Nord Boards
Archive for the ‘Downhill Longboard’ Category
Ladyachtz Evo longboard review
Hey everyone, I’m finally back from hitting the books and apparently we have some new longboards in. The Ladyachtz Evo longboard is an all out racing board, rumor has it that it’s won more racing competitions in the last 3 years than any other board, and has been the choice for 3 world championships. The great thing about the Evo longboard is the 2″ dropped platform that keeps you low to ground for a lower center of gravity, which will send you zipping down hills. Now, although the Evo was built with racing in mind, these boards have become a staple in today’s cruising, with its stability and speed. I recommend the Ladyachtz Evo to anyone looking for a super speedy, and extremely stable board.
Now, the Ladyachtz doesn’t get it’s speed and stability from just the deck itself, it’s some quality accessories to go with it. If you have racing in mind I definitely recommend going for some gullwing bombers or chargers, however if you want to just cruise around I suggest getting some gullwing sidewinders instead. As for wheels, sector 9 puts out a really good wheel for the price, however if you really want to tear through town or down hills I recommend getting orangatang wheels . The Ladyachtz also can’t zip through town without a good set of bearings. For bearings I recommend getting either reds, rushs, or greaseballs, but if you want a better quality for a little more money I suggest bones swiss or sector 9 ceramics.
Landyachtz Evo Best Set-Up
The evo is an amazing all around board. The landyachtz evo longboard was designed with racing in mind. It has the perfect shape, weight, and design and that is why this board wins more races than any other longboard. It is not just a racing board though. The evo is amazing for downhill freeriding, it offers tons of control with its drop down platform. It is super stable and carves great. The lowest performance rating for the evo is the cruise rating which to be honest with you I would give it a 10 for a cruise. It is fast and can get you where you want to go super quickly and without sketchiness.
I like to set the evo up with some 852 bear grizzly trucks for a freeriding downhill board that offers tons of stability. My favorite wheel on the evo is the orangatang durian 75mm in yellow which is a super fun wheel that allows for some good carves but can break free and allow for some super smooth slides, just like being at the water parks on a hot summer day.
Landyachtz Drop Carve Longboard Review
Landyachtz Drop Carve Longboard
The drop carves got more flex than Jean Claude Van Damm. The type of forgiving flex that makes for a smooth flowing carve like a cascading water-fall. This board is thicker than the dervish which gives it a snappier rebound and allows you to really carve down the mountain with control and aggression. The drop carve has a super mellow concave that helps lock your feet into place for extra control. It was designed to be light weight and is easy to carry around if it was to be used for a campus commuter. The drop thru design lets you loosen up the trucks a little and get squirrly.
The drop carve is made from 100% bamboo wood. The length is 39.25″ with a nice wide deck that comes in at 9.75″ wide which is perfect for 10″ or 180mm trucks and a nice fat wheel like some hawgs or orangatang in-heats. It has a 30.25″ wheelbase which creates a nice smooth carve but is short enough to get around tight corners.
I would set this board up with some grizzly 852s in black with some red hawg monster wheels and a super fast bones swiss bearing.
Sector 9 Longboard Wheels
Longboard wheels are a popular item these days. With the growing popularity of longboarding, good longboard wheels are becoming easier to find. Sector 9 offers a wide variety of wheels for all different types of riding. The have the smaller 54mm-60mm sized wheels that are great for your regular skate such as the deep end series sector 9 boards and for hitting up the parks that come in a range of durometer from 78a(soft) to 101a(very hard).
They also have the highly popular cruise style wheels from 61mm to 81mm in size. For your mini longboards you probably want something in the 61mm to 65mm size as they will offer a nice smooth ride and still allow the board to turn without wheel bite. The most popular size of wheel has to be the 70mm size wheel it is a great wheel for speed and also offers a smooth ride over most surfaces.
Another style wheel sector 9 makes is a carving or slalom style wheel which are highly recommended if you are using gullwing sidewinder trucks. They have a 69mm size, 72mm size, and 74mm size. Personally I prefer the 74m sector 9 wheels over any of the nineball, slalom, or top shelf style sector 9 wheels.
The newest addition to the sector 9 longboard wheels are the race formula wheels, out for a little over a year now they are made with a top of the line high quality urethane. They are available in 69mm to 81mm sizes in both cruise style and slalom or carving style wheels. Make sure to check these wheels out as they are many down hill riders favorites.
New Spring 2010 Sector 9 Longboards
Yes, it is finally time! The spring 2010 sector 9 longboards are just about ready to hit the shelves. This week the new version of the sand wedge with a new graphic will be hitting the shops for the first time. In total there are 7 new changes being made to the boards. It seems the carbon tr3 is no longer going to be around as they are adding a new carbon fiber board called the carbon decay which is similar to the carbonite just a lot smaller at only 37.7″ long and 9.2″ wide. It is going to be a great little board that will manuver super tight and is light weight, highly recommended for college students looking to get to class. The small size of the carbon decay will also allow for easy stash under your desk or strapped to your skate-pack.
Recommended set up for the carbon decay:
I would set it up with a nice wide truck for added stability such as the 10″ gullwing chargers or even some 180mm randal trucks. A nice smooth abec 7 bearing such as the sector 9 cosmic bearings would be a perfect fit or this little speed board. I would set it up with a slalom/carving style wheel such as the orangatang in-heats in either orange or purple. I would go with the orange wheels for a rougher surface or the purple if the riding surface is somewhat smooth. This board is available in 3 differnt colors; yellow, green, blue.
The Heart Of An Adventurer
My son is such a thrill-seeker and he really loves pushing himself to the limit. He has practically tried virtually all of the daring rides, stunts and other outdoor adventures that he finds exhilarating. Some of them are bungee jumping, paragliding, mountain climbing, parachuting, deep-sea diving, and cross-country cycling.
Last Holiday season, I was really having a hard time figuring out what present to give him. I really wanted to get him something that he will really be thrilled to have. He has been skateboarding for years and has several different boards that he uses. I decided to get him something a little different, so I bought him a downhill longboard. My son loves the screeching speed and turning precision that the board provides.
Dervish Loaded Longboard
One of the most popular high performance all around longboards from Loaded Longboards is called the Loaded Dervish Longboard. The Derivhs has a lower center of gravity and a torsionally stiff design, the Loaded Dervish Bamboo longboard is built to hold an edge and maximize energy return.
The Loaded dervish longboard has a drop-thru carver designed to work with most reverse kingpin geometry trucks and 70mm+ wheels. The dervish a small nose and tail for manual and shovit tricks.
The construction of the loaded dervish longboard:
Epoxy and Tri-axle fiberglass sandwich a vert-lam Bamboo core, pressed into concave and convex cambers for liveliness, responsiveness and high energy potential.
The Dervish is available in two flexes:
Flex 1: 170 lb - 230 lbs
Flex 2: 100 lb - 180 lbs
Keep in mind that a softer flex pattern will give you more control and tighter turns at a wide range of speeds, but tend to lose stability slightly at higher speeds. Stiffer flex means more energy potential and more stability at higher speeds, but will not be as forgiving and lively when cruising.