Nord Boards
Posts Tagged ‘longboard’
Spring into Shades!
Greetings from sunny Nor-Cal! Lately we have been lucky enough to have excellent winter shredding weather and so I decided to get out on the hill for the day. While we were hanging out enjoying the sunny weather and hiking the hill I had a great idea for today’s blog: Shades.
Eye protection from the sun has existed around the globe for thousands of years, however shades haven’t always been as stylish and protective as they are today.
Inuit Snow Glasses. Courtesy of Wikipedia.
It is always important to protect your health while out on your board. I mean, boarding for life sounds a lot more attractive than only boarding for a few years right? While our sport has a huge emphasis on safety due mainly to the higher speeds and increased danger of permanent injury, it is easy to forget when we suit up for riding that our eyes need protection too.
Electric BSG Shades in Black/Rasta
Until the next post have fun shredding and keep the stoke!
-CJC
The Bob Marley Series
To celebrate the life and times of one of Reggae’s most influential artists Sector 9 has partnered with the Bob Marley foundation to produce this beautiful 4 deck series made of 100% Bamboo. If you too share the spirit of love and peace that made Bob Marley such a remarkable person then check out this fantastic series today.
The Revolution
| Length: | 40.5" |
| Width: | 9.125" |
| Nose: | 3" |
| Tail: | 5.25" |
| Wheelbase: | 28" |
| #Plys: | 5 |
| Material: | Bamboo |
- Gullwing Charger (10")
- Sector 9 Greaseball ABEC 5
- Sector 9 Nineball 70mm
Not Just for Chicks
Female stars like Drew Barrymore and Paris Hilton have been known to rock Von Zipper sunglasses. You can find models wearing Von Zipper sunglasses in fashion magazines and high end boutiques. With so many females digging their style you might get the impression that Von Zipper only caters to women. The truth is, Von Zipper caters to all people and has an extensive line of men’s sunglasses.
Von Zipper sunglasses come in many styles and colors. The men’s collection includes the classic Absinthe sunglasses in finishes from gloss black to tortoise with bronze lenses. Guys can get cool Ferstein sunglasses or Fulton sunglasses in gold, chrome, white and more. For gentlemen who want to be bold in their sunglass choice, we recommend The Elmore 50 Girls Pink and The Elmore Red Black.
The Dervish’s Little Brother: The Tan Tien
Wow, it’s already January 19th. We’re somewhere between three and four weeks into the new year depending on how you care to measure the time but I can already feel the itch. You know… that itch that only a new board can scratch. Well I chose to go ahead and scratch that itch yesterday with a brand new setup: the Loaded Tan Tien.
Tan_Tien
One of the New Year’s commitments I decided on for 2011 is that sliding is one of the areas I want to concentrate on this year. After much debate with myself (and a few friends) I finally decided to edge into a different style and experiment with something new: Gullwing Sidewinders and Orangatang 70mm 86a (yellow) Stimulus wheels. Now I should probably stress what I mean by “experiment” with something new. In years past I’ve been mainly a downhill kinda guy. Point me to a good hill and I’ll camp it all day right? Well during this past summer I have begun a profound shift in my riding style with a new location: The Park. Riding the concrete wave has become something short of a daily obsession. Carving banks, 50-50 grinds, flatland tricks, and trying to bank slides… These are the techniques I seek to master. However my Loaded Vanguard is beginning to show signs of its age and many of the heinous beatings it has taken over the last year. So this year I am switching it up a bit…
The Tan Tien is essentially the little brother of Loaded’s Dervish, but don’t be fooled: it is a force unto itself. The Dervish is primarily built for downhill carving but can ride just about any terrain and still handle ok. However for the more progressive riders out there who want to utilize it for more than just bombing hills there was a problem: No Tail! Loaded went back to the drawing board and the Tien is what they came up with.
The Tien flex 1 is about 3.5 inches shorter in overall length than the Dervish flex 1 (Dervish length: 41.5 in.; Tien length: 39 in.) and just a bit wider that it’s big brother (Dervish Width: 8.5 in.; Tien Width: 8.75 in.). The wheelbase (from inner-most mount holes) is also about 4.5 inches shorter in length (Dervish Wheelbase: 31.5 in.; Tien Wheelbase: 27 in.) and provides for sharper turns at lower speeds. The most noticeable difference between the two however is the addition of an extra 1 in. to both ‘tails’ and the upturn of each tail that makes them easier to utilize that the Dervish’s tails.
Overall this board rates highly on my list of ‘must haves’. It is not specifically designed as a downhill carver like it’s bigger brother the Dervish, but it’s performance characteristics are similar enough that it can still be ridden as one (just at slower speeds). There are three main advantages that I see to the Tien: Shorter Wheelbase for tighter turns, extra inches in the ‘tails’ for tricks, and removable grip tape so you’ll always be able to stay on-board for those difficult slide tricks.
Like all of Loaded’s products, the Tien is built for performance. From materials to overall shape and function this board is built to ride. For those riders out there looking to have the feel of the Dervish in a more “all terrain” friendly package and with the tricking capabilities of more traditional style boards; The Tien is the answer.
Skate to live, Live to skate.
Thanks for reading!,
Clayton C.
The Many Uses of Bamboo
When most people think of bamboo, they likely conjure up images of adorable pandas satiating themselves in a dense Chinese jungle. While this is certainly one of the uses of the material, bamboo is seeing increased usage in a wide line of consumer products. Since it is the fastest growing plant on earth, people are constantly looking for new ways to utilize the versatile shoots.
Due to its strength and durability, bamboo wood is now being used to create everything from houses to bamboo longboard decks. The fibers from the plant have also become popular in the textile industry, and organic bamboo clothing is constantly increasing in popularity. There is continuous research into the various medicinal and culinary uses of the plant as well.
No Assembly Required
Putting together your first longboard can be a daunting task. Perhaps you’ve only ridden your friends’ boards a few times and have recently decided to take up longboarding as a form of exercise as well as a convenient mode of transportation. In other words, you aren’t especially well-versed in the skateboard lifestyle. So, where to begin?
Rather than piecing together your longboard from scratch, look into the possibility presented by a complete longboard. That way you won’t have to worry about choosing trucks, wheels, bearings and other accessories. This measure also relieves you from the responsibility of assembling all of the parts. As you improve, you might want to begin tinkering with your board’s setup – but that’s something to worry about later, after you’ve gotten the hang of things.
off the wall 2
The off the wall 2 is a great longboard wheter you’re going to work or carving up your local park. the off the wall 2 is an overall great longboard whether you’re a beginner or you tear up concrete like it’s water. the board comes with cutouts for the wheels to eliminate wheelbite or rubbing between the wheels and the board. the board also has a flush mount so the board is closer to the ground to prevent speed wobble and trust me that’s the last thing you want when carving a bowl or bombing a hill.
For full turning effect goes on the Sector 9 off the wall 2 longboard you should buy it with the double pivot sidewinder trucks, these trucks turn on a dime and if you buy it along with the wide sector nine wheels you’ll turn in and out of places you never thought possible!even though this all sounds nice you have to be able to move right? I recommend bones reds they’re the absolute best bearing for the price. However if you’re a little strapped for cash I recommend the sector 9 greaseball bearings.