Nord Boards
Archive for May, 2009
Sector 9 Pipeline Longboard Review
The true carving longboard in the sector 9 bamboo longboard lineup is the pipeline board. This longboard is a pintail shape with a “W” concave and a slight camber that allows for a medium amount of flex. The pipeline has a 34.5-inch wheelbase which allows for smooth, flowing turns. The 100% bamboo wood deck is a great match for this board as the flex makes the carving so much more smooth and controlled. This longboard truly is a cadillac of the sector 9 longboards. The deck is super wide at 10-inches and nearly 4-foot long which creates a very stable ride that is perfect for a beginner and allows the advanced rider to be even more aggressive in and out of turns. This is a great board for any rider and is highly recommended.
The sector 9 pipeline longboard is one of the most popular for several reasons the shape and size and the highly popular bamboo wood. This longboard should be set up with a nice 70mm sized wheel to allow for smooth riding and optimal speed. If you want to take advantage of the smooth carving turns set it up with some gullwing charger trucks as they make for smooth stable carves and are made from high quality materials. An abec 5 or higher rated bearing will work just fine with this board you really don’t need to pay too much extra for a high grade bearing as the board and trucks and wheels will make for an amazing ride!
Sector 9 Carbon Spoontail Longboard Review
The newest edition to the sector 9 platinum series longboards is the Carbon Spoontail. It is a higher end high performance longboard that many use for down-hill carving and is great for high speeds. What they did with this board was take the older version carbon trylam longboard and add a little length with a bit more of a kick-tail and added just a small width. The biggest improvement or change on the carbon spoontail was the wheelbase. Even though the board is a bit longer they shortened the wheelbase by about 3 inches which is a substantial about with the extra length on the board. What this does is allow for better turning. It will allow you to make hard sharper turns in tight spots and corners. It made for such a more responsive board and in my opinon is highly improved.
This board should be paired up with the 10-inch gullwing charger trucks as the sector 9 carbon spoontail longboard was designed for this style of truck which is great for carving and downhill riding. I would also recommend a carving style longboard wheel like the 72mm sector 9 wheels or the 74mm longboard wheels as they create friction against the ground to allow for tighter harder carves. I would recommend a good abec 7 or higher rated bearing for this longboard to allow for lots of speed!
Sector 9 Wings Longboard Review
The smallest longboard in the sector 9 platinum series if the sector 9 wings longboard. This little mini board is a lot of fun and is great for cruising and can turn on a dime. It has a short wheelbase of only 20.75-inches long which creates fast, sharp, hard turns. The board is super light weight as it is small and uses aspen and mahogany wood instead of the normal maple wood. The deck is vertically laminated and wrapped in fiberglass to give it extra strength and a good amount of flex. The length is 31.8-inches long which is the same length as a standard skateboard and it is 8.125-inches wide which is also comparable to regular sized skateboard. The best thing about this longboard is that it is small but still rides like a longboard with the speed and turning abilities. It is a great board for any type of rider!
The sector 9 wings longboard can be paired up with almost any type of truck. If you are looking for good carving and turning abilities you will want to pair it up with the 9″ gullwing charger trucks as they give a nice wide stance to the board and allow for great stability and good turns without wheel bite. I would recommened a medium sized 64-65mm sized wheel which will allow for a fast and smooth ride without putting too much pad under the trucks which creates a higher center of gravity and takes away stability. Just about any bearing will do just fine on this board, I would keep it simple with a standard abec 5 bearing.
Sector 9 Slalom Longboard
If you are looking for the hardest carving sector 9 longboard well look no further than the off the wall 2 longboard in the sidewinder series. This board is just under 34-inches long and 8.25-inches wide. It has the shortest wheelbase of all the sidewinder series boards which allows for the sharpest turning capability. Not to mention it also uses the sidewinder trucks from gullwing which has 2 pivot points to allow for the newest technology in the longboard industry. Sector 9 uses a flush-mount system with this truck which allows for a lower center of gravity to make up for the higher standing sidewinder trucks. This longboard was designed for hard carves and a good amount of speed. It is the ultimate slalom style longboard!
The best setup for the sector 9 off the wall 2 longboard is obviously the gullwing sidewinder trucks. You also want a slalom style longboard wheel which has a flat edge and allows for lots of friction to help you get those hard carving turns. I would recommend the 69mm sector 9 slalom wheels. You could also get the 72mm or 74mm sector 9 wheels as they also have a slalom shape and would do just fine on this board. A good abec 7 or higher rated bearing is also recommended for this board to get the most spin on the wheels as this is a high performing longboard!
Longboarding Versus Skateboarding
In the world of skateboarding, it’s common to hear the word longboard thrown around. But without having any experience with skateboarding, this can be a meaningless term. For skate enthusiasts, however, a longboard is basically a skateboard that boasts a longer shape. Sometimes, it is also wider than a standard skateboard. The act of skating on a longboard is known as longboarding. This is typically done downhill on concrete.
Compared to the skateboard, the longboard is generally bulkier. This means tricks are more difficult to accomplish. Longboards, however, are based on the surfing longboard, and as such, riding on a long skateboard is often associated with riding waves. Longboarding emerged as a popular pastime in the 1950s along with the surfing culture. It has had a revival in popularity with the emergence of well known skating figures such as Tony Hawk.