WORDS & PHOTOS Jake Grove
Welcome to our February, 2017 edition of Tried & True. Via this new monthly product feature, we are excited to showcase some new, classic, innovative, and top quality skate gear that we’ve tried ourselves and found to be true to quality skateboarding experiences. Sit back, relax, and check out some of our favorite skate goods for this February:
Pantheon “Trip” Push Board
The Pantheon Trip deck is a compact push board ideal for commuting, long distance pushing, and comfortable cruising in general—it is also a quite capable freeride board. The Trip comes in a 7-ply & 8-ply option, and has a 32.3″ length, 9″ width, and 26.5-27.3″ wheelbase giving it a very low, stable yet compact ride. The double drop given by the drop-through mounting as well as the 1″ pressed drop provides a super low riding platform, with the combination of it’s capability of fitting much larger soft wheels adds up to a board with effortless and comfortable pushing. This deck provides very little flex when pushing with the foot near the drop/trucks, yet it does have a slight and comfortable flex when your foot is weighted in the middle of the platform providing a lively and springy roll.
The Trip is an ideal board for multiple pushing applications as mentioned above, as it’s 32.3″ length makes it nimble and able to fit in trunks, lockers, and many other tight spaces it is also a very portable design overall. That said, nearly the whole board is a usable riding platform, so the shorter size doesn’t feel limiting whatsoever. The board comes at a very affordable price point too for such a multi-use longboard. We recommend it for the pusher who want to log efficient and comfortable miles of riding, kick after kick after kick.
We recommend giving the Trip a try with some 150mm/9″ reverse kingpin trucks and a larger 78-83a wheel around 70-75mm for pushing, or 65-70mm for freeride and other such pursuits. Take the Trip for a rip, it won’t dissapoint.
Check out more from Pantheon Here!
The Friend Ship “Retirement Dog” Deck
The Friend Ship Retirement Dog deck is a 7-ply directional deck with an interesting, art-doggy graphic design. This board comes in at 31.875″ long, 8.75″ wide, and with a 14.5″ wheelbase. The 6.75″ nose and 6.25″ tail offer plenty of pop and ample comfort overall, and the moderately wide deck platform provides plenty of room for all-around pool, transition, and street shralping.
We’ll let the board’s slogan speak for itself: “All dogs go to heaven, but they end up in a home first”. The retired dog graphic is a creation of artist Cara Corder, and adds a stylish touch and homage to the time-tested and comfortable directional shaping of this throw-back board built for playful fun.
We recommend this Retirement Dog for all-around skating of any type, and suggest setting it up with a standard 8.5″ truck, and some 50-60mm 101a wheels for park, tranny, and classic street applications; or a softer 90a wheel for all around cruising & crusting.
Check out more from The Friend Ship Here!
Blood Orange “Morgan Pro Series” Wheels
These freeride oriented wheels by Blood Orange are the Liam Morgan Pro Series wheel, and are made to go fast, slide far, and legend has it also enhance your switch stance downhill game. The Morgan Pro Series wheels come in a 60mm, 65mm, and 70mm version, and in an 80a, 82a, or 84a durometer option. We have been riding a set of 70mm 82a Morgans pictured above, and have found them to be a solid wheel for all varieties of freeriding and provide a very consistent and smooth slide overall and on a range of differing pavement. The offset core placement, 46.25mm width, 32mm contact patch and rounded lip profile combine to make for a ready to go slide wheel. These are some of our favorite wheels for faster freeride, with their near effortless yet controlled slides, and we recommend them to anyone and everyone looking to break a little traction and leave some healthy amounts of thane lines.
Grab a set of 70mm Blood Oranges Morgan Pro Series for a topmount and go fast, a set of 65’s and slide far, or even snatch a set of 60’s for a street/cruiser board and roll over everything the cityscape has to offer—there really are endless combinations of riding with the Morgan Pro Series!
Check them out here!
Bones “Caballero” Wheels
The Steve Caballero Pro Wheels by Bones are a part of the timeless Bones SPF collection and come in at 54mm and 58mm, an 84B durometer, and with a clear red pour. We’ve been riding Bones SPF wheels for years, and the Caballeros, along with the rest of the SPF collection, don’t disappoint. The high quality urethane is proven to resist flatspotting while maintaining a fast roll speed. These SPF’s provide a great sense of grip as well as slide on both slick and rough transition surfaces, and last longer than many other wheels we’ve tried.
We recommend these Cab Dragon wheels for all varieties of transition riding, and have found them to be a perfect wheel for the pool and bowl rider looking for smooth roll, long wheel life, and decent amount of grip.
Check out the Caballero wheels Here!
Reds Race Bearings
The Bones Race Reds bearing are one of the newest addition to the Bones Reds Bearing collection, and provides a downhill/precision oriented build and all based off of the Reds long history of trusted quality and design. These bearings are built with top quality steel, precision cut, and polished to keep everything rolling freely on the hill or in the park. With their built-in spacer design, the alignment of these bearings are more snug and precise than traditional bearings, and the extended race eliminates the need for speed rings.
These bearings are simple yet precise and offer a trusted option for racers and riders of all types looking to make their set ups super dialed in. We recommend these bearings for anyone looking for a more precise setup, and we trust them for critical, high speed situations.
Check out more from Bones Here!
Skeleton Key MFG. Copers
These Skeleton Key MFG Copers bring back skateboarding’s pvc sliding. Simply slap them on your trucks and easily grind any crusty coping or curbs. These limited handmade pvc copers are 5.25″ long, and fit most trucks from 149-169mm. These aren’t something techy or new so we won’t go into deep details on them, but basically they are a super fun accesory from the roots of pool, ditch, and curb shredding. If you’ve never grinded on a set of copers, then what are you waiting for?! Snatch a set of these bad boys ASAP, slap ’em on your trucks, and grind anything and everything in your path with a stealthy quiet only plastic can provide. Made by Skeleton Key MFG, a skater for skaters brand, we’re stoked that these dudes are making these copers so today’s skaters can put some classic fun back in the session.
Check out more from Skeleton Key Here!
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Thanks again for tuning in to our February, 2017 edition of Tried & True! Be sure to check back next month for another collection and fresh skate related products!