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Archive for the ‘Tutorials’ Category

• How to Change Your Longboard Bearings

  Posted January 31, 2012 // Tagged as Longboarding, Tutorials, Videos // No Comments

  Sometimes we get a little caught up on the technical details and forget about the basic stuff like applying griptape or assembling trucks.  In this video, you get a quick glimpse at how to change out your longboard skateboard bearings.  Some of our favorites are the classic Bones Reds, or Cadillac skateboard bearings which come with spacers.  One of the key tricks to changing out your bearings is to utilize your longboard truck axles to help you.  Since they’re designed to fit a bearing perfectly, you can use them to pop the bearings out of your wheel hub.  Never use a screwdriver to put them in or pop them out!  You could end up gauging the bearing.  Other than that, use a skate tool (we like the compact Sector 9 Carabiner skate tool) to tighten the axle nuts just until they’re so tight that the wheel doesn’t spin. Then untighten them about a half turn.  Your wheels shouldn’t have any side-to-side wiggle and should spin freely.

  Good luck and if you have any questions you can hit us up on LIVE CHAT.

• Tips For Avoiding Speed Wobbles

  Posted December 24, 2011 // Tagged as Longboarding, Sessions, Tutorials // 1 Comment

  Avoiding Speed Wobbles:

  Not many people like speed wobbles. In fact, I doubt anybody likes them.

  So here are a few things to take note of in order to not get the dreaded “wobs”:

  1)   Having too soft of longboard bushings is bad. Think about a downhill appropriate setup for your weight. While soft bushings are nice for a lot of things, the higher durometers help restrict the truck’s movement, keeping you more stable.

  2)   Bushings vary in shape for a functional reason. Something like a barrel or eliminator is shaped to be restrictive, especially at high speeds. Whereas a cone shaped bushing is meant to allow a lot of freedom and ease of movement in the truck, which is- for the most part, not what you want too much of while bombing a hill.

  3)   Stance position on your longboard deck is also very important. Standing too far back will transfer your weight to the back truck. This will cause you to turn from the back. This is super gnarly and will quickly buck you off.

  4)   Know your setup. Make sure you at least have a feel for what you’re about to ride before you plunge down a gnarly hill. Not knowing your setup causes you to not know what sort of ride to expect. Make sure you have checked out how tight the bushings are by at least standing on the board and tucking. If you’re riding someone else’s setup, check your axle nuts to make sure they are tightened just right.  The last thing you want is your one of your longboard wheels flying off at 30mph.

  5)   Being off-balance is one of the easiest ways to wobble, especially while foot-braking. This is the same principal as mentioned in #3. When you foot-brake, you want your weight as far up on the deck as you can. Even if you ride mongo, try to learn to footbrake regular.

  6)   Be confident in your own skills. You know your own limits better than anyone. You have to build up trust in yourself in order to avoid wobbles and progress in the sport.  Stay relaxed cause if you stiffen up and freak out, you’ll get wobs before you know it.

• How To Do a Toeside No-Comply

  Posted December 23, 2011 // Tagged as Longboarding, Sessions, Tutorials, Videos // No Comments

  BoomBot and Omen Longboards Team Rider Luke Morrow throws down tips to get you dialed on ToeSide No-Complies!

  1. Use the corner of the w-concave and the drop (demonstrated on an Omen Pike longboard deck) to lock in your back foot.

  2. Engage your slide, wait for the board to hit 90 degrees and then take your foot off the board

  3. As you take your front foot off the board, use your back leg and really extend it to help you get the board around

  4. Don’t plant your front foot on the ground for too long, think of it more as a “tap”

  The most common mistakes in doing a no-comply are not getting enough speed and not extending your back leg.  Watch this video a few times and then get out there and do it!

  Luke’s setup:  Omen Longboards Pike prototype, Omen Precision trucks, 80a Orangatang Stimulus, 85a/87a Venom Barrels, Gator 36 grit

• The Truth About Nersh Wheel Durometers

  Posted May 12, 2011 // Tagged as Longboarding, Product Info, Reviews, Tutorials // No Comments

  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.

• Check Your Nuts!

  Posted April 9, 2011 // Tagged as Longboarding, Product Info, Tutorials // No Comments

  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.

• KickFlip Trick Tip From FyLongboarding

  Posted March 30, 2011 // Tagged as Longboarding, Sessions, Tutorials, Videos // No Comments

  We’re suckers for good trick tip videos and our friends over at Fylongboarding put together this video on how to do a Kickflip.  Impressively, they’re using a Loaded Bhangra longboard to demonstrate this sick move.  But like the Fylongboarding and Loaded Ambassador boys warn, be prepared for your longboard to endure a lot of abuse while you’re mastering this one…It’s all worth it in the end though.

  Step #1. If you’re regular, your front foot is going to step off heelside. Pop your board up and grab it with your left hand.

  Step #2.  Lean over the front of your board, putting 90-100% of your weight over your front leg.

  Step #3. Position your feet so your front put is centered between your trucks on your deck.  Your back toes will be on the very back tip of your longboard deck.

  Step #4. When you kick, make sure you’re kicking on your heelside edge of your board so the board does a corkscrew. Your foot will kick by flipping it down and back on the longboard.

  (For good troubleshooting tips make sure to watch the video, the break down the most common issues people have).

  Make sure to wear your helmet and pads!

• The Secret to Nailing Monster Standup Slides

  Posted March 8, 2011 // Tagged as Longboarding, Sessions, Tutorials, Videos // No Comments

  Motion Boardshop junior team rider Ryan Vanderveen is the king of loooooong standup slides like you’ve seen in our earlier video “Sessions: Monster Standies with Ryan V.”  This guy is an all around athlete and has the balance, coordination, and steeze to nail these super long standies better than almost all the pros out there. In this video, Ryan throws down on a 9two5 Landyachtz longboard deck and Metro Motion longboard wheels with Randal 180s.

  His tips are to:
  -Make sure your wheels are nice and tight
  -Start with shorter slides and work your way up
  -Tuck into your slide with speed
  -Keep a wide stance with your feet as close to your trucks as possible
  -Have your front foot positioned so that your toes and heel are both hanging over the sides of the board
  -Have your back heel hanging off the back rail to really help kick the board out
  -Put your entire body into it and really swing your arms around and lift your body up taking the weight off of your board
  -Ride toe side briefly as you come into your slide, and then carve into your slide while really throwing your weight into it
  -Lean back so that if you lose your balance you can fall back onto your slide glove and pendy out of it.

  Always make sure to wear a helmet, knee pads, slide gloves and even elbow pads if you have them.

• Longboard Tutorial Video: How To Heelside Predrift

  Posted February 21, 2011 // Tagged as Longboarding, Reviews, Sessions, Tutorials, Videos // No Comments

  It’s nice to be able to mix up all our product review videos with a little tutorial now and then. And it doesn’t hurt to have one of the top junior downhill racers around to talk you through the fundamentals of downhill longboarding. This time, Max Wipp breaks down how to do a heelside pre-drift to scrub off a little speed before a tight turn.
  
  Main Tips:

  • Keep your hips and board pointed towards the corner
  • Don’t turn your board completely sideways cause you’ll lose too much speed
  • Friends don’t let friends grab stinkbug!
  • Tuck your back knee into your front leg
  • Put most of your weight over your front truck
  • Front hand in line with your front wheels
  • Keep your weight over your board as much as possible (not off to the side) to keep weight on the wheels for traction
  • Grab behind your back knee if you have to

  In this video Max is rocking the Black Dog Pussy Gato longboard deck and Orangatang 83a Stimulus longboard wheels.

• Why Does My Longboard Squeak?

  Posted February 12, 2011 // Tagged as Longboarding, Product Info, Tutorials // No Comments

  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.

• How to Take a Racing Line-by Max Wippermann

  Posted December 22, 2010 // Tagged as Longboarding, Sessions, Tutorials, Videos // No Comments

  MOBO employee and teamrider Max Wippermann shows us how to take the perfect racing line.  Considering he’s had numerous podium finishes as a junior downhill longboard racer, you can be sure he knows what he’s talking about.  Watch as he breaks it down into a few simple steps that you can practice, and someday master with ease.

  1. Approach the corner from the outside.

  2. Attack the apex of the curve.

  3. Swing Wide.

  TIPS:  When drifting, cut in early to compensate for the understeer.  Pointing the board at the apex throughout your drift is a good way to keep on track.  After you’ve hit the apex, grip up.  Once you’ve gripped up, stay gripped and preserve your exit speed.  Stick the the inside as much as possible and don’t lose traction.

  (In case you’re wondering about Max’s preferred setup, you’ll usually see him on a Landyachtz Evo longboard deck)

• Kiteboard Clinic-Bar Maintenance and Bladder Repair

  Posted November 23, 2010 // Tagged as Events, Kiteboarding, Product Info, Tutorials // No Comments

  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…

  • How to tune different bar setups
  • Theories on tuning bars-Do’s and Don’ts
  • Adjusting stretched lines
  • Q & A bar features (Best redline performance bar)
  • Dual Line vs. Single Line safety systems
  • Dual action pump maintenance
  • How to lubricate and care for the inner workings of a pump
  • Anatomy of a pump
  • Removing the bladder from the strut
  • Tricks of the trade to simplify the process
  • Locating the leak in the bladder
  • Patching the leak
  • How to insert the bladder back into the strut while minimizing twisting
  • How to get a long lifespan out of your pump
  • One-on-one session with experts, questions on Best kiteboarding kites

  

• How to Do a 1-Footed Backside 180 From James Kelly

  Posted November 11, 2010 // Tagged as Longboarding, Sessions, Tutorials, Videos // No Comments

  Want to learn how to do a one-footed backside 180?  Well now you can learn step by step from our buddy James Kelly.  You know him, you love him, and now you can learn how to ride like him.  The Loaded Newsletter put out this trick tip just a few days ago and we’ve been playing around ever since, trying to master this steezy move.  James breaks it down in these easy steps…

  -Keep your weight mostly on your front foot.

  -Lean into the turn and start carving backside.

  -Before your wheels break loose and slide, dig your back foot in, and toss your body weight.

  -Then dig your front foot into the board and pivot on your front foot.

  -Try to land back on your board!

  **Our favorite longboard decks for tricks like this are the Holesom Street Sweeper, the Loaded Tan Tien and Sayshun Polar.

• ABEC Ratings for Bearings Explained

  Posted November 10, 2010 // Tagged as Longboarding, Product Info, Tutorials // No Comments

  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 →

• Forget Sending It In-Fix Your Kite Yourself!

  Posted October 13, 2010 // Tagged as Kiteboarding, Product Info, Tutorials // No Comments

  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 →

• The Boots vs. Straps Debate

  Posted September 27, 2010 // Tagged as Kiteboarding, News, Product Info, Tutorials // No Comments

  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.

• How to Setup a RogerBros DH36 Longboard

  Posted September 22, 2010 // Tagged as Longboarding, Product Info, Reviews, Tutorials, Videos // No Comments

  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.

• How to Grip Tape a Skateboard (Video)

  Posted August 19, 2010 // Tagged as Longboarding, Product Info, Tutorials, Videos // 1 Comment

  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.

• How to Jump on a Strapless Kitesurf Board

  Posted August 14, 2010 // Tagged as Kiteboarding, Sessions, Tutorials, Videos // 1 Comment

  Our buddy just keeps ‘em coming with his instructional strapless kitesurfing series. I don’t know where he’s finding the time to edit these gems together. This particular one focuses on how to catch some air on a surfboard or skimboard. You’ll want to start by finding a nice piece of chop to launch off. Keep your kite at a 45 degree angle. As you hit the chop, keep a wide stance and press down on your back foot and. Try your best to point the board upwind so that the wind will push the board back towards you, essentially keeping it stuck to your feet. Then point the board downwind again as you land so you can ride away.

  The first time I tried a strapless jump it was on a skimboard like the Slingshot Scud skimboard which is nice and wide making it easy to stay balanced on when you land. I’m pretty sure Nick was flying one of the Best Kiteboarding kites when he filmed this.

• Kiteboarding 201: Picking Up a Loose Board

  Posted August 11, 2010 // Tagged as Kiteboarding, Sessions, Tutorials // 1 Comment

  Another tip on advanced rescue techniques from the Kiteboarder Magazine. Check out the full article here.

  Even if a beginner can body drag upwind, it can take them a long time to get back to their board. It takes a lot of time and practice to master this technique.  Picking up a loose board and delivering it back to the owner is much appreciated.  Just make sure you pass along that good karma when you get a chance and you’re a more intermediate rider.

  1. Approach the board from upwind.  As you reach the board, slow down and sit in the water so you can fly your kite in neutral.

  2. Pick up the board and put in your lap, so that you can use your knees to hold it while controlling your kite.

  3. As you get up out of the water, use your backhand to hold a foot strap while still controlling your kite. Your knees will help steady the board as you start off.

  4. As you ride away, you can then tuck the board under your arm

  5. When delivering the board back to the rider, go past them downwind to prevent a kite tangle. Set the board down nicely where they can easily get to it.

  On another note, always write your name on your board so that if you do lose it, the person who finds it knows how to get ahold of you.  If you’re in the market for a new board, we urge you to stop by a demo a Best Spark kiteboard or the Cabrinha Custom kiteboard, both are favorites of ours.

  

• Kiteboarding 201: Retrieving a Loose Kite

  Posted August 10, 2010 // Tagged as Kiteboarding, Product Info, Tutorials // 1 Comment

  Here is an advanced rescue strategy from the Kiteboarder Magazine. Check out the full article here.

  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.

• Kiteboarding 101: How to Jump!

  Posted August 6, 2010 // Tagged as Kiteboarding, Tutorials // No Comments

  So you’ve made it through your series of kiteboarding lessons.  After countless frustrating sessions of waking up the beach, you’ve mastered the waterstart.  After that, you spend some time “mowing the grass” as we call it, or cruising back and forth.  And finally, you’re able to make flawless transitions without dunking back into the water.  At this point, you’re ready to do the thing that probably inspired you to learn how to kiteboard in the first place: JUMP!  In order to get more than just 5 feet off the water’s surface, follow these steps from The Kiteboarder magazine.

  1. Pick up some speed by veering slightly downwind.
  2. Keep your kite at 10 o clock (if you’re on a port tack).
  3. Start to turn the kite in the opposite direction, towards 12 o clock.
  4. Edge the board harder and harder.
  5. Stand up straight and release the board from the surface of the water as the kite reaches directly overhead at 12 o clock.
  6. Once you’re in the air, pull your knees up and use your forward hand to redirect the kite back in the direction you’re traveling, back down to 10 o clock.
  7. As you near the water, prepare your legs to absorb the shock of the landing.
  8.  Point your board slightly downwind and keep it flat as you land so you can ride away with speed.

  If you don’t get much air but glide downwind a few feet, try again and edge the board harder next time.
  If the board skids out on you when you land, remember to point the board downwind, not upwind as you land.

  BONUS TIP: just before you land, pull the bar in towards you to power up the kite, it will create a little extra lift to feather your landing.

  For beginners, our favorite kite for easy boostability: the Best Kahoona Kite

  For beginners, our favorite board for learning: the Best Spark Kiteboard

  You can’t go wrong with that winning combination!

  

  kiteboarding jump

• Kiteboarding 201: How to do a Front Roll

  Posted August 5, 2010 // Tagged as Kiteboarding, Tutorials, Videos // No Comments

  Here’s another step-by-step breakdown from the Best Kiteboarding video gallery. Andy Hurdman shows you how to do a Front Roll with four simple rules (click here to watch the video).

  Four Rules to the Front Roll

  1. Kite Position

  Keep your kite at 45-60 degrees with good edge control. This will help initiate your pop and get you off the water to finish your rotation.

  2. Take Off

  To get good pop off the water, slightly bear downwind to get more board speed, then edge hard against the kite, pointing your board up wind. Pop out by throwing your head and shoulders forward, looking over the nose of your board. This will start a forward rotation. The key is to get a good pop and edge.

  3. Body Position

  Once you get good pop, turn your head and look toward your back shoulders as you leave the water, then bring in your legs to help your rotation. To help start the front roll, lead with your head and lean forward as you leave the water.  As you leave the water, crunch your legs in. Tuck your legs, turn your head, and your body will follow.

  4. Landing

  Since you started your rotation by watching your back shoulder, you are able to spot your landing as you get half way through rotation. Spot your landing as you come around. Bring out your legs to slow your rotation and land smoothly. Keep your head turned until you finish your rotation, which will allow you spot your landing. If your rotating too fast, open your legs to slow your rotation and land smoothly.

  Special Tip: Having trouble rotating? Taking off your lead hand will sometimes help finish your rotation.

  When it comes to a trick like the front roll, any Best kiteboarding kite will work just fine.  For ultimate pop, check out the Cabrinha Custom Kiteboard.

• How to Grip a Longboard Deck

  Posted August 5, 2010 // Tagged as Longboarding, Product Info, Tutorials // 1 Comment

  Nick, our expert grip taper, shares his tips on dealing with the sticky stuff.

  How to Grip a Longboard Deck

  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.

  More visual? Watch our Grip Tape Tutorial.

• How to Clean Longboard Bearings: 10 Steps

  Posted August 1, 2010 // Tagged as Longboarding, Product Info, Tutorials // 3 Comments

  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.

• Nate’s Black Dog Pussy Gato Setup

  Posted July 31, 2010 // Tagged as Longboarding, Product Info, Reviews, Tutorials, Videos // 1 Comment

  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

  -biltin longboard bearings

  -Luv Yo Mutha Wheels-eco friendly soy wheels from Dregs.

• Kiteboarding 201: How to Hit a Slider

  Posted July 30, 2010 // Tagged as Kiteboarding, Tutorials, Videos // No Comments

  Best Kiteboarding has a killer video gallery chock full of flicks focused on instruction, travel, and gear reviews.  My favorites though are the instructional videos which show you a step-by-step breakdown of all the kiteboarding moves.  The one that caught my attention today was Shannon Best showing you how to hit a slider (click here to watch the video).

  1. You’ll need to learn how to load and pop effectively without sending the kite.  Get really good at this.

  2. Keep your kite nice and the whole time you slide the rail.

  3.  Square up and load and pop up onto the rail/slider.

  4. Hit the rail with the board flat and side on so your deck is perpendicular to the rail.  You might want to remove your fins to keep them from snapping off if you hit it wrong.

  5. Focus on your balance.  If you start to fall, try to fall towards the side with water!

  6. As you get off the ramp, land with your board flat and pointed slightly downwind to ride away.  (If you want to get really steezy, you can downloop the kite at this point or pop off the rail with a 180)

  

  Photo Courtesy of Jim Stringfellow

  If you want to start hitting sliders, you’ll need to get geared up.  One of our favorite boards for the ultimate pop is the Cabrinha Custom kiteboard.  For wakestyle tricks like riding rails, you can’t go wrong with the the Best Nemesis NXG kite.

• How to Ride Strapless- Instructional Kitesurfing Video

  Posted July 28, 2010 // Tagged as Kiteboarding, Sessions, Tutorials, Videos // No Comments

  Here’s a great video that one of our good friends Nick (aka Sick Nick) put together.  He’s the Pacific Northwest guru when it comes to strapless riding and he was cool enough to share his expertise with the rest of us.  If the internet where you are is too slow to load this up, here’s some of his tips…

  Basic Waterstart: With the kite pulling you slightly, position the board in front of you with your back hand.  Then position your feet flat on the board with the kite still pulling downwind slightly.  Lean back and dive the kite.

  Advanced Waterstart: Toss your board in the water and dive your kite as you step on the board.  Be careful not to drag your fins across the rocks in the shallow water.

  How to Switch Your Feet: Transition feet from your weak side to strong side.  Bring your back foot up towards your front foot, keeping your kite at normal flying position.  Then move your original front foot back in a shimmy movement.

  How to Gybe: Now that you’re riding toeside, begin to send your kite in the opposite direction. Carve on your heel while sending your kite at the same time.

  On another note we just got some new Best Kiteboarding Kites in stock including a demo of the soon-to-be-released Taboo in 8m and 12m sizes to try out.  We also have tons of used kiteboarding kites in stock to choose from if you hope to save a little money.

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