Ben Dubreuil Photo: Ian Comishin
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SEARCH/SPARK/STOKE
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GREETINGS LONGBOARDERS! Welcome to Version Two of the Pocket Guide to Longboarding. After the success of our first Pocket Guide we saw the need to make some revisions for 2012. Longboarding continued to explode in popularity over the last year and it seems all different types of people are interested in learning about the smooth cruise of a Longboard. To be honest its been a little difficult for everyone to keep up with the rapid growth of longboard culture. Last year we saw an explosion in the popularity of free riding and sliding, as well as continued growth in cruising and commuting. Every facet of Longboarding is growing and progressing each year, this means new products as well as new companies are appearing all the time. There can be an intense amount of information associated with Longboard products and it can all be a little overwhelming deciding on that first board. This guide is designed to give you some insight into the technology behind the products, and help you find that perfect ride. For more info visit. golongboarding.ca or concretewavemagazine.com
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TYPES OF LONGBOARDING • CARVE/CRUISE/COMMUTE Carving and cruising are the most widespread forms of longboarding. This is more about using a longboard as a fun way to commute from point A to B rather than seeing how fast you can go. The greatest thing about carving up the asphalt with a longboard is that you don’t need surf, snow or even a lift ticket. You just open up your door and go! Recommended Decks: Loaded, Madrid, Dregs Recommended Wheels: Orangatang, Lush, Dregs • FREERIDING/SLIDING Freeriding takes things up a notch from merely cruising or carving. Freeriding usually keeps the rider going slower than straight bombing a hill. Freeriding is about flow and style and performing every type of slide possible. Freeride boards are usually set up to turn a lot, and slide easy. They feature symmetrical shapes most of the time for riding in switch (riding backwards with tail facing downhill), and are usually set up with round lip wheels to help the board get sideways. Recommended Decks: Loaded, Comet, Kebbek Recommended Wheels: Orangatang Freerides, Cult Classic, Kebbek Libres • DOWNHILL Downhill racing is about being the first person to the bottom of the hill, and ensuring you have a lot of fun doing it. You need a deck that is stable at high speeds with no flex. It’s also vital that you wear all safety gear – not just a helmet. Most serious downhillers have a full leather suit. For information about racing, make
sure you visit igsaworldcup.com. Decks we recommend: Kebbek, Comet, Lush Recommended Wheels: Cult Death Ray, Kebbek Magnet, Orangatang Stimulus • SLALOM While technically, not a longboard, slalom has carved out its own place within the world of longboarding. The reason is simple. If you love speed and the feeling of carving with precision, then you’ll enjoy whipping through cones. Slalom has deep roots within skateboarding and thanks to cutting edge technology, there is a whole new generation of coneheads out there.
FAQ
What is a top mount? The simplest of all mounting styles, the board just simply sits atop the trucks like on normal skate deck. The advantages to a top mount come because it keeps the riders weight and feet over the wheels. This allows the rider to have maximum control and leverage over the trucks. Topmounts have emerged as a trend lately especially ones that are smaller and have a shorter wheelbase. Topmounts function as great downhill race boards because of the grip, but people have been using them for freeride lately which is also popular. What is a dropped board? A dropped board means the riding platform (the part of the deck the rider stands on) is sunk below the trucks. It’s not to be confused with the drop through mounting, although creates a similar feeling by lowering the ride height to help riders feel locked in. Dropped boards are better for pushing because your lower to
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I want a board that is fun to cruise on. What should I be looking for? Longboards come in many different shapes and styles, but also different thicknesses and materials. As a general rule if it has a lot of flex, the board was designed more to carve and cruise. Flex in the board allows for a snappy quick feeling carve and is great for commuting and bobbing and weaving between people on a sidewalk. Most boards that feature flex are made of bamboo or a bamboo composite combination. Boards are usually offered with different levels of flex, so that it can be tailored to the person’s weight and preference.
BOARD MATERIALS
the ground and for freeriding because they slide longer because of the lower center of gravity. A dropped board will still function great for Downhill too. What is drop-through mounting? Drop through mounting lowers the ride height similar to a dropped board but in a different way. A drop through board is machined out so the trucks mount from the top. This is done by separating the hanger from the base plate. You then mount the base plate into the board from the top, followed by the hangar from underneath. Drop through boards tend to come mostly symmetrical in shape so that riders can ride better in switch. Usually sits around 0.5-1� lower when mounted in a drop through style, makes the board more drifty and good for sliding.
Maple - Maple is probably the most common board material right now, because of its availability, price and durability. Maple creates a very stiff feeling board because of its rigidity and thickness. A maple board will also last an extremely long time and should be able to hold up to even the hardest of skateboarding. Bamboo - Bamboo is becoming a more common board building material in the longboard world. Bamboo has much more flex and resilience than maple. Bamboo boards are more for carving and cruising because they have so much flex. Bamboo is usually used in combination with fiberglass to help hold the board together under the stress of a skater. A bamboo board is usually not very thick in comparison to a maple deck, but this creates a board which is easier to carry around when not in use. Carbon Fiber - Carbon Fiber is the most expensive option for a longboard composite, but brings advantages to the table.
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Carbon boards are very light and usually have foam core to help lighten the weight. Carbon is usually used to wrap another medium to make it stronger, a lighter board makes for a faster push off the start line and makes it easier to move around in slides. Carbon Fiber is more for an experienced rider, because it takes time to learn a board well enough to appreciate the feel of carbon fiber.
TRUCKS
Longboard trucks are very different than regular street skating trucks. A Longboard Truck is known as a “reverse kingpin” truck, because the axel is on the other side of the kingpin compared to a standard truck. A longboard truck has lots of lean which creates the deep smooth feeling carves which longboarders crave. Reverse Kingpin trucks are affected by many different factors, and knowing which trucks will go good with which board and style of riding is the key to a proper setup. Hangar Width When selecting which truck is right for which board you must first consider a couple things. The first of these is the width of the hanger. The hanger width is meant to be matched to the width of the board. A 9”wide deck or greater will need a minimum of 180mmm Hanger width. With less hanger width the wheels are more likely to come into contact with the board during sharp turns and stop it suddenly because of wheel bite. Decks that are not as wide can get away with the sharper turning 150mm trucks as they are designed more for smaller cruising boards and minis. Baseplate Angle Base plate angle also affects the way in
which a truck will turn; a lower base plate angle will make the truck turn less, while a higher angle will allow for more turn. A 50* Base plate will also make the setup slightly taller than a 40-45* baseplates. A 50* base plate is the standard for longboarding, fifty degrees is a great all around base plate because it turns enough for cruising but still has some stability for downhill. While a lower angle will be better for stability because it has less ability to turn. This works great for downhill but can take away some of the fun of a board when it doesn’t turn sharply for cruising. Most downhillers will run a 42* or 44* base plate with a 180mm hanger.
WHEELS
The magic of longboarding comes together with the wheels. It’s crucial that you utilize the correct wheels, because they can make a huge difference in your riding experiences. Durometeris a measurement system for Urethane that measures its hardness. The lower the number means the softer the wheel will be. An extremely soft wheel will grip the pavement better through turns because the urethane is stickier, although they may roll slightly slower and not slide as smoothly because they are soft. A hard longboard
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wheel will be around an 83-86 durometer. These wheels will roll faster, grip less, and chatter less in slides. This is because a harder wheel has a higher roll speed and less rippling in the urethane when sliding.
WHEEL SHAPE
Wheels that have rounded edges are usually designed as a freeride/sliding based wheel. A rounded lip allows the wheel to break sideways into slides easier which is what someone who is interested in sliding and learning to slide is looking for. Rounded lips tend to not be good as a racing wheel because the rounded edges don’t promote grip through turns. A rounded lip wheel will work well for a person who is commuting as they don’t need lots of grip. Wheels that have sharper edges rather than a smooth round lip are usually designed more for
maximum grip and racing. A hard lipped wheel doesn’t break traction as easily as its slippery counterparts. That doesn’t mean that wheels with hard lips can’t slide or be used for freeride. They are just harder to break into a slide. Hard lipped wheels are great for racers who will know exactly which model and hardness they would like. WATCH OUT FOR WHEEL BITE! This happens when a turn causes a wheel to collide with the board, usually resulting in the board suddenly stopping. It’s something that you should test for, before riding any board. There are a few ways to prevent this from happening. The simplest is to keep the kingpin tight enough to prevent the hanger from leaning far enough for it to bite. The other easy solution is to have a few risers in between the trucks and deck. You can also purchase smaller wheels.
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Bloody knees and falling leaves. Eduardo Furuga tears up the streets of Brazil. Photo: Rafael Fazano
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INSIGHTS ON HOSTING A SUCCESSFUL RACE EVENT By MICHAEL BROOKE
F
or decades, contests have been a great way for skaters to meet up and show off their stuff. The camaraderie and friendships that are formed are at the heart of what it means to be a skater. Sure, it can get competitive, but the thrill of riding and seeing skaters giving it their all is part of the experience. But while some skate events have become globally televised, multimillion-dollar experiences, longboarding is still on a very lean budget. In putting together this article, we wanted to present you a variety of ways that contests can be run, from people that have run them. If you’re inclined to start putting on a contest, make sure you learn from these folks. Not only have they been there and done that, they’ve probably paid for the T-shirt.
LOW BUDGET, HIGH STOKE (a.k.a. "Let's Just Do It and See What Happens")
The terms “underground” and “outlaw” conjure up all kinds of images. But unofficial races remain a fact of life, and if you’re on a low (or no) budget, they can be a great way to get people racing. But if you’re planning on running such an event, you’d better have a strong constitution. Tye Donnelly and Darrin Niner, whom I met this past summer in southern California, have things down to a science. Tye and Darrin truly embody what it means to be a skateboarder.
San Diego Racing League co-founder Tye Donnelly. Photo: Casey Stearns
Their friendly, easygoing nature makes them the perfect candidates to handle all types of “situations” that can arise from hosting underground events. They simply spread the stoke and bring joy to so many people. What they lack in money, they more than make up for in spirit. The two met through a mutual friend, and the idea for putting on races was Tye’s. “He wanted to put on a race. He had to say it a couple of times before we backed him up,” recalls Darrin. From this humble beginning, the San Diego Racing League (SDRL) was born. I asked them to give me their philosophy when it came to hosting events. The two looked at each other mischievously. “Tell him our motto, Darrin,” said Tye. I glanced over at Darrin and could see him smiling.
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“Our philosophy?” he said. “Let’s just do it and see what happens.” So that’s pretty much at the root of what Tye and Darrin have been up to. It’s underground. It’s not expertly planned. It might be even be somewhat risky. But it’s working. “We were always told you need bathrooms, security, permits, shuttling, medics,” Tye said. “But we have other ideas. We’re going to just do it.” For the members of the SDRL, it’s always been about the hills. “We know what you need to race. We’ve done 33 races on 27 different hills. These are all hills we’ve ridden for years; we know what’s necessary,” explains Tye. When it comes to providing information about the legal aspects of running a quasi-legal event, Concrete Wave magazine assumes … wait, I think I hear my lawyer knocking at the front door. The fact is that in certain states, the assumed risk liability law means that you can’t sue if you hurt yourself on public land. Private land is another matter. Don’t assume that ignorance of the law is any defense. If you’re planning an underground event, just be aware that you might be stepping into some issues that could come back to haunt you. However, the fact remains that in the dozens of races that the San Diego Racing League has put on, only one has been shut down by police. The community support for SDRL has ranged from indifferent to overwhelming. Last August, I had the privilege of witnessing the latter, firsthand, when our family drove out to a race in Temecula, about an hour north of San Diego. Upon arrival, we learned that the entire event had been moved from the original road to a private driveway. But this driveway was steep, and a perfect place for hosting a slide comp. Talk about flexibility! Turns out that Tye and Darrin had discovered this spot a few years back. “We started skating on this driveway knowing that they would come out at any moment,” Tye says. “I was the first to go, and they did
come out. They were happy we were racing on their driveway.” Imagine that: homeowners happy that skaters were charging down their driveway! Tye couldn’t believe their good fortune. But it only got better, Tye says: “They offered us their pool. They picked two crates of oranges for us, grown on their property. I kept riding the local hills, got their phone number, and a friendship was formed. I brought [their] daughter a skateboard.” So what started as something that could have been a simple “Hey, get the heck out of here!” situation turned into a friendship. When my family and I arrived in Temecula, there were dozens of skaters enjoying the event. Once it finished, we had an opportunity to swim in the pool and enjoy a barbeque. The awards presentation was just full of stoke. It was one of the most soulful events I’ve ever witnessed. “We tread lightly and we’ve never had a problem,” says Darrin. “We relate to everyone real well, and our goal is to be a family of riders.” Definitely food for thought. TAKING THINGS TO THE NEXT LEVEL Let’s say you’ve got bigger plans than an “outlaw” event, or your mom or dad knows a lawyer who says there’s no way you’re getting involved in an underground race. Or you want to shut down a road and host something that might run not just for a few hours but for two or more days. Well, you’re going have to take a different approach – one that works with the system, not around it. Marcus Rietema of the International Gravity Sports Association has worked tirelessly over the last 15 years presenting racing events around the world. I asked him what the single most important thing was when it came to hosting a race. “Before you announce the race, or any official plans, you need the proper permits and
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permissions and insurance in place,” he said. You might want to read that sentence a few times. If you are putting on an event, it’s crucial that you ensure everything is handled. “We had a race [planned] about five years ago in Sweden,” Rietema continues, “and one week before the event, the organizer had to cancel because he couldn’t get the permit.” Ouch. Meet the Parks family of Picton, Ontario. They’ve hosted a successful downhill event in both 2010 and 2011: the Prince Edward County Gravity Fest. The family’s involvement began through Kolby Parks, a street luger who’s achieved quite a bit of success. Now the whole family helps plan and produce the event: Kolby; his sister, Krisha; their mother, Nancy; and their father, Gary. Krisha says the first thing they needed was a really strong organizing committee. So they called on friends and neighbors who had a background in running events of some sort – including Gary, who had helped organize a local soccer league, among other things. This is a valuable lesson to learn. Networking is essential. It’s crucial to work with folks who have at least some background in organizing and working with politicians. It can definitely smooth things out. The biggest problem, Krisha says, was that only her immediate family had been to a standup race: “The people on our committee didn’t know what it was about. We showed them videos. It took a little while, but once that was taken care of, things went well.” Another hurdle: getting streets shut down. To do so, you are going to have work with the town council. “It took a lot of discussion to smooth everyone’s fears,” says Gary. “We kept repeating to folks that ‘you’re still going to be able to do what you normally do.’” This is probably where smaller towns have
Darrin Niner (left) and Tye Donnelly have planned more than 33 races. They are two of the most hard-working and hospitable folks you'll ever meet. Photo: Michael Brooke
the upper hand when compared to the big city. “We live in a small community and we knew who to ask, so we are very fortunate,” Nancy says. Krisha agrees: “We are very lucky to live where we live because almost everyone knows each other, and there is strong community support for hosting an event like a downhill race.” Contests can become expensive. It’s very easy to lose your shirt. So getting financial contributions is critical for holding a largerscale race. When an event takes place, it’s important to think about the ripple effect. In this crazy economic climate, a longboardrace can bring in some much-needed business. In this crazy economic climate, a longboard race can bring in some much-needed business. Hotels, restaurants and all types of goods and services are purchased by racers and spectators. Make sure you communicate this to the local politicians. “We make an economic impact on a community, and doors open up,” says Marcus Rietema.
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There can be money in places you’d never even consider. Contact your local Chamber of Commerce. You never know what they’ll say. While it would be great to get some cold, hard sponsorship dollars from an energydrink company, the reality is that you’re better off looking locally for sponsorship money. It’s imperative that you bring in advertising support from the local businesses. Krisha agrees. She says that although “the local hardware shop didn’t really benefit because they are not a national corporation ... they are truly a community-minded business and they came out supported it financially.” Speaking of finances, Rietema reminded me that it’s imperative that race organizers create a budget and stick to it. Having a budget helps ensure that you can deliver on expectations – the classic “under-promise and overperform.” The problems arise when you promise the world and then expect it all to fall into place without the hard work. Don’t ever underestimate the power of a small town getting behind a race. Picton had the support of more than 350 volunteers last year. “We went to our local Rotary club to help with traffic control. Local and regional media were helpful,” says Nancy Parks. Another great thing about being in the countryside is that it’s a little easier to access hay bales – or straw bales – to line your course. (“We use straw,” explains Gary. “Hay is feed [grass that animals can eat] ... straw is a byproduct, but it’s not food.”) This is an important item, and it’s crucial that you have a safe race. The Picton events benefited because Gary is a farmer. He borrowed wagons from his neighbors and was able to collect so much straw that the entire course was lined from top to bottom. It also helped that the race was held at an opportune time. In the northern part of North America, the straw crop comes off in August. So September is a good time to host a race.
Placing the bales before the event is only half the battle, however. Remember, they’ve got to be collected after the event. “We had 10 farmers show up with a wagon to collect 2,500 bales of straw in five hours,” recalls Gary. The Parks family also contacted Rietema and brought the IGSA to the Picton event. I asked Marcus if the IGSA should certify all races. “It doesn’t have to work for everyone,” he said. “We brand an event as an IGSA and it guarantees a certain level of participation.” The process to bring in the IGSA is pretty straightforward. An organizer contacts the IGSA and explains what they want to do with their event. “We take a look at their maps and plans and aspirations,” says Rietema. “We just work together through the process.” Having an IGSA official at your race can be helpful. “These people are experienced and have been through a lot,” explains Marcus. “They can shorten the learning curve. Having one of our people can also be helpful prior to the event.” In speaking with Parks family, it was evident that they were methodical in their approach. It took four months to plan their first race, and the results were quite impressive. The registration process was flawless, racers received stellar treatment and they even managed to break even financially. Rietema said their event was absolutely first-rate – quite an endorsement for a first-time race. As to the future of race events, it would appear that small is the new big. Rietema agrees. “We are limiting events,” he says. “The big events have become saturated, and we will need smaller events for people to qualify at the World Cup level.” So if you think your town is too small to host an event, you might be missing the big picture. This might be the perfect time to become friendly with your local farmer and start working out a deal on hay! CW
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