Downhill Dervish

Welcome to Downhill Dervish: Your stop for info on the Rochester longboarding scene.

[downhilldervish]

What's better for sliding and freeride? a shorter board or a longer board? I'm looking to get either the new landyachtz switchblade 36 or 40, and I think I'll be into mostly freeride and sliding. Also I'm looking at getting cloud ride wheels, either the ozones or slides in 80A, I won't be going super fast yet. Cheers! P.S. I've skated for awhile and this is my first longboard.

Generally speaking, the shorter your board is, the easier it’s going to be to turn. That goes for regular turning as well as for turning the board to slide. I’d recommend the 36 for what you’re looking to do as long as you’re comfortable with the foot room. And since you’ve been riding a regular skateboard, that shouldn’t be an issue.

As for the wheels, I’m looking at them, and they’ve both got some advantages.

I think the Ozone is going to be easier to get sliding. It’s got a smaller contact patch, so there’s less wheel touching the road to grind when you turn the board. They’re also center-set, with bearings evenly spaced in the wheel. So the wheel will wear mostly even, no coning. It just detracts from the slidability a bit.

The Slide has a bigger contact patch, but it’s bearings will be side-set, pushed toward the inside of the wheel. That’ll help them loosen up and slide a little easier, but not terribly much. It also means they’re going to cone more than the Ozone would as you ride them because of the way the wheels will press against the road.

From what I’m seeing of the hardware, and what other people are saying online, I’m going to say the Ozone is probably the better choice. Seems like a sounder wheel for freeriding, and it should last you longer than the Slide would.

Good luck with your sliding, man.

[downhilldervish]

I want to start lobgboarding. But I dont know what board I should take. I want to for one point to another with my longboard. I alose want to downhill a bit. But not from big mountains. Learning the peter pan etc.. I want that too. What should I take?

Sorry I took so long getting back to you on this. Tumblr loves to not notify me when I have messages.

You’re looking for a board to get you place to place that can handle some downhill and that can do a little dancing on. Well, that’s not too hard.

Travel can be done with just about any board. And dancing’ pretty much the same way. It’s just that longer boards give you more room to dance, and flexier boards move with you, making it a little easier and more comfortable. So don’t worry about that too much.

Downhill is the only thing you’re looking at with a sort-of specific deck requirement. You’ll want it to be in the mid-to-short range, and fairly stiff so it doesn’t wobble and throw you off when you get up to higher speeds.

So for you, I suggest a longer downhill deck. Around 40” should do with a nose and tail, but not massive ones. And it should be fairly stiff. Just make sure you get a top-mounted deck. That’ll ensure you have the most space possible to dance on.

In terms of hardware, you’re probably going to want a pretty average set-up, which should be what you get with a complete deck. As always, I suggest you buy a complete as your first board.

Keep that stuff in mind when you’re looking around. Find a board you like that matches it roughly and you should be good to go. And maybe get a helmet to go with it when you start to try downhill.

Hope that helps.

[downhilldervish]

Hi, so I'm looking to start longboarding for the first time over the summer but I don't know anything about choosing a board. I know I want to cruise, carve, commute from place to place, and possibly learn how to boardwalk and do some downhill speed riding, but no pop tricks or serious racing. Is there a board style/type that fits what I'm looking for?

For what you’re looking to do, you’re going to want to look for a mid-sized board, somewhere around 40” in length. I’d suggest getting something with a symmetrical cut and a little something in the way of a nose. Speaking from experience, it’s easy to psyche yourself out walking on a pintail or an equivalent shape with the front of the board ending directly above the wheels. Whether the deck’s made of bamboo or hardwood really comes down to if you  want some flex in your ride or if you want it stiff, respectively. Flex might be more comfortable for boardwalking, but if you’re really looking for downhill stuff, you’ll want it stiff as possible.

In terms of hardware, since it’s your first time, I’d suggest just going with a complete board that catches your fancy. The hardware tends to be chosen to accent the board’s strengths, and a lot of sites online, either for stores or company’s individual sites, will tell you what the board is best suited for. That’ll be your best friend when choosing between specific boards.

Just remember, no board is perfect for everything. But if you keep these few tips in mind while you browse, I think you’ll find the right one for you.

[downhilldervish]

That helped a lot! (: Thank you very much!

No problem. Happy to help.

[downhilldervish]

Looser trucks seem to be easier to initiate slides, but tighter trucks seem to give better control over the slide itself, to me.

A valid argument. Like I said, it all comes down to personal preference.

I like having control over my ride, and I’m willing to sacrifice a little ease in starting the slide for it. But I also like carving, so I personally look for a bit of a middle-ground.

For learning to slide, I’d say the control should help with the fundamentals and getting used to the motions. It might be a little harder to start them, but I think it will help in the long run.

I guess when it comes down to it, anyone looking to start sliding should try both loose and tight and stick with what works best for them. Might be the best advice.

[downhilldervish]

Do you know much about arbor boards? There's a koa pintail for sale in my town I'm considering but can't find any reviews on it. (: Thanks

While I can’t say I’ve got any personal experience with them, I scoped them out online and did a bit of research.

As pintails go, this seems like a perfectly nice board. Sturdy maple with a layer of koa (A Hawaiian which was apparently used in the first surfboards) for flair that gives it a nice, different look on top. From what I’m seeing, it’s got a bit of flex to it, which will break in a little more as you skate. Should make the ride nice and comfortable.

All in all, judging solely on the couple reviews I’ve seen and the specs, it seems like a pretty solid choice for a board.

I’d say check it out, see the condition, give it a test ride if you can to see if you like the way it rides, and decide if it’s the board for you. At that point, it’s your call.

Hope this helps you decide.

[downhilldervish]

I'm getting a Sector 9 42" dropper so I can slide better, how tight should my trucks be?

The tightness of your trucks really comes down to personal preference, but a lot of people prefer tighter trucks for sliding. It gives you a tighter, more solid turn when you go into a slide, and it feels more responsive and stable. You won’t be able to carve quite as much, but it shouldn’t be a huge deal for you when you’re sliding.

But again, everyone likes to ride a little different. To figure out exactly where you should be, I suggest riding them on the tighter side, giving your sliding a shot, and loosening them up a little at a time until you find your own personal perfect zone of comfort. That should get you where you want to be.

Hope that helps, man.

[downhilldervish]

When getting wheels for sliding what should I look for (brand, mm, a) ? also I'm considering getting a new deck for slide purposes. I have a 43" Kaguya Globe board but was wondering if the gemicon 38.5 would be a better board. Last question lol should I get new trucks as well or just use the ones I have on my 43" Kaguya?

If you’re looking for sliding wheels, I have to recommend Flashies. Pretty much everyone I know that slides loves them. They’re pretty affordable, and they get the job done. If you’re looking for other options, you want hard wheels (around 83a should do) and you shouldn’t get much bigger than 70mm. Bigger the wheel, the harder it is to turn to slide.

As for the decks, it really comes down to your preference. I’ve seen guys slide tiny decks and guys slide dancers. If you’re comfortable on the Kaguya, I’d stay stick with it, but if you’re in the market for a new board for your quiver anyway and you like the Geminon, that’s not a bad option either.

Now, I haven’t ridden either of these decks, but I’d say that if the Kaguya is really flexy (And it very well might be, seeing as it’s bamboo.), then that might hinder your stability while you slide and bounce you a little. Just something to keep in mind.

For your last question, I would say yes. Get new hardware if you’ve got the cash. Personally, I’d like to have trucks for each of my decks ready and attached so I don’t have to take things apart to switch it up, and you can’t guarantee one set of trucks will work as well on another board. Especially since the Geminon’s a drop-through.

Plus it’s nice to know you’ve got a set-up made to fit each of your boards. And the Geminon complete I’m seeing looks like it comes with a pretty decent set-up for sliding. Better to play it safe and just get the new hardware with it.

Hope that helps, man.

[downhilldervish]

A Beginner's Guide to Longboarding, Part 9

Photo Credit: Mike Poresky on Flickr

Welcome to the final installation of my Beginner's Guide to Longboarding.

It's been a good run, but there's only so much I can talk about here. If you're new to the guide, check out the first post here.

Last week, we talked about actually getting started skating. And this week, we'll get into honing a style in your riding.

Naturally, each style is going to want to get started in its own way.

If you're going for downhill, you're going to want to find hills near you and start riding them. Start off small, get used to the feel of being pulled downward. Make sure that you're comfortable with the speed and your board isn't shaking or bouncing in any way as you ride.

When you're comfortable with that, find a steeper hill, then steeper. There will probably come a point where you'll need to travel to find big hills to ride, but that shouldn't be a problem for too long.

The other thing to work on is sliding. Sliding will be crucial if you intend to ride anything other than absolutely straight hills. Now, I'm not expert at sliding myself, but I find that the best way to start is to watch a tutorial or two online, find a hill with a moderate incline and just give it a whirl.

Once you've got that slide down comfortably, try it out on bigger hills. Then maybe bigger. Or try out other slides. There's a variety of different ways to do it. Experiment. See what you enjoy.

Now, if you're looking to be more of a dancer, you've got less to worry about geographically. I'd suggest finding a nice, long skateable path, maybe one that's slightly downhill so you don't have to kick as much. From there, it's all you.

Find tutorials online (I recommend some of Adam Colton's for starting out) and try them out, or just wing it. Dancing's all about being fluid, and repetitive as it is to say, dancing. Walk around on your board, try things out. Show off. You're going for style above all else here.

For those of you who are looking to get your board off the ground, I suggest something similar to the dancers. But you don't need quite as long a stretch to work with. I suggest empty parking lots or similar places where you've got room to goof around. If there's a curb with a ramp you can get onto and skate off of, all the better.

Once you find a spot like that, same as everyone else. Either find someone you know who skates or find tutorials online, find something you want to try and try it. Grabs, shuv-its, manuals, there are all sorts of things you can do. And hell, don't be afraid to throw in some dance moves if you want to spice it up a little between tricks.

And above all else, for everyone, practice. Everyone starts out where you are. You want to get good, you have to practice. A little cross-stepping on your way to class, or a full-scale session when you've got some free time. Whenever you're skating, throw things in, try things out. Don't be afraid to mess up. It happens to the best of us.

So that's it for the Guide, ladies and gents. Hope you enjoyed it and I hope it helped you out. I'm more than happy to write up some more specific posts if people want them. Just send a message my way. Ask, comment, suggest, argue. If any of my posting or longboarding in general makes you want to say anything, then say it. I'll do what I can to solve problems, help you out, or whatever.

Take it easy, folks. Summer's practically here. Enjoy your skating.

[downhilldervish]

Local Profile: Andrew Goodsell

Experimenting with video now. Yay.

Back when I started this blog, I intended to have profiles of local longboarders. It didn't end up working that way for a while, but hey. Here we are. Giving it a shot.

I'm no master of video, that's for sure. But I think it came out well enough. Apologies in advance for the shaky-cam action. If I do this more in the future, I'll try to have steadier hands.

Enjoy.

[downhilldervish]

Sup dude, been reading your beginners guide to longboarding since the beginning and its pretty cool, well put together, so well done ... But i wondering if you could help me with some advice :) So im trying to land a 180, in the chance that my board is facing the wrong way and i wanna 180 it to turn it the right way ... Ive been managing to get the board to turn, but cant seem to stay on XD any help would be appreciated :)

Glad you like the guide, man. I do my best.

As for the 180, the best advice I can really offer is practice. Just try it over and over until it starts to click for you.

But while you’re doing it, look at what you’re doing and where things seem to be going wrong. Are your feet landing quite like they should? Are you putting too much force into swinging the board? Maybe getting some rebound on your landing? Are you just losing your balance somewhere in the between and that’s screwing up your finish?

I can’t really say what might be going wrong without actually seeing you try it. But I know that I have a tendency to move around too much when I try to 180 and it throws off my balance.

Don’t know if any of these things are what’s stopping you specifically, but they’re ideas. Like I said, keep trying, and try to pay attention to yourself and how you move when you do a 180. Figure out what’s messing you up and work to fix it.

Best advice I can give you. Hope it helps.

[downhilldervish]

my back right wheel is making a weird noise and I was wondering if that meant I should get some new bearings?

This really depends on what kind of noise the wheel’s making.

If you can, get the bearings off and spin them alone. If not, just spin the wheel and listen closely.

If the noise is a sort of hissing or rattling sound, then you need to clean your bearings. And if that’s the case, I’ll redirect you to this post detailing how to do that. Cleaning them should do the trick, supposing the inside of your bearings aren’t rusty.

If it’s a different noise, then it’s hard to say. I’d have to actually hear the noise to really guess at it.

Hope that helps and you figure things out, man.

[downhilldervish]

A Beginner's Guide to Longboarding, Part 8

Photo Credit: Rob Cruickshank on Flickr

Welcome to part 8 of my Beginner's Guide to Longboarding.

If you're interested, it all starts here.

We've finally covered all the posts of hardware, equipment, board parts. Everything. No more "This is a part, and this is why you need this kind."

We're finally getting into actually riding. Now, this part falls a lot on you and where you are. If you're in a very hilly area, you're going to have a lot to work with for downhill. Whereas, if you're relatively flat, you've got to do some research and find places to check out. Stuff like that.

That said, when you're first starting out, there are a few universal tips I'd offer.

First of which, start somewhere mostly empty. Longboards can turn and avoid people  and obstacles like no one's business. But that's no good to you if you aren't used to riding and turning yet. So find a big open lot, or an empty street and just cruise around. Get used to balancing on your board while it's moving and pushing, then get used to turning and braking. Get the basic mechanics down.

If you're a college student, I suggest cruising around the campus at night. That's how I started. Your mileage may vary depending on how traffic-heavy your campus is. You're hard to see in the dark. Don't forget that.

Once you've got the basics down, (This takes a different amount of time for each person. The more you ride, the faster you learn) then you can start experimenting. Try out some small hills, get a feel for how your ride changes when you're riding on an incline, get used to turning at speed. Ride around people and get used to navigating crowds if you intend to ride anywhere with people during the day.

Most importantly, get comfortable. If you're not comfortable riding your own board, you're probably not having fun. And if you're not having fun, you're doing something wrong.

By this point, you should be comfortable with most typical riding. Cruisers will be fine from this point. They should be ready to ride to class, the store, or just around. Wherever they're heading.

For everyone else, now's when you start to get into your own style stuff. Look up videos of people riding in ways you like, and watch what they do. Look carefully at how they move their feet and their body, and when you're riding, try to emulate it. If you can find videos teaching you tricks, slides, or dance moves you like, even better.

The best advice I can give here without specifying for styles (Which I'll do in the next, and probably last that I can think of, Beginner's Guide post) is to start simple. Don't get frustrated if you're not riding like a pro day 1. Start with simpler tricks, movements, or whatever you're doing. Get those down, then work your way up. Everyone starts somewhere, and no one is perfect from the start. Persevere, keep trying, and you'll be riding like a master in no time.

That's it for this week. Next week, I'll offer some advice on getting started on each style of skating. Until then, throw messages, questions, comments, suggestions, whatever my way. If there's something you want to see on here, let me know, and I'll make it happen.

Next post is up. Go go go.

[downhilldervish]

A Beginner's Guide to Longboarding, Part 7

Welcome to part 7 of my Beginner's Guide to Longboarding, which I accidentally posted on the wrong blog at first. Whoops.

For those who are new and interested, here's a link to the first part.

Last week concluded the series of posts on longboard parts. It took a lot longer than I expected, but now we're moving on. This week, we'll take a quick look at a few other pieces of equipment you might want to invest in.

Photo Credit: Sandra D. on Flickr

First up is helmets. Helmets are always a pretty divisive topic with skaters. You've got the vehement "always wear a helmet no matter what" guys, and you've got the equally stubborn "Helmets are stupid. I'll never wear one" crew.

When it comes down to it, a helmet protects your head. If you're doing much in the way of tricks, slides, anything that risks throwing you off your board, a helmet is a good idea. And if you're doing downhill, it's practically a requirement. Some riders even go for a full-face helmet for this stuff. They're a bit more expensive, but your head will thank you if you slip up and bounce it off something.

I'm not going to push anyone to do anything, but I do recommend a helmet if you're doing more than just cruising. Nothing sways opinions on this quite like slamming your head into concrete. I speak from personal experience.

Some people also like pads. Knees, elbows, all that stuff. That's really up to you. I find that sturdy clothing is enough for my day to day riding, but they certainly wouldn't be a bad idea if you're doing downhill, or if you fall or risk falling with any regularity.

Next up, slide gloves. Gloves with pucks in the palms, and sometimes on the fingers, that let you slide your hands across the ground without destroying them, and control your movement better while sliding. They also keep your hands safer on a fall.

These are a necessity if you're sliding, and they don't hurt for other tricking where you can fall. Pavement tears up your skin like no one's business, and nothing ruins a session quite like bloody palms.

Next: Skate tools. Something like this. Under ten bucks and covers any tool you might need taking your board apart and putting it back together. Everyone should have one.

Also bearing cleaning kits. You can buy one of these for around $15, but it's cheaper and just as efficient to make one following a guide. Check out this video for a look at store-bought ones, and how to make your own.

That about covers the "essentials". Otherwise, you could look into a land paddle if that seems up your alley. Or maybe a strap. Some folks are working on different ways to carry longboards on their backs when they're not riding. I haven't done much research on it, but if that idea appeals to you, there are efforts being made around the web. Give it a look.

That's all for now. Like always, if you have any questions, comments, suggestions for posts you'd like to see, or anything really, let me know. I love hearing from you guys, and helping out when I can.

The next post is here.

[downhilldervish]

Cookie Cup 2013

Admittedly pretty terrible phone photo credit: Jake VanWormer

So this past weekend was the Cookie Cup, a local longboarding event put on by Jared Umlas, an RIT student, for the past few years.

It's pretty straight forward. Jared asks companies to send him cookies, and they oblige. And they usually send even more stuff with them. Then people come by, skate with friends for a few hours, eat some cookies, and maybe come away with some free swag to show for it.

Sponsors this year included Loaded, Orangatang, Original, and the local companies Enraged Panda and Animals with Hats.

The Enraged Panda guys were there skating around and helping out, and the Animals with Hats guys were there selling shirts.

The Cup started around 1 with casual skating and warm-ups. Not long after, the first event started. The hippy jump contest.

Now, the whole event is pretty laid back. So there were no specific measurements or records taken, and I have none to recite back to you.

But what I can tell you is that the winner of the hippy jump made it over a bar held at around nipple height on good sized guys. And before that, several more cleared a bar held at around the bottom of their ribs.

After the hippy jump, there was another interlude of skating to skate, and then began the longest manual event. Again, no specifics, but I'd put the winner (who won with his first manual, the first of the whole event) at around 100 feet. That's my estimate, mind you. And it could be off.

Next up was a bracketed tournament of SKATE. Now, for any unaware, SKATE is like HORSE, that basketball game they make you play in gym where you have to match your opponent shot for shot or slowly gain letters until you get HORSE and lose. Same principal, but you're doing tricks on a skateboard or longboard.

Now, as a man that prefers dancing to aerial tricks or sliding, it went about as well for me as you'd expect. I gave my opponent a respectable S and took my loss with grace.

After that, there was a raffle. Sadly, Loaded's package didn't arrive on time, but Original sent cookies, along with posters, shirts, some scented slide glove pucks, a Drop Freeride 41, and a mountain of stickers.

A little later, we finished off the day with a push race around a portion of the RIT campus.

Winners of each event got a t-shirt and a box of Cookie Crisp with a discount code for 30% off one of Enraged Panda's decks.

It was a fun day had by all. I can't wait for next year's.

To see some footage from the event, check out this video posted by Enraged Panda.

[downhilldervish]

hey! i'm looking into buying a longboard for when i move to LA for school next year and i really like the sector 9 bamboo lennox 38" but i was wondering your opinion on it. i'd like a pretty stable ride over cracks and stuff that's cheap and has a pintail (i just like it better). i don't plan on doing much other than commuting to class with it, but do you think it's good? could/should i change wheels to bigger ones? would that be more stable?

For what you're looking for, that's a pretty well-priced board that should suit you just fine. Bigger wheels couldn't hurt, and from what I've heard, Sector 9's Nineballs aren't the best wheels around. And they're discouraged for skater looking to slide, or do any sort of aerial anything. But if you're just using it for travel, they should be alright.

Still, if you're paranoid, and looking for a smoother ride, and you're not afraid to break from that pre-built and put a few pieces together, I'd suggest some comparable Flashies or something else. There are a number of similar options in the same price range as the 9balls you'd be getting standard. 70mm would be a nice diameter if you want a bit bigger wheels, and they shouldn't give you any trouble with wheel bite.

Rest of the hardware should do the trick for you if you want to just grab the same parts. Or you can check out other companies for similar parts. I'd just keep an eye on the deck, since they seem to be in low supply everywhere online I'm looking. Might want to grab it now if you're certain it's the one you want.

Hope that's helpful. And let me know if you have any other questions.

[downhilldervish]

A Beginner's Guide to Longboarding, Part 6

Welcome to Part 6 of my Beginner's Guide to Longboarding.

Those who are new and interested, you can find the beginning of the guide right here.

It's been a good five weeks and we're coming up on the end now. I admit when I started this, I expected it to be three or four posts altogether. It went a little beyond that.

We've covered history, how people ride, how to hand-pick all the most important elements of your board. There are just a few more posts to be made.

And the first of those is dealing with the various other bits and bobs. The nuts and bolts. Or, more accurately, the bearings and bushings.

Photo Credit: jonboy mitchell on Flickr

Bearings are what you put in the holes in your wheels that connect the wheels to the trucks. They come in two main varieties. Steel, and ceramic.

Steel bearings are cheap. You can get a decent set (8 bearings, 4 per wheel) for all your wheels for around $10. They do the job, and they'll outlast your wheels if you take care of them.

Ceramics are much pricier. They'll run you anywhere from $40 to over $100. The main difference is that the balls inside the bearing that let it work are made of ceramic, rather than steel. Thanks to this, the balls can't rust, and they won't get as hot. And a cooler bearing means less wear on your core.

Now, I usually prefer to make suggestions, rather than flat-out say "Do this." but in this case, I'll break that rule. Unless you're not concerned about money, and I mean not at all, get metal bearings. Ceramics only ride a little better, and with well-maintained metal bearings, you'll never notice the difference.

As for taking care of your bearings, I'll direct you to a post I wrote answering someone else's question on the topic.

Now, then. Bushings. Bushings could be considered a part of your trucks. So buying a board for the first time, you probably won't have to worry about them. But it wouldn't be the first time I'd seen someone buy new trucks and find out their bushings are crap after just a week or two.

Bushings, by the way, are urethane pieces inside the trucks that cushion the inside bits and keep you from turning too hard or too quick. They come in many different shapes and sizes that I'm admittedly not prepared to explain. So for that, I'll link you to this handy visual guide.

That will go over what bushings do, and roughly how they affect a ride. It should just about cover what you need to know to pick some if and when the need arises, or if you feel like experimenting with them.

That's all for this week. Nice to have another post on parts not need to roll over into its own multi-post section of this guide.

As always, let me know if you have any questions, concerns, comments or suggestions. I'll be happy to get back to you and do whatever I can to help.

Next post is live.