Nord Boards
Archive for February, 2009
What Longboard Should I Get?
Thinking of getting a longboard?
There are lots of brands and style of longboards. Sector 9 Longboards are some of the most popular on the market and for good reason. They have the largest selection of shapes, styles, sizes and many more options such as fully constructed bamboo longboards. Sector 9 makes longboards from materials such as carbon fiber and fiber glass also. These models tend to have a camber and much more flex and are similar to riding a surfboard. They’re avaliable for purchase as a fully assembled board and also just as a deck. Longboards range in sizes from 24 inches all the way up to 54 inches.
Why a shorter longboard or mini longboard might be good for you:
Mini’s are a great choice for the experienced rider. They are small and compact which allows you to take them on airplanes when traveling or also stash under your desk at work or school. They also have the speed and smooth riding as a larger sized longboard. The shorter wheelbase also allows for super sharp, quick turning abilities. The smaller size of the mini’s do make it a bit more unstable that is why I wouldn’t recommend them for a beginner.
Why a standard sized longboard might be a good choice for you:
There are so many reasons so I’m just going to touch on a few. For beginners they are much easier to balance on and the larger sized deck allows you to get used to the board as there is more room for error on foot placement. They are also great if you are wanting to bomb down hills and also for power slides or any other fancy longboarding trick.
Sector 9 is more than just a longboard company!
Sector 9 Skateboards
Sector 9 is not just a longboarding company, they’re a skateboard company! The mini series of sector 9 is a perfect example of them being more than just a longboard company. A great board from the sector 9 mini series is the Sector 9 Kiwi Mini Longboard. It comes with a standard sized skateboard truck in the gullwing mission. By standard it just means it is the same design as any other skateboard truck such as independent or venture. As to wear more common longboard style trucks use a reverse kingpin style truck. This sector 9 longboard is best paired with a smaller sized wheel from 61mm-65mm in size.
The Sector 9 shorties are gerat for tricks, travel, filming, the car, whatever. They don’t need to be long to cruise and hide easily in the bushes. The Kiwi is Great for airport travel due to its uniquely small size. It is also very quick and rides very smooth. You can do all the same tricks on this board that you can on a standard skateboard. The mini’s are also great at the skateparks!
Von Zipper Dharma Womens Sunglasses
Von Zipper Dharma Womens Sunglasses
There are so many sunglass brands to choose from. I have tried so many different brands and Von Zipper womens sunglasses comes out on the top of the list for me. My favorite style are the Von Zipper Dharma sunglasses. The Von Zipper Dharma womens sunglasses are 70’s inspired with big square shaped lenses. The Von Zipper Dharma comes in many fun colorway’s. There are the Von Zipper Dharma sunglasses duotone white gold with a gradient lens, and the Von Zipper womens sunglasses Dharma black. The Von Zipper Dharma colorway that I like the most is the Dharma yipes black. The Von Zipper Dharma Yipes Black has a gloss black frame with multicolor stripes on the temples of the Von Zipper sunglasses. The Von Zipper Dharma also comes in a tortoise fade with a gradient lens. The Von Zipper Dharma womens sunglasses Tort fade with a gradient lens are my second favorite Von Zipper womens sunglasses. The Von Zipper Dharma sunglasses are very sturdy and will last you a long time. Von Zipper Dharma womens sunglasses will cost you about $90.00 but the Von Zipper Dharma will last so it is well worth the money! All Von Zipper womens sunglasses have 100% UV protection and impact resistant polycarbonate lens. You should go to Boards On Nord and get yourself a pair of the Von Zipper Dharma womens sunglasses, you will love them!
Sector 9 longboards | Sector Nine Longboard Skateboards
Sector 9 Longboards
If you are looking to purchase a longboard make sure to do your research and purchase the correct board. A good company to take a look at is Sector 9. They have been in the longboard industry for almost 2 decades. They make lots of different types of longboards; crusier longboards, racing longboards, down hill longboards, hybrid longboards, slalom longboards, bamboo longboards, longboards made from carbon fiber and are always on the cutting edge of the coolest newest creations.
Sector 9 has longboards for any type of rider, beginner, racer, slalom, or just for crusing type of riders. The quality of their boards really is second to none and are as good of quality as any boards out there. Generally beginners should go for a mid to larger sized board as they are much easy to learn how to ride. A larger longboard offers more room for your feet and is much more sturdy and easy to balance.
Another feature Sector 9 longboards tend to have is flex. A flexible board offers a different type of riding similar to that of surfing and they offer smoother turning. A stiffer style board will offer quicker more responsive turning and will also allow the rider to reach higher speeds without losing control of the board. There is so much to a longboard so make sure to do your research and get the correct board.
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.
A good downhill longboard
The company known as loaded longboards makes high performance down hill longboards, racing style longboards, and dancer style longboards. One of the most popular loaded longboards is the Loaded Vanguard Longboard. The Vanguard is made from 100% bamboo wood which is super strong, lightweight, these lively composite longboards offer the finest ride legally available.
Loaded advanced technologies, innovative design, and a commitment to using only the finest ingredients, has resulted in the evolution of longboard skateboarding. The Loaded Vanguard Bamboo Longboard is Pre-LOADED with concave and convex cambers, and LOADED with the best components available, the Vanguard series represents groundbreaking innovations in skateboard design.
Another Great Down-hill Longboard
Yes it’s true! There is a new release in the sector 9 platinum series longboards. The newest downhill longboard is the 9-Star. Sector 9 Longboards makes a classic down hill longboard called the Sector 9 9-Star Longboard. The longboard has a classic down hill shape and utilizes a some what newer method of top mounting the trucks to allow for a lower center of gravity. A top mount is my preferred method of truck mounting. It is similar to the flush mount only I feel even better as it is a stronger mount and also allows for an even lower riding board. Yep the lower center of gravity is great to prevent speed wobbles. Also a lower center of gravity makes it easier to power slide. This board would be a great one to learn how to power slide especially for a beginner.
I would recommend this board with the 10″ gullwing charger trucks. I would put a flat edged or slalom style wheel on this board. Make sure you go with 69-76mm wheels. The length and wheel base of the board allow for smooth turns even at high speeds. It has a nice stiff deck which is great for a downhill board. This is my favorite board that sector 9 makes right now. It is going to be my next purchase!
The Ultimate, Classic Hill Bombing Longboard
Sector 9 has been making a classic hill bombing longboard for over a decade. That longboard is called the Sector 9 Hills. It was formerly the Bomb Hills. The shape of this sector 9 longboard
allows for very good stability at high speeds when riding down hill. This board is long and super wide. It also have a lot of concave which is great to help you steer and manuver.
This board should be equipped with a good reverse kingpin longboard truck like the Randall R-II 180mm. The sector 9 hills longboard should have a good size wheel from 70-72mm in size. Anything too large in wheel size really just wont work properly as the shape of the board will create wheel bite with too large of a wheel. This longboard is the ultimate, classic down hill longboard from Sector 9.
Down-hill Sector 9 Longboards
Sector 9 makes great down hill longboards. A new, radical shaped and styled down hill longboard that was just recently released is the Kommi. This longboard has a great down hill shape and utilizes the flush mount of the trucks on the longboard deck to allow for a lower center of gravity. What does this mean? Well the sector Kommi longboard can reach higher speeds without the fear of speed wobbles. Also a lower center of gravity allows for very good stability at high speeds when riding down hill.
This board is at its best paired with the gullwing charger trucks at 10-inches wide. This sector 9 longboard should have a good size wheel from 70-75mm. The length and wheel base of the board allow for smooth turns even at high speeds. This longboard has a good amount of concave which adds some stiffness to an already stiff board. This longboard is one of the ultimate down hill longboards from Sector 9.
Other Sector Nine Down Hill Longboards:
Sector 9 Sunset Bamboo Longboard
Sector 9 Hills Longboard
Sector 9 Carbon Spoontail Longboard
Sector 9 Carbon TR3 Longboard
Loaded Down Hill Longboards
Longboards have been becoming more and more popular over the years. Companies like Loaded Longboards, Sector 9 Longboards, and Landyacthz and so many others have been the ones to capitalize on the popularity of the longboard scene.
Loaded Longboards are created fully of 100% bamboo wood. Loaded longboards are usually at top of the down-hill longboard racing scene. Loaded has some of the top longboard racers in the world on their longboard team. Loaded keeps it simple with just 5 different longboards. However they do incorporate something that is different than almost all the other longboard companies. Each board with exception to the newest Loaded Ceviche longboard all have a different flex. The different flex’s are recommended guidelines for a persons weight but do not necessarily mean that you have to ride the board with the weight specified for you. Loaded bamboo longboards flex really just varies the amount of flex the board has from a board that is very flexible to a board that is stiffer. So you really can just choose the flex by wether you prefer a flexible board or a longboard that is more stiff. If you are serious about longboarding make sure to check out Loaded Longboards.