Top 10: Sexy-looking boards

Disclaimer: This is not an accurate ranking; it is based on a poll and some of my personal opinion.

10.) Omen Airship

Don’t be fooled by the name. Contrary to actual airships, which are huge, bulging, and slow, this airship is fast, rigid and compact. It sports a one-directional shape with the Accelerated Rocker design that gives it the distinct dropped look and feel. The shape on the tail end gives it an aerodynamic vibe.

Dimensions

Length: 36.5"
Width: 9.5"
Wheelbase: 24.5"-28.5"

Concave: 3D radial concave

Flex: Stiff

Disciplines: Downhill, Freeride, Slide

City Skate for Better Days…and Nights

For others, city skating is probably boring. Yeah I admit I got bored of it at some point but there is just something about city skating that makes me want me to do it again and again. Since I got injured, I have been craving to get back on a board and go city skate, but that can wait if I don’t want to go through that hellish 4 months of early recovery period.

Local vs. Foreign: No bias, real talk

So the debate goes on, local or foreign products? We bring in longboards and other related stuff in to the frying pan. First let’s look at the pros of each product. Mainstream foreign products are very reliable and have an excellent construction and design build. The foreign manufacturers have easy access to the latest trends and techniques in longboard construction like shaping machines, hydraulic presses and new construction materials other than the usual bamboo and maple construction such as carbon fibre, aluminium and fibre glass to name a few. They also collaborate with different professional skaters to create customized pro models

Them Sweet Graphics

This may not be an essential feature for some, at least in terms of functionality, but it defines the character of the board. Aside from the shape, the graphics give the board a visual temperament and most of the time the graphics reflects the riders personality and style. Let me share a story, when my parents finally agreed to buy me a longboard as a birthday present last October 2012. I was having a hard time choosing my first board. After a long arduous task of searching for board specifications on the net, I have laid out a shortlist of the boards that I have favoured. This list included the Landyachtz Wolfshark 2012, Rayne Babykiller, Comet Grease Hammer, Landyachtz Switchblade 36 and the Rayne Vandal. Among the 5 boards one stood out, the Babykiller with its killer (no pun intended) graphics depicting a god, who I thought was Zeus at first but I think it was Poseidon because he is holding a harpoon or trident thing, demolishing a metropolitan with sheer anger.

My Babykiller back in its hey days

Slide-Show

Crazy stalefish grab sit down slide.

Sliding, a technique used by skaters that is initiated by breaking wheel traction and at the same time maintaining control over the board then re-initiating traction to efficiently reduce speed when entering tight corners or for emergency braking. Well, others do it for maximum style and steez depending on the situation.