase his first longboard—an Earthwing Superglider.
Sam saved $150 by doing his chores, selling lemonade, and saving money from his birthday.
This man works hard for the money. He’s no stranger to skating either—he’s been skateboarding since he was 4 years old and spends most days at the skatepark. He says he can’t wait to use his new board on some ramps and to get more speed!
Sam completed his board with Indy trucks and MiniMonster wheels. Pretty fly for a small guy! We are stoked on his setup too. We can see him ripping at Maryhill in no time!
These wheels are just as pretty as they look—smooth and sticky.
Nersh Longboard Wheels are here just in time for Maryhill and the summer race season. Similar to Centrax Wheels, these wheels pack a massive amount of ‘thane ready to grip pavement and drift smoothly.
Being one of the widest wheels on the market, the Nersh Money Hax is designed to provide the best traction with maximum grip for racing.
Not only do these wheels grip, they hold speed and roll over bumps like a bulldozer.
Nersh Money Hax Wheels 75mm come in 3 varieties of durometers: 76a, 80a, and 83a (pictured in order.)
To allow more drift, go for the harder 83a. If you’re looking to carry your speed through a turn, go for the softer 76a.
Made in Huntington Beach, California, Nersh Wheels are made by the same company that makes Sector9, Abec11, and Seismic.
If you’re interested in a pair and don’t have time for us to ship them to your doorstep before the Maryhill Festival of Speed, then give us a call at the shop. We’d be happy to bring a set of Nersh Wheels (or anything else for that matter) down to the race with us with your name on them.
We consider ourselves to be super lucky to have snagged a good amount of the first produced batch of Abec11 Centrax wheels that came out just days ago. Perfect timing too! With the Maryhill Festival of Speed just days away (June 29th-July 4th in Goldendale, Washington), they couldn’t have arrived at a better time.
We’d gotten a glimpse of the wheels at different races over the last year as prizes given away for podium spots. Last year at the Festival of Speed, we got a chance to scope out a few of the prototypes for these longboard wheels and couldn’t wait for them to hit the market. After almost a year of anticipation they’re finally here!
So far, they’re only available in the popular lime, 80a durometer right now. With a 68mm contact patch and a 77mm height, these longboard wheels use of more thane than all other wheels out there combined! Their center-set hub and uber wide contact patch make for the grippiest of all grippy, sticky wheels. That means when you’re taking a hairpin turn on a technical course at high speeds, you’ll be able to keep your traction.
There’s no doubt in my mind that these wheels will fly off our shelves, especially since we featured them in our latest newsletter. So snag a set quick at our Seattle longboard shop or on our online store, there’s no telling how long it will be before Abec11 can crank out some more!
We posted a Holesom Longboard Review not too long ago and got a huge amount of interest from that. This deck is just one of those boards that sparks people’s interest and they want to know more about it. Truly, there’s nothing else like the Street Sweeper deck on the longboard market these days. Big ups to Holesom and Longboard Larry for coming up with a unique design in an industry populated with copycats.
We’ve been selling these longboard decks like hotcakes, we can barely even keep them in stock! I think the demo deck at our seattle longboard shop that we keep around at all times really helps solidify how bad-ass the street sweeper deck is.
To follow up our review, we decided to crank out a little video to really show you what the deck is all about. Afterall, if picture is worth a thousand words, then a video must be worth a bazillion words. We decided to do something a little different this time though. Instead of just filming in the shop showing you the ins and outs or each product, we decided to hit the streets a little bit. I hope Nate and Spencer show you how this deck rides on the streets in case you’re not in Seattle to try one for yourself.
Looking for a versatile commuter? MOBO rider Nate Blackburn says the Fullbag Foboo Longboard Deck is a great campus cruiser. If you’re in the market for a board that can carve and bomb hills, than this board is for you. As much as we love decks like the Evo and Demonseed, they’re pretty heavy to carry around during the summer time as you’re hitting the roads and cruising to the beach. A nice light-weight board is where it’s at.
“It has a solid, mellow concave, a wide wheelbase, and is a really light weight board,” Blackburn says. The bottom of the deck features a sweet bamboo veneer. So you’re able to have a deck that looks as nice as bamboo, but is actually made out of maple so you can keep the stiffness you need to be able to bomb hills. It has a mild torpedo shape, similar to the original Topmount deck from Fullbag.
The Foboo is also a great board for garage and downhill riding. This deck is 38 inches long by about 10 inches wide, providing plenty of foot space. It has a top mount with wheel cut outs perfect for lower trucks.
We recommend pairing this board with a nice turn-y truck such as the Randal 180′s, Bear 852′s, or Paris 180′s.
If you want to longboard Seattle, then get your Fullbag Foboo Longboard Deck at MOBO for $149.95.
Here at MOBO we toss the word “great” around a lot. But the Earthwing Supermodel fits our definition of the word. It’s a great board with a great concave. Best of all—it has a great price.
“It’s a ridiculously cheap price for how nice it is,” MOBO rider Ryan Vanderveen says, “especially for being a downhill freestyle board with a ton of features.”
This twin-tip, symmetrical, drop through deck comes in two flexes: 8 and 9 ply (go for 9 ply if you want a stiffer deck). It’s also got a big grab rail, ready for locking you in.
We recommend turny trucks, like Randal 180 trucks (with a 50 degree baseplate), Bear 852 trucks, or Paris 180 longboard trucks. Vanderveen says he’d suggest a pair of Indy’s. Keep in mind that pretty much any truck on the market comes with stock bushings that are sub-par. Venoms are the way to go to dramatically improve the way your trucks feel for only $14. Not sure what durometer combo to go with? Hit us up on Live Chat and we’ll help you dial it in.
Get your Earthwing Supermodel deck at MOBO for $100. With free shipping, what more could you ask for?!
**Update-The 8 plys have sold out for the time being but we have a few more of the 9ply decks still left in stock. It’s an awesome board for a heavier rider or anyone who doesn’t like any flex in their deck.
Have you ever lost a 
. this board is DEFENETLY stable enough for dh ( ive brought her to about 50-55 and i havnt met her limits yet) light and symmetrical for free ride and again the pockets are super, light and low enough for commuting. over all love this board and dont tell anyone, but i honestly like the pockets more then the killswitch pocket.”
One of the best parts about being in the longboarding industry is that there is a constant flow of cool new products being introduced into the market. There’s no shortage of innovative ideas taking shape and hitting the hands of consumers. The sport is growing faster than shops and manufacturers can keep up with even! One product that we are suuuper excited about and just happen to have exclusively at Motion Boardshop, is a new grip tape: 
It’s inevitable for all riders. At some point, you’ll be cruising along on your 
Despite the flurries of snow, we still hosted our first clinic at our new location. This clinic focused on a topic that has come up a lot lately on the Puget Sound Kiteboarding Forum. So we tried to answer this question: How do you perform maintenance on your bar and bridle system? AND How to you find and repair a hole in your bladder and then replace it back into your kite’s strut.
Ever wonder what the ABEC rating for longboard bearings really means? Well, 
