amazing roads

last but not least, stelvio pass:

and to end on a sad note, Paskapoo 08 has been cancelled due to lack of funds.

street swell longboards

I recently read an article on Street Swell Longboards. I have to say these thing are beautiful. Just looking at them before they're even boards makes me say WOW!

Street Swell boards are made factory-style in California. They are v-lam with fiberglass. They have plans to make boards with carbon-fiber, a speedboard and more shapes.

There is a reason to not buy one of these boards. A very BIG reason. That would be the price tag. $450 dollars a board. 450! How are they still in business! If you bought one of these boards for that price, please put it in a museum. This board probably performs like a 

tractor-trailer. A very good looking tractor-trailer but a tractor-trailer none the less. I will give you more pictures, but for heaven's sake don't buy one.

Galac Boards Profile

Galac boards is one the most most popular small handmade boards makers. They have exploded on the fish with some of the greatest pumping boards. Samhell (John Galac) is a well known poster on silverfish. Here is an online interview I had with this awesome man.

 

Me: A brief history of Galac boards.

JG: I started making board in the summer of 2006.
I originally just wanted to make a couple of decks for me and my wife.
I had no intentions of ever making decks for other people, I never
thought anyone would actually want one of my decks.
Soon into the building process I realized I knew exactly what I 
wanted in a deck and started working on templates that
fit what I was after.
I have very specific beliefs in what I like in a skateboard.
Wide noses for ample leverage, hard top-side edges for
grip, rounded bottom-side edges for aesthetics and comfort
when carrying. I'm really just out to create a surfboard vibe and feel
in my boards. For me it's all about having fun on a board.
My interests are primarily in pumping, carving and slalom.
So I make decks to fill those slots... I don't really do anything
aimed at the speedboard market, because I'm not really a 
speedboarder myself. 30MPH is about as fast I will go thesedays.
I think there are a few people out there making great boards that fit the
speedboard market like Landyachtz and a few others, and they
know what they're doing because they live it.
ME: Do you struggle being a small custom board maker?
 JG: Yes...Everything I do is a struggle... I'm about as small
as they get...I have very little, I don't even have a proper
workshop, I'm very limited in my capabilities.
I just do what I can do with what I have and have access to.
Someday I would love to have a real workshop with more tools
and more access to a little more technology.
ME: Has silverfish helped your company grow?
 JG: Absolutely! Silverfish is pretty much mecca for me.
I love Silverfish, it's such a great community.
Pretty much all my business has come from silverfish.
Erik Basil (the man behind silverfish) is a great guy, and full of stoke.
He's super fun to skate with and is all about spreading good times.
ME: How do you test your boards?
JG: It's all very simple. I draw up shapes that I think will be interesting,
and I make them. I have a formula that I follow, based on my beliefs
in what makes a good deck for a specific purpose. Some might think
it's all too simple, but I like to keep it that way. I'm a huge fan of flat 
decks,
a lot of people can't imagine riding a board without concave. But for me,
flat is where it's at, and it's easy on the feet on long pump sessions.
Me: What is the average cost of a deck?
 JG: My decks are available in 2 finish levels.
The half finish and the full finish. The half finish is around 15 coats
of clear, the full is around 30+ coats. I did this to make a more affordable
option for people. For most of my decks, the half finish is $80,
and the full finishes run $120 and up.
I do my graphics using acetate transparency, and they are embedded
under the clear. The whole goal is to get a surfboard look and feel.
I use a combo of Tread Tex and Clear Silica sand for my cleargrip
on each deck, and have figured out a way to make them as grippy
as anything I've ridden so far. Each deck is hand signed and serialized.
Me: Can you tell us any plans of upcoming decks?
 JG: I am currently working on a LDP (Long Distance Pumping)
deck with Pavedwave. He has been helping me achieve a shape
that is going to be as functional as can be for the purpose
of LDP. I'm currently in the prototype phase, and it will be
unveiled soon... He really is a master at LDP, and his influence
in the shape and even the graphics have been a blessing.
It will even feature his name on it.
I'm also working on a Kate Sessions (1857-1940 AD) deck..
She is the mother of Balboa Park here in San Diego.
and was a very important woman and turned the barren land
outside of downtown into what it is today.
This deck will be primarily designed and made for women, with the help of my 
wife.
I think there is a huge market in making boards for women,
there aren't that many, and I want to tap that market heavily.

I would like to thank John Galac for putting his valuable time and 
effort into this interview. 
Everyone have a great weekend and spread the stoke!

first trick tip

It's finally here. Comment if you'd like to know more about this trick or another I should do a tip on.

what i've been up to

Some of you (well one) wanted to see more of me in action. So this is what I did yesterday. First time really sliding for me (in the green and black) and my friend (in white). Please enjoy.

online magazine?

Have you ever wanted to read a longboarding magazine, but then realized you've read every Concrete Wave 17 times and memorized all of the articles. Well, good news, sort of.

Naphte has just introduced an online interactive longboarding magazine. You might of heard of it if you go to silverfish or get the loaded news letter. With the magazine you can read the articles, watch the videos and listen to their music. You can check it out at naphtelongboarding.com

There are some problems though. You can't read the articles without supervision, and once you can read them they aren't the best. They talk about watching videos but there aren't any. They feature some sketchy companies, like blackkross, whose dancer board is identical to an old school dancer, and is called an old school dancer.

Now you might be thinking there is no hope, but for those of you who don't get Concrete Wave you can now download them online. They only have 2 of them and they are hard to read but anyways, they have good articles. MajorLinkage:

http://www.silverfishlongboarding.com/Articles/General_News/Concrete_Wave_Downloads/

Galac Boards profile to come as soon as Sam Galac gets back to me.

craziness from sergio and coleman

I just came across this video from Sergio Yuppie and Cliff Coleman. Amazing stuff. Better than I'll ever be. the tail and nose block slide are amazing. Have fun!