well,for me using a skateboard to practise cross stepping was the big breakthrough in my surfing.It really came together when i got back in the surf.I live in the city so most of my surfing done on concrete even now.I started off using Sector 9 5ft but now ride a Still Stoked 6ft Land Cruiser with 180 Randals and 76mm wheels.They have a web site…stillstoked.co.uk… With the 6 footer i can lay down and jump to my feet and it is really the closest i have found yet to longboarding . oh and i like mine very very loose.good luck with it
robbo: with your skills with wood you should make your own deck.
i did. it’s 54" long & i attached sector nine trucks & wheels. i glued up & clamped a bunch of different timbers about an inch or so thick & wide (i used liquid nails but unfortunately they’re starting to come unstuck, i should have biscuit joined them). i then drew a template, then cut & planed to desired thickness & shaped. i coated the board with marine varnish & for grip i sprinkled a little clean builders sand evenly on the deck while it was still wet, then dusted off when dry, then sealed with another coat of varnish.
it’s fun to ride & work on footwork, fives, tens, kicks, heels etc. flat day fun.
hey rastro that is a beautiful board you’ve made there. lovely timber, template & finish.
a question: did you just glue & clamp the timbers together, or did you biscuit join too? or something else? i’m keen to know what to do so i can repair my board.
Yes, I have one of these and recommend it. Beats skateboarding in the snow :-> If the price is too steep ($100 and up) anyone who frequents this site should be able to make their own, trivially. It’s just a wooden plank with a cleat at each end that you balance on a roller. You could probably make one of these from 3/4" plywood and schedule 40/80 PVC for $10 or less, assuming that you didn’t already have suitable scrap material…
There is a guy named Chris Chaput that has some clips on his website of him doing some cross-stepping and pumping the board at the same time. He used an old water ski. I’d say go with a deck like Rastro.
if the trucks are 10" wide , and each wheel is 61mm [about 2 3/8" wide , WHAT is the total width from the wheels’ “outside edge to edge” , when they are on the trucks ?
DID you make it so that the wheels do NOT overhang the deck , mate ?
…it’s been AGES since I have made a skatey , and this thread is kinda re-motivating me to get some bigger [wider, and ? taller? ] wheels . I have a 47" x 12" x c. 3/8" piece of scrap plywood that I can experiment with , I guess …
do you guys put kicktails on these big boards , or are they purely for carving turns and walking only ? [I reckon a longer board will be fun for me in a bowl , too !]
chipper: the width from wheel edge to wheel edge is 10". so they’re just about inline with the deck, but they overhang a little i guess because the deck outline pulls in at the nose & tail. but i’m no expert. i just made it how i thought it should look. no kick on my longboard, it’s flat all the way. i don’t pivot turn it at all like i do on little skateys, it’s purely for cruising. due to it’s length & the fact that it is heavy & i don’t pivot turn it, it’s turning circle is quite long & therefore unsuitable for any transition really. it loves long runs on mellow slopes.
