Thought everyone might want to know about this free event featuring Hawaii North Shore Photographer Clark Little’s Movie/Slideshow at REI Seattle on Friday, September 3 at 7:00 pm.
Clark Little’s photography has recently been featured in National Geographic, Nature’s Best Photography, Geo, Nikon World, Sierra Magazine and
on TV shows Good Morning America, Today Show and Inside Edition.
As a pioneer of surfing the Waimea Bay shorebreak, Clark’s photography captures the oceans waves from the inside out. It’s pretty spectacular work, and if you’re an ocean lover like us, definitely worth checking out.
We would love to attend ourselves but since we’re moving our Seattle longboards shop to a new location, we might not have enough time. : ( Hopefully we can finish up the move quick to make it to this aevent!
So far, I think about half of the entries for our longboarding video contest have been from the great Northwest which is awesome. This one is from Liam and Alex who live out on Vashon Island, a little blip in the Puget Sound with some great hills. Unfortunately Liam is nursing a broken hand right now but the friends figured out a fair way to split the prize if they win. One will keep the Rayne Killswitch longboard and the other one gets the precision Munkae trucks. These guys both ride Loaded longboard decks with Orangatang wheels. It’s a fun, light-hearted video that we really enjoyed watching.
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.
Tonight, one of the MOBO teamriders, Jerica Green, will be featured on the one and only Tru TV as part of their 20 Most Shocking Series. Last year, Jerica took a nasty fall while navigating a corner in one of our local neighborhoods and the longboard wheels on her Five Mile longboard deck didn’t grip enough. Though she didn’t break any bones, she tore up the ligaments and tendons in her arm pretty extensively. When you watch this video, you’ll understand why. Luckily she was smart enough to wear pads and a full face helmet when she was out riding. Though the injury took her out of the running for the Maryhil Festival of Speed last year, she’s now fully recovered and was able to compete this July. It’s a lot easier to watch now that I know she’s okay but this video still makes me cringe every time I see it.
This entry for our video contest comes from another local, Jayson M., but unfortunately he’ll be leaving the NW to go to college in Tennessee. Jayson is not only a wicked longboarder but he’s also into skimboarding and skiing, as you can tell from the video. Out of all the longboard decks on the market, he goes with one of the most sought after: The Loaded Dervish. He rocks his with classic Randal 180s, a split duro Durian combo, and Bones Reds bearings. He’s only been riding for 3 years but he loves to nail one footed stalefish predrifts. Hopefully he’ll come by our new seattle longboard shop when he comes home from college to visit!
We received another international entry for our video contest, but this time instead of coming from Norway, it comes from the opposite climate: San Juan, Puerto Rico. Alejandro calls his video “Our Session Today (Pa Panamericano)” which gives us a behind the scenes look at the streets of PR. He’s a fan of Loaded’s longboard decks and rides a Vanguard with Bear Grizzly trucks, Orangatang wheels and Sector 9 ceramic bearings. It’s a pretty sweet setup if you ask me. He’s been riding for 5 years now and has mastered dancing and boardwalking. This vid is a nice combo of sliding, fancy footwork, and humor.
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.
Yet another video contest entry rolled in, this time it was from one of our local crew, Allan Wilkerson. His friend Danny Wood, makes a guest appearance in this one too. Allan is a well respected skater around these parts and consistently gets top rankings at all the freerides that are held pretty regularly. Not to mention, he’s been a huge helping hand at many of our events. As far as I know, Allan (known here as DH Allan) is sponsored by Bentley longboards and so he rides a Bentley Silhouette longboard deck with surf-rodz trucks, and 80 Orangatang In Heat longboard wheels. He used a POV camera duck taped to the back of his full-face helmet to get this footage rolling down Holmes Point Road which is right in our back yard. FYI, Allan can toeside standy all day long.
Nice! Another video contest from one of our local rippers Gabe Trainer. From Shoreline Washington, Gabe was one of the best groms that hung around our seattle longboard shop but he’s old enough to hang with the big boys at this point. Gabe had a serious, crazy longboarding accident that will keep him off the pavement for a whole year which was a big bummer when we first heard about it. If he wins this video contest, he wouldn’t be able to ride the Rayne longboards complete Killswitch with surf-rodz, but he’s such a nice guy he said he’d probably hook one of his buddies up with it. What a guy! That’s why I love that skating community so much. So check out this video he put together that actually started out as a school project for a video making class he took.
The best of the best from the Orangatang joined forces to make a video of epic proportions. Finally, a longboarding video that’s original, but still fun and full of sick riding. This is exactly the kind of originality I would hope to see in the video that wins our contest. This video brings together the skills of Kevin “K-Rimes” Reimer, Patrick Switzer, James Kelly, Kyle Chin, and Douglas Dalua da Silva in the hills of Los Angeles. Mastermind film-maker (and super talented rider) Adam Colton filmed and edited it all together with the help of Jonathan Jelkin. Even though these guys all rock Orangatang wheels, their decks range from different Rayne longboards to the Fullbag Elise P-Swiss longboard.
Here is yet another video contest entry coming from Andrew out of San Diego. We’re so jealous of all the sun he gets down in SoCal. We could use a good dose of that right now in the Pacific Northwest! Although he doesn’t showcase it in this video, Andrew can do a killer one handed toe side pendy. His setup includes a Kracked Skulls Scimitar longboard deck, randal 180s and Sector9 Nineball longboard wheels. Its hard to believe Andrew has only been riding for 7 months. I love the quote he chose for the opening scene, “Longboarding is my waking dream…”
Here’s yet another entry for our longboarding video contest. This one comes from a local rider out of the beautiful Pacific Northwest. This entry from Kirk of Portland, Oregon shows of the best the NW has to offer. He uses a makeshift “boom cam” for his gopro camera on the end of a long pole. We use something really similar to get a perspective looking back at the riders. He’s been skating for about 2 years now and enjoys doing big standies. His longboard deck of choice is a Longboard Larry Manatee, Bear grizzly trucks, and 83a Orangatang wheels.
This is the 6th entry for our longboarding video contest. This one comes from Michael V. out of Columbus, Ohio. It’s hard to believe he’s only been skating for about four months! This is a really well edited, high quality HD video with some sweet freeriding footage. Not sure exactly how old Michael and his friend are but they do a good job representing the groms of the longboarding world. He rides one of the most popular longboard decks at our Seattle longboard shop, the Landyachtz Switch. Plus, he’s got a sweet setup with classic Randal 180s, Abec11 Gumballs and some abec9 bearings. His favorite trick is the heel side shovit slide.
Here’s the latest installment to our video contest. This one comes from Philemon Crete, another longboarder from Canada. He rides in Montreal but this video was shot in North Conway. This is one of the most original videos I’ve seen so far. I love how he gripped his board to look like turn tables and the opening scene is just classic. I think you’ll love it too. Philemon’s longboard deck of choice is a custom DKLB with sabre trucks and the longboard wheels he goes for are the 76mm Sector9 Race Formulas. This guy really knows how to rip. I think you can tell how much he loves longboarding when he licks his board! He’s only been skating for 2 years but can freeride with the best of them.
The Orangatang team has been bumming around Europe for all the IGSA races across the pond this summer. They’ve been at Almatrieb in Germany, The Graveyard Call in France, and the Padova Grand Prix in Italy. While they were in Barcelona, Spain, it looks like they paid a visit to the skate shop there full of longboard decks from Loaded and longboard wheels from Retro and everyone else. This video is super smooth and shows some fancy footwork from James Kelly, Patrick Switzer and K-Rimes. Hopefully we can get them to pay a visit to our Seattle longboard shop one of these days!
Here’s the fourth entry for our video contest to win the highly sought-after Rayne Killswitch complete with Surf-Rodz precision trucks. This one comes from Audun G. out of Oslo, Norway. In his video, he shows us his favorite place to skate with his crew. They call their spot Aces Playground and they call themselves the Ace Crew. These guys know how to rip it up! Audun’s longboard deck of choice is a well loved Roger Bros DH36 that flexes after being skated on so much. He rocks super loose Paris trucks and coned Pink Powerballs, the sign of a true skater! After 4 years of longboarding, his favorite tricks are super sketchy early grabs and super tight toeside speedchecks and pendys. Love the Ratatat music choice and their freeride playground looks right up our gnar-alley. You can really tell how much the Ace Crew loves longboarding.
We wanted to share with you the latest entry for the seattle longboards video contest that we just announced on Friday. We were super excited to get a few entries in the very first day. This one is called “For the Love of Longboarding” and comes from Michael B. out of St. Louis, Missouri. He rides two longboard decks in this video. One is a 46″ Stella with generic trucks and 69mm wheels and abec5 bearings. The other is a 30″ Gravity Gringo with 66mm Gravity Burners, Tracker 129s and Abec 5s. Michael has only been skating for about 4 months now and likes to do the boneless trick.
Here’s the first entry for our freshly announced video contest. This one comes from a friend of ours in the Great White North (Canada). Kevin Yue from Edmonton, Alberta put together this video. His longboard deck of choice? The Rayne Vendetta with indy trucks and 72mm Pink Powerball wheels. He’s been riding since he was four years old which is a total of 8 years and his favorite trick of choice is the Tre Flip. Thanks for being our first contestant Kevin!
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.
This video is a Motion Boardshop exclusive interview with the one and only James Kelly (”The American Dream!”) You might recognize him as a sponsored rider for Orangatang and as one of the faces behind SkateHouse Media. But we know James as an all around great guy, not to mention a skater that makes the rest of us look like a bunch of little girls.
Even though James could have his pick of any of the longboard decks out there, he chooses to ride the Longboard Larry Sea Calf. At 36″ long, the Sea Calf has a nice short wheel base allowing him to get down nice and low to grip around the turns and loops of Maryhill and still be nice and agile. His preferred setup? Classic Randal RII 180’s on 42* Baseplates. The longboard wheels he rocks for Maryhill are the Orangatang In heats in the 80a durometer. He also uses 85a venom eliminators on his setup.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Big thanks to MOBO rider and filmmaker Trevor Preston for slaving away on this footage. His inspiration? The excess of gnar in the world that needs shredding. How beautiful. So far, we’ve had a hugely positive response to the video which we leaked on youtube just a few days ago. Glad everyone is enjoying it. If you like it too, leave us a comment either right here on the blog or on our youtube page.
The video will be featured in the upcoming 2010 Concrete Wave Evolutions video, which should be out in in mid-August.
Preston shuffled through hours of labor intensive filming. The back breaking work feat took six days and one broken limb.
MOBO rider Max Wipperman broke his arm during a film session. It was a pretty bad break and unfortunately, he was unable to race at Maryhill. Thank you Max, for sacrificing yourself for the sake of gnar!
Some of the longboard decks ridden in this video include 2 Rayne Nemesis decks, and a Black Dog Longboard and the longboard wheels they were sliding on included some Orangatang 4 Pres in 83a and Retro Freerides.
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)
I just wanted to share with you a sweet go pro video that one of MOBO’s friends, Christian Johnson, put together recently. He’s been rocking the Best Kahoona kite in the 7.5m and 9.5m sizes and he’s a huge fan of Best’s hottest selling kite, just like we are. The Kahoona is just one of those magical kitesurfing kites that you can’t help but have a great time flying. You’re guaranteed to have an awesome session on a Kahoona no matter how crappy the wind conditions are. This hybrid-delta style kite eats up the gusts like no other with a huge wind range and lots of throw in the chicken loop which translates to tons of depower.
We use the Kahoona’s to teach on in our school, the Seattle Kiteboarding Center, where we teach Seattle kiteboarding lessons on a daily basis. Since switching over to the Kahoonas, our students have seen tons of success. It’s now a regular occurrence to get fresh newbies the taste of getting up on the board during their very first lesson. With a price you can’t beat (the most expensive size, the 13.5 is still under $1300 for a brand new Kahoona complete with a new bar), the Kahoonas are a no brainer. The best part is that it’s not a beginner kite though. Even our super experienced teamrider Joaquin chooses the Kahoona on a regular basis.
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.
We do, everyday! Here’s one of our most recent videos featuring two of our local teamriders, Erik “EK” Kristjannson and Jordan “Uberbombs” Lemmel, shredding it up. Erik is riding one of the Black Dog Longboards. These are two super talented riders that represent our shop well and we’re stoked to have had them on our team for the last year. Even the best riders take some spills though. Watch through all the way til the end where one of them hits a man-hole cover going about 40-45mph. It ain’t pretty!
On another note, we’re fully stocked on Black Dogs and lots of other longboard skateboard decks. Tis the season to be skating! The sun is out and the pavement is dry. Huzzah!
Thanks for being so patient! We’ve been working hard with long hours at home to keep pumping out the videos. It’s not uncommon for Jason to stay up until 2 in the morning working on the latest vid. We have so many manufacturers these days knocking on our door to make a video showcasing their products. Can’t complain though, it’s actually a lot of fun.
Black Dog Longboards is our newest brand and happens to be a Motion Exclusive product. You can’t find them anywhere else.
Some of the names have been updated so the lineup now is the Chica Esquela (with or without wheel cutouts), El Pescador and the Pussy Gato. Duane (Black Dog shaper) has also perfected the big boy model that we call the El Gordo. It’s basically a 12ply tank that’s perfect for the guys over 220lb. It’s been put to test by getting abused by our biggest riders and it passed with flying colors!
The Pussy Gato deck has been a unanimous favorite longboard deck out of the lineup and best of all, they dropped their price to only $120 with grip!
If not, you’re missing out! Our Youtube Channel has 35 videos and just under 175,000 views so far and that number is growing every day. We try to offer a mix of all things related to longboard skateboard. You’ll find instructional videos to learn more about precision trucks, bushings, wheels and decks. There’s also videos dedicated to specific products like the Rayne Demonseed and the Eastside Rocky Bomber in case you’re thinking about buying one and want to learn more about it. And then of course you’ll find lots of action-packed videos of our teamriders bombing local suburban hills at 50mph, freerides and events at the famous Maryhill, and our team cruising down Alpental’s mountain roads. So there’s obviously something for everyone. We encourage comments and try to get back to everyone who leaves specific questions.
Subscribe to our channel and you’ll be the first to know when our latest longboard videos drop!
Here’s our video documenting last month’s Maryhill Freeride:
I’m sure you have all heard about the Killswitch by now, nut if you haven’t, it is time to hop on to the downhill board of the future. The Rayne Killswitch Longboard is the brainchild of Rayne team rider, Kevin Reimer. As Kevin says, the Killswitch longboard is designed to work around the way a human goes downhill skateboarding. Kevin has taken the time to think about every movement that happens while you are downhill or freeriding longboarding, and put a feature to make that movement easier and more comfortable while riding this board, giving the rider that “locked in” feeling at all times. Some of the features include:
1: 3/8″ Radial Drop Platform: subtle drops in the front and rear so as to cradle the life that it is stealing you from regular monotonous board design.
2: K-Rimes’ own Pleasure Dome concave with a subtle feel that is enough to lock you in, but not enough to become bothers ome on long bombs or pushes. The W concave also allows for butter toe-side pre-drifts and heel-side stand up checks by keeping your rear foot in place.
1+2 = 3: Where the small drop morphs into the flat-topped Pleasure Dome concave, you place your foot in that “special spot” where the two lovers meet. You will find your foot and toes are dropped into an aggressive forward facing stance that is similar to that of a runner on a starting block. This allows for pushing bad’assery and major comfort when you’re out on the track.
4: Three-dimensional wood bending was used in this deck to give a full, cupped feeling for the front and rear toes. This allows the body to lean far away from the board while still maintaining full contact of the front foot. The rear foot will find a pocket specially designed for those who tuck, and tuck fast.5: The “Drop-Lock”. When you stand on this s deck your front foot will naturally position itself into the “Drop-Lock” where the toes sit beside the drop rather than behind it. This makes for a complete and total lock of the front foot for toe-side drifts.
Along with those futuristic features listed above, the board features a 38-inch deck, with 10 inches of width at its widest points, and alternate wheelbases of 31 and 32 inches. With its functional nose and tail, the board truly maximizes the amount of deck space that useable for you feet while you are bombing your favorite hill or cruising to the grocery store. Not to mention the construction, with a solid bamboo core, and fiberglass sandwiched on top and bottom, this board is one solid downhill and freeride machine! All in all, the Rayne Killswitch is one board that you have to see to appreciate the truly genius design.
Sorry for the long blog title! I’ll have to figure out how to shorten that up a little bit for the future. We’ve been cranking out more episodes of our 60 Seconds of Tech Series. This one features the Rayne Demonseed Longboard. Nate talks about it’s specs and how to optimize this speedboard as a downhill longboard, especially if you’re a heavier rider that can take advantage of the premium footspace on this deck. At 44″ long with a 1″ drop, this board is as stable as it gets for bombing hills. Here’s some of the components we recommend but obviously you may way to customize it to better fit your size and riding style.
I know, I know. We just had a Rocky Bomber Longboard video just a few posts ago. BUT, that was the one made by Eastside Longboards, the manufacturer. That one’s a lot more fun to watch since it’s action packed with Eastside’s team riders. This one’s a little different since it’s a video that we produced ourselves. It’s actually the first of many videos we’ll be pumping out as new products hit the market. For all of you longboarders out there without a skateshop nearby where you can touch and feel things firsthand, this is for you. We want you to feel like you’re right in the shop with us and you can see the concave, rocker, drop etc. instead of just looking at a picture of the deck’s graphic.
We’ll try to offer some insight for you on how to complete the deck for different riding disciplines. For the newly redesigned Eastside Rocky Bomber Longboard, we recommend:
Randal RII 180mm Trucks (42* or 50* depending on if you’re using this super versatile deck for downhill or freeriding)
Let us know what you think about the video. We’re totally open to suggestions on what we can do better. These videos are to help you out afterall, not us. Check it out on youtube, give it a quick rating and leave us a comment. We do our best to respond to all of them.
Here’s the latest video featuring Eastside Longboard’s release of the redesigned Rocky Bomber. This symmetrical downhill/freeride board is only $104.95 which makes it one of the most affordable decks in our shop. I thought some video eye candy would be a good way to end the week.
We’ve just released our latest informational longboarding video. We made a deck video about 6 months ago but there’s so many new brands and decks that have recently hit the market, not to mention the new technology they’re using now, that it was necessary to put out something more up to date. In this latest vid, MOBO teamrider Trevor Preston goes over some of the new brands that we’ve started carrying like Insect and Subsonic and also talks about the characteristics of the latest decks like the Comet FSM Mini. It’s about 10 minutes long so prepare to get schooled!
NEW PROMOTION: Buy a complete and get a free venom bushing upgrade, your choice!
The HD GoPro POV cameras (point-of-view) are being released at the end of the month and we couldn’t be more giddy with anticipation. They just leaked the most killer video to showcase the clarity of this camera so I had to share it with you. The cameras will be available on October 31st but we’re taking preorders now so you can be sure we don’t sell out before you get yours. At only $299 for the HD HERO Helmet camera, it’s a steal of a deal.
Concrete Wave Magazine (the longboarding/skateboarding Bible) just released their annual DVD called Evolutions. This is the fifth one they’ve done. They compile 4 minute video clips from skateboard manufacturers, shops, teams, communities….basically whoever wants to get on the video can do so for a small chunk of change.
After seeing last year’s Evolutions DVD, we’ve been counting down the days until we could have our own installment, especially since videos are such a big part of what we do. We have a small stack of DVD’s available for free with your next order but only while supplies last! For now, you can at least watch the Motion Boardshop video here:
So the AWSI industry trade show last week allowed us to try kites and boards from about 90% of the manufacturers, from all the big companies to lesser known up-and-comers. After trying almost everything that was available, along with a team of other retailers around the country that we work with, the consensus was that HANDS DOWN the most impressive kites were the Wainman Rabbit Series.
They have a different name for every size, like their 14m is the Big Mama and the 9m is The Smoke. They only make one style of kite and then they tweak each size individually to perfect it (as opposed to making a perfect 9m and then sizing it up or down like other manufacturers do)
It’s a delta shaped kite that performs like a mix of the RPM and Fuel with fast turning and Slingshot-esque durability. It’s one of the smoothest kites we’ve ever tested and the design is the future of kiteboarding in our opinion. It’s low aspect ratio makes it good for users of all skill levels. It will likely be our school kite of choice because of it’s excellent relaunch, stability while flying and the fact that it won’t oversheet. So beginners learning to put the board on their feet won’t find it sneaking off to the side of the window. It also has small tags on the pigtails which clearly label “more power, less power, better upwind” etc. making it easy for even a former blonde like myself to tune their kite to the conditions and their riding style.
Some features include:
-above the bar sheeting
-colored line sets (good for kook proofing and snowkiting)
-a plastic sheath over the chicken loop (to ensure minimal wear on the sheeting line)
-push away chicken loop release
-suicide ring option on chicken loop
-beefed up LE with Dacron which goes into the wingtip itself for extra durability
We also carry the Kahoona which is a delta kite and you may wonder what the main differences are…The Wainman kite is a little more expensive but that’s because the construction on it is so beefy. It’s also created on more of a freestyle riding platform, so even though it will loop good, it’s not as fast turning as the Kahoona. Both have excellent relaunch.
NOW ONTO THE BOARDS…
The Wainman boards are out of this world. They have great upwind capability, surprisingly so since they have insane concave on the bottom and added rocker too. This concave allows for the feeling of a larger volume board so you can get away with riding a size smaller than usual. Very predictable, excellent pop and is probably the lightest board we’ve ever tried. Squishy, soft, comfy footpads are great for hot landings and long sessions. Just like the kites, the boards are very durably made with high quality. Overall, we wouldn’t tweak a thing on the boards.
The Wainman surfboards are something we weren’t able to try out first hand but they’re so beautiful they could be mistaken for a piece of art. They are shaped and finished by renowned board maker Jimmy Lewis and have a distinct gun shape making then good in heavy surf. Oh yeah, and they also come with a padded board bag to make sure it stays in good condition.
FOR DEMO we have a 9m and 12m Rabbit Kites and a Blunt 130 twin tip and the Surfboard. This is what we were able to snag at the trade show and more will be arriving shortly. But you can consider us your Wainman connection. After talking with other shops around the country, I’m sure you’ll be hearing a lot more about this brand in the very near future.
Here’s a little video Jason whipped up featuring new and old footage of some of our teamriders. We have lots of other videos on our video page but you can also subscribe to our youtube channel to see everything we’ve made. We’re pretty good about answering questions on there too.
Here’s the latest video from Slingshot featuring teamriders Erik Volpe and Ben Wilson in the waves as well as flat-water freestyle. They push the 2010 Slingshot Octane to the limits and show what it can do when put to the test by the pros.
The new 2010 Control Bar is really what sets the ‘10 Slingshot line-up apart from the rest. With the center line swivel, below the bar sheeting, & a push away chicken loop release, this bar is in a league of its own.
See what all the hype is about and demo one yourself.
We just completed the latest in our line-up of informational longboarding tutorials. After the success of our wheels, trucks and deck videos, we decided it was finally time to make a video on the different bushings available and how to select the right set for you. Bushings are particularly amazing because they are by far the cheapest way to drastically change the feel of your ride. However, the different combinations available can give you a headache if you think about it too hard. In this video, we focus on Venom bushings which are by far our personal bushing of choice.
Still not sure what combo is right for you? Just call the shop to talk to a bushing expert. 206.372.5268
We just got stocked up on some of the latest and greatest accessories from our favorite up and coming company, GoPro. They make the worlds smallest and most affordable, waterproof POV (point-of-view) camera that you can mount to just about anything. Whether you bmx, windsurf, or skateboard, the GoPro Video Camera is awesome at capturing your session. We’ve even used them inner-tubing behind a boat!
We’re super stoked to be linked with the private manufacturer of the GoPro Kite Line Mount which can only be found on our website! It’s only $39.99 and can be hooked up to your center kite lines so that the camera is pointing down at you for a really cool point of view, especially when you’re jumping and doing tricks. Here’s a video showcasing this angle from Jim Stringfellow (creator of the mount).
Did I mention they’ll be releasing an HD version in later October for under $300? Stay tuned!
Wondering why kiteboarding is the fastest growing watersport? We can help you figure out why! We’ve taught thousands of students over the last 10 years w and have perfected our program to get you up and riding in no time. This video is designed to give you an idea of what to expect from your All-in-one Kiteboarding Lesson with the Seattle Kiteboarding Center.
During the day you will learn the basics of rigging, safety, kite flying, body dragging, and water relaunching to name a few. We hope to get you up on the board and riding by the end of the class so you can get a taste of what kiteboarding is all about.
Our lessons are all one-on-one with an instructor so you can get the most personalized attention possible from your certified instructor. Waverunner support allows us to take you away from the crowded beaches so all you have to worry about is flying the kite and getting up on the board.
Looking for more information on our lessons program? Check out our lessons page. Click HERE to contact us directly. If you’re not ready to take a lesson yet but are still interested in the sport, a trainer kite is a great place to start. Our beginners page will explain why.
By protection I mean a good helmet, elbow pads, knee pads and slide gloves! In this video, our teamrider Jerica gets nailed by a fence but luckily she was wearing a Bell Drop full-face helmet to protect her head. Thank god she walked away with a couple stitches and no broken bones but you can see how gnarly this could have turned out.
If you live on this planet then you’ve likely heard a lot about SUP lately, also known as standup paddleboarding. It’s all the rage in places like Hawaii and California (thanks to pictures of celebs like Jennifer Aniston and Laird Hamilton doing it) and has started to gain a lot of traction here in the northwest. Lucky for us, we’re surrounded by water! With a short 2.5 hr drive you can be paddlesurfing into small waves at West Port or Ocean Shores. Or, if you only have a couple minutes to spare after work and want to bypass your usual gym workout, Puget Sound, Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish are all great flat water options.
We made a little introductory video to show you the basics of SUP and demonstrate how easy it is. Hopefully it will answer some questions you may have about the sport.
We have SUP rentals available for $25 for 4 hours or $50 for a 24hr period. They come complete with the paddle and a carrier strap for transportation to the water. Just call us in advance to reserve a board for yourself! 206.372.5268
Here’s yet another video from MOBO. This time we’re featuring Comet Longboards, an eco-conscious company out of New York that is dedicated to using renewable, sustainable, biodegradable materials. With most decks starting at $99, they’re great quality at a killer price. The FSM-Flying Spaghetti Monster will have it’s own product video in the near future so keep an eye out for that. I think the video turned out really well and is an awesome mix of product information and riding. Hope you like it too!
Here’s the latest and greatest from our latest session at Alpental in Washington State, edited by teamrider Trevor Preston. You’ll love the beginning! Other teamriders that were there included Spencer Smith, Chip Wooden, Kyle Stopsen and Jerica Green. Music is by Cut Chemist called “The Garden”, be sure to support their music on I-Tunes.
