Double-kick quiver-killers have been the fad of the decade. Having a board that can freeride, downhill, and also kick around and do some freestyle all in the same session is definitely one attractive prospect.
Through the years, many board companies have tried and tried to create their best interpretation of the quiver-killer. And Bustin Boards is not an exception- the Shrike has been a part of the Bustin arsenal for many years. However, this year, Bustin really knocked it out of the park by solving many common problems with their new Thermoglass construction. Thermoglass includes fiberglass topsheets coupled with urethane bumpers and kicktails. It’s the epitome of durable board technology.
With their new lightweight, fused fiberglass construction, the Shrike is newly advantaged for freestyle and dancing tricks- a lighter board means that airtime is increased and the setup is more responsive. When doing freeride and downhill, rider input is amplified.
The new 5-0 urethane bumpers are incredibly resilient and are able to take the worst of beatings- Will Royce is no saint to his boards and the shape and layout of the urethane bumpers focus on strength more than aesthetics. A truly utilitarian philosophy previously unseen in longboard production.
Bustin Shrike Topsheet
Thermoglass Construction
Bustin Shrike Custom Graphic
Bustin Shrike Complete
Bustin Shrike Concave
The new Bustin Thermoglass Shrike. Get it before it gets away!
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There’s always been a movement in the longboarding wheel industry to find a perfect balance between durability and thaney, sugary wear. Too much durability, and the company risks making a wheel which doesn’t grip the pavement enough to create an attractive slide. Too much wear, and the wheels don’t last long enough and become extremely expensive for the rider.
There’s people who prefer all points of the spectrum- racers enjoy wheels that are extremely durable. This way, they don’t have to replace wheels very often even if they must drift and periodically wash out. Some people, mostly freeriders, prefer wheels that leave thick, cocaine-esque lines behind them. These wheels wear quickly, but for freeriding hobbyists, the cost is worth it. For everyone else though, a freeride wheel that’s both durable and consistently slidey is an attractive prospect. And that’s what Powell Peralta has created this year with the Snakes.
Snakes White
Snakes Red
Snakes Green
Coming in 66mm and 69mm varieties, the Powell Peralta Snakes are a continuation of the These Wheels project, an initiative to create the most balanced freeride wheel on the market. The Snakes are a little different though, with a different, more durable formula this time, and a different shape and contact patch to alter the slide a little bit.
Snakes Red Side
Snakes Green Isometric
Snakes Green Side
Snakes Red Isometric
The shape is a little more square than previous iterations, to ensure a consistent contact patch through the life of the wheel. The core is the same proprietary PP core as previous These wheels, which gives it a firm grip on bearings to make sure they don’t chatter. The 38mm contact patch gives the rider a nice kick-out and a smooth hookup. The Snakes come stone-ground out of the box, for your convenience; an upgrade from These wheels. The wheels are deceptively soft- the 75a durometer feels like jelly under the finger, but as they slide, they feel nothing like jelly. They rather feel more like an 83a wheel.
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With the success of the Loco series, Landyachtz seems to have gotten hooked on creating skate-inspired decks with a slashing twist. The new ATV series, as revealed in the Landyachtz 2017 line, offers mellow concave with a durable longboard construction, matched in heaven with shapes that are ergonomic, economic and foot-friendly for all-around urban skateboarding.
At LNV, we like and appreciate smaller board companies who are always innovating. Because they are smaller, small-time boardmakers have more wiggle room, being away from the prying eyes of critics and consumer bases. Instead, they have a clean slate to test their creations and work towards something unique that works.
Many starter companies however, begin producing boards without a strong base and footing in skateboarding and skateboard technologies. These companies never take off, as their constructions aren’t strong and they run into problems while operating the board. Shawn is an exception- a skateboarder for 7 years, Shawn at Voxel Boards knows how important it is to have a strong, tested construction and core before you can experiment with concaves and shapes.
We paired up with Shawn over the weekend and did a little interview with him to really get into the mind of a amateur-turning-professional boardmaker! Check it out below.
LNV: What prompted you to start making boards?
Voxel: The things that prompted me to make boards were all very personal. I had lots of experience growing up around tools, and I knew how to make things. I first wanted to make boards when I was about 14. It took me till I was 20 to realize “Okay, now I actually have the ways and means to do this. I’m not in school, my job sucks…Let’s do this.”
LNV: What do you think is your greatest selling point?
Voxel: I think our greatest selling point is that at our current size, doing limited releases and small batches let’s us improve quickly, and let’s us do weird and niche things that other companies can’t cater to. We have some really cool ideas for limited releases in the future, and the idea is to make sure that something stands out to you in every single one.
LNV: What sets you apart from other boardmakers in the industry?
Voxel: I think what really sets us apart is how we handle our graphics. We have more artists than we have board makers or business people in the company. So, when you go to order a board from our site, we prompt you with options for selecting your board. You’ll be able to choose “Custom Graphic” from those options, and actually work with our artists to commission something that goes onto your board. We also give people the option to upload their own image for use, but I haven’t seen anyone else approach it quite the way we have yet.
LNV: What are your plans for the future? Do you plan to upscale production?
Voxel: Well I recently got a job, and so far, it’s changed my life for the better. It’s also shifted my career to be more around woodworking, and craftsmanship. You’re going to see me trying a lot of new things within the coming months. Lots of unique materials and new construction. In terms of production, we currently only stock the 3310 on the site, so we’re going to be doing re-releases of a few of the old boards pretty soon. Lots of redesigns! I’m also going to be implementing a lot of changes to the manufacturing process, so we’re going to get higher quality, and hopefully try to get more recognition in the community.
LNV: What was your greatest inspiration for the 3310 and its shape?
Voxel: The inspiration for the 3310 came a lot from my desire to do better. I was on the like, 5th mould revision on another deck, and I knew that if I didn’t switch projects, I would get burnt out. I had a lot going on in the company at the time too, so I spent time sorting through that, and working on the new design. It took me a few days to design the mould, then I designed a shape. I spent a whole week just making the mould, and when I was done with it I slapped on the veneers a few layers at a time. Finally after two weeks, we had this giant, rectangular double-kick blank. It felt a lot like holding a certain, indestructible phone in my hands.
The Voxel 3310, as the name suggests, is one tank of a board. It’s been curbed, slapped, hopped and smashed, and yet the rails stay pristine as ever. The slightly square-ish, rounded off figure is utilitarian- maximizing the effective foot platform and increasing the amount of kicktail that has an effect on flip tricks.
The 3310 has a hefty tub concave which flattens out near the street-inspired kicktails for a high pop and ollie-able capability. The back comes with a minimalist, stylish wood-grain graphic with a stain to keep it clean and stickers an absolute possibility!
Voxel Boards 3310 Bottom
3310 Bottom Profile
3310 Griptape and concave
Pre-order on Voxelboards.com now!
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Moonshine has been the fastest growing skateboard company this past year- from a small startup making limited numbers of boards to one of the most successful makers of highly engineered longboards, Moonshine has made remarkable progress this last year.
For the new year, Moonshine is releasing 3 new boards to further expand their grasp over the great aspects of longboarding- freestyle and kicktail slashing, and the perfect art of cruising. Introducing the Moonshine Outlaw, Elixir and Proof.
First is the Outlaw- a board that was born accidentally through the filming of xXx: the Return of Xander Cage. The deck was originally designed for Vin Diesel’s longboarding scene, but after riding it extensively during the duration of the filming, Nick Pappas and Brandon DesJarlais decided that the concave was of amicable enough quality to make it into the official Moonshine Catalog. The Moonshine Outlaw features the classic Moonshine trademarks- urethane rails, waterproof construction and flushmounting. With the mellowcave that you know and love, the Outlaw is bound to be a legend just like the Sector 9 Daisy.
Outlaw Bottom Graphic
Outlaw Top Graphic
Outlaw Profile
Outlaw Details
Outlaw Ride Chart
Second is the Moonshine Proof- a technical take on a classical pintail shape. This one is special though- it has wheel cutouts to help with leaning and powerful carves, a sharp, crisp shape supplemented by a strong, tanky construction and a sleek graphic that everyone is bound to love.
Proof Bottom Graphic
Proof Top Graphic
Proof Profile
Proof Details
Proof Ride Chart
Lastly, the Elixir brings new meaning to quiver-killer. Whereas other decks have had steeper, freeride-oriented concaves, the Elixir mixes Moonshine’s trademark mellowcave with a combination of efficient shape and shallow kicktails to make a board that’s both great for downhill and freestyle. It features lunchtray-like wheel flares, deep wheel wells and a killer green graphic that’s bound to make any slide a looker.
Elixir Bottom Graphic
Elixir Bottom Graphic
Elixir Profile
Elixir Details
Elixir Ride Chart
Get these new treats before they go out of stock!
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