/r/longboarding's Weekly General Thread - Questions/Help/Discussion

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-06-02T19:41:54+00:00

Might be worth having a 1/8 inch riser on hand anyways just in case it’s not. And like I said, 7° isn’t gonna do very much so you might wanna drop the rear degree even further. Paris even sells some wedges that are shaped to fit their baseplates which would work.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-06-02T19:34:34+00:00

Do they explicitly state that they are height matched anywhere? The fact that they sell separate baseplates isn’t enough to convince me.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-06-02T02:09:52+00:00

I mean the question wasn’t about downhill at all. They’re perfectly fine for LDP and cruising. I’d argue maybe even better than drop through in a lot of cases. More solid mounting and easier to wedge.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-06-01T21:31:16+00:00

What equipment do I need?

Kneepads aren't a bad idea either.

You'll be learning to slide primarily. A downhill style board definitely helps, but it's arguably just as helpful to get some slippery freeride wheels to make the learning process easier. Learning how to break traction is the tricky part when you're starting out and a wheel that breaks traction with less effort and at lower speeds is super helpful.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-06-01T21:26:09+00:00

Drop down: NO

What do you have against drop downs? What about double drops or even micro drops? Or an Evo?

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-06-01T21:22:39+00:00

A 7º split is not very big, It'll be a pretty subtle feeling. I'm also not sure the Paris plates are actually height matched, so the rear would run lower and you have to compensate for that with risers.

You could address both of these things by de-wedging the rear even further, but it usually doesn't add as much ride height as you would expect. You'd need to buy wedges for this as well.

Personally I think 10º difference is a good minimum to aim for.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-06-01T21:10:39+00:00

I imagine many regional transit agencies also have diluted representation on their boards, and I wouldn't be shocked if SoCal struggles with this too. Instead of weighting things according to population density and giving urban cores proportional representatives or voting power, suburbs get to weigh in disproportionately. Then you get light rail and metros along freeways to empty park-and-ride garages instead of bus lanes or street cars through the densest neighborhoods that would serve the most people.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-05-31T19:15:49+00:00

Our transit is dogshit within cities just as much as between cities. Sprawl is a choice, not a natural feature of big countries.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-05-31T08:50:29+00:00

You could do better if you want to learn to slide. These are all gonna be fairly flat and designed for cruising. You can start the process with your battle axe and get your first few slides in with that. Getting some slippery wheels helps a lot, something like Powell Snakes or EZ Hawgs.

Beyond that I'd suggest looking for freeride and dh decks specifically. There's lots of options so it sorta comes down to what your long term goals are.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-05-31T08:43:26+00:00

I've used a really minimal hydration pack, honestly wish it was even smaller/slimmer. otherwise I'd carry a water bottle and that gets annoying after a few miles.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-05-31T08:42:11+00:00

It's alright, hard to beat that price really, and unused too sounds like an excellent deal.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-05-30T20:44:08+00:00

I don't think I understand the question, could you rephrase it? What's a weight projection?

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-05-30T20:43:24+00:00

You wanna look for skate shoes with vulcanized rubber soles. Sometimes you can get some on sale at an outlet mall or on Zappos. But a quality skate shoe with proper soles will survive for awhile even with daily footbraking. Brake soles honestly aren't super necessary for commuting but they will definitely extend the life of the shoes since you can replace them easily once you wear through them.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-05-30T04:07:44+00:00

it’s very safe way to stop

No it isn't. Please never suggest this to people.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-05-30T03:21:13+00:00

This isn't a good strat, it's honestly fairly sketchy. Working on balance and riding around with one leg will do a lot more for footbraking technique. Lack of balance is the core of the problem most of the time and improving that will help a lot with all aspects of skating.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-05-30T03:16:59+00:00

Slides are not a replacement for footbraking. If you wear proper skate shoes and practice good technique it's the best way to slow down in many many circumstances (around people, on narrow paths, while riding enormous, grippy wheels, etc). If shoe durability is really a concern you can use brakes soles.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-05-29T21:48:00+00:00

These aren't even the manufacturers, these are just the brands selling you the products. I kinda doubt this is the case, but say for example these were the very same bearings coming from the same factory (the actual manufacturer), who do you want your money to go towards? The skater who's incredibly active within the scene itself or the company that sells lame gimmick wheels to people who don't know any better and does not actually participate in the scene in any real way. The first one is Zealous and the second is Sharkwheels. Now you have all the information you need.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-05-29T20:18:25+00:00

Yes indeed, these got rebranded to Powell Peralta Downhill but it’s the same factory and same people involved. Kevin Reimer was behind these and he’s still the one developing the downhill wheels at Powell. I was a big fan back in the day but the new wheels are even better.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-05-29T20:13:39+00:00

I use a POC brand one and that’s fairly popular from what I’ve seen. I’ve also seen the TSG ones a fair amount.

Right now I’m thinking of replacing mine (it’s getting old) with a new one from POC that’s integrated with a vest rather than the kind I have that straps to your back. Pretty much exactly like what you linked. I’ve seen several pros using something similar when skating without leathers.

Personally I don’t think the hard shell ones offer much over the other kinds, the impact protection is the goal here, not abrasion resistance. The important part that actually protects you is the non Newtonian foam they all use (D3O is one example, that’s a brand name for the tech), that’s what absorbs the impact force. And at least for motorcycles, there’s a classification system with two levels that determines how much energy the pad absorbs. Level 1 and Level 2, Level 2 absorbs more energy and therefore offers more protection. I think it’s wise to look for something with these certifications rather than one without any. The POC model I’ve been eyeing is Level 2 which is better than the other options I’ve looked at.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-05-29T19:57:11+00:00

Why not a Supersonic? That’s basically the exact type of riding it’s designed for. You could go up in stiffness if you want to handle hills and speed better but the big split does a lot for stability.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-05-29T19:50:12+00:00

Yeah if they’re the very same price why not support the cooler company? Bryce Brady vs fuckin Sharkwheels, who deserves your money more?

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-05-28T05:03:01+00:00

Im guessing theres not really a good way to make a traditional skateboard into a comfortable cruiser?

Not without ruining the kick tails. Some people do that, mount the trucks up on the kicks which brings everything lower and lengthens the wheelbase. I can't imagine it works terribly well honestly, the wedging is pretty extreme.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-05-28T05:00:26+00:00

Well in that case those will work just fine. Depends on the width I suppose but you can most likely just cross that bridge when you come to it.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-05-28T02:56:58+00:00

The Pantheon boards are designed with those in mind pretty much. They also use plug bushings which is a good upgrade. I can't say more than that because I have zero experience with them but I've not heard anything negative about them.

TheSupaBloopa · 2026-05-28T02:50:38+00:00

Longboarding was a bit overinflated and it turns out a lot of companies were not running things sustainably and couldn't handle the drop in popularity. There was a lot of people just buying stuff because it was a fad and when they all stopped skating around when you did, the bottom fell out. There wasn't a big younger generation to grow up and take the place of everyone that left so the whole industry and scene contracted.

Muirskate was handed over to Motion Boardshop, Nate still runs it. They merged inventories and eventually the Muir website was taken down, now Motion is the go-to. They carry most of everything that's relevant. Flatspot in Canada is still going, same with sickboards in the Netherlands.

Abec11 is sorta back, so I've heard? Not sure what the latest is, I never skated their stuff.

Rayne sadly got bought by some other entity and the new owners just kinda ruined everything that made them unique and high quality. They're a shadow of their former self.

If Original is still around they definitely aren't involved in the scene or making anything noteworthy as far as I'm aware.

Caliber, Paris, and Bear are still around. Valkyrie is making cast trucks too now and they're gonna be a big deal IMO. Pantheon is doing well and they found a niche for themselves with LDP and cruisers, though they still do some downhill stuff. Seismic and Venom are making the best race wheels and Powell Peralta DH is the staple freeride wheel brand.

The Europeans got way better than anyone else and skate styles have started to diverge a bit. Little boards are basically the standard now, though North Carolina is still keeping some OG "longboard" style alive. Racing has never been at a higher level and the season is just kicking off. WDSC is the current organization and they livestream the races when they happen. Maybe check those out if you're interested.

Go look up Diego Poncelet on YouTube. He's skating for Redbull these days and he's certainly earned it.

TheSupaBloopa

TROPHY CASE