An Evening With James Parry

An Evening With James Parry from Foam Symmetry on Vimeo.

Surfing the Asphalt

I accepted Ritch's invitation, writer at heelsidechill.com to be a guest blogger!

So Ritch, be my guest...

Surfing the Asphalt: Finding a Decent Street Longboard Ain’t so Tough

As longboarding reaches new levels of popularity, the equipment marketplace is becoming choked with options. Some of these companies exist only to sell a single longboard to newbies, selling them junk with slick graphics. However, a few of the top manufacturers continue to make the top-quality gear that made them their bones while continuing to innovate.

That’s not to say that a longboard or its parts must be expensive to be serviceable. If you’re just starting out, you can purchase a cheaper street longboard to find out if you like it. Many longboards under $100 will work just fine for beginners. A top-tier, longboard is not necessary for learning the basics. After some time, though, most riders learn to appreciate finer equipment, as they develop skills that necessitate precise engineering. Let’s look at a few manufacturers that are still on top of their games.

Quality Longboards

Sector 9

Few manufacturers can claim that they invented their field, but the owners of Sector 9 can. Back in the early 1990s, a small group of friends in the U.S. began shaping old snowboards into the first longboards skating had seen since the 70s. They mounted trucks and wheels to their creations, which all resembled the modern pintail longboard, and took to the hills. When they began selling them to their friends, they quickly became inundated with orders. They formed Sector 9 in 1993 and have been industry leaders ever since.

Of course, longboarding has evolved since those early days, and the pintail shape is no longer ubiquitous. From around-towners like the drop-through Mini Lookout and the mini-cruiser Bambino to the all-out insanity of its Down Hill Division series, Sector 9 continues to produce quality street longboards. The company’s old school shapes are also garnering attention in the industry, and Sector 9’s use of bamboo top layers continues to help its boards look as good as they ride. Sector 9 wheels and protective gear — especially sliding gloves — also remain as popular as ever.

Arbor Collective

Collectively known as Arbor, Arbor Collective is a snowboard and longboard company with a conscience. It has built its brand on responsible manufacturing. Arbor uses renewable materials in creative ways, such as utilizing sugars in its sweet-rolling Sucrose Initiative wheels. Arbor also reuses the leftovers from cutting and sanding its decks, and it donates funds to help preserve Hawaii’s Koa forests.

Arbor doesn’t just make street longboards, it crafts them. The Koa forests it helps protect are the source of some of the company’s finest top woods. The care Arbor puts into its decks is evident in the beautiful wood grain on its decks, which it reveals with environmentally friendly clear spray-on grip. From the small and portable Pocket Rocket mini cruiser to classic pintails and downhill-ready drop throughs, Arbor has a street longboard for everyone, and it’s a purchase you can feel good about.

Landyachtz

Landyachtz had its inception in the late 1990s, formed by two lifelong friends in British Columbia. It has since grown into a major player in the longboard market while developing a sustainability program of its own. Landyachtz plants one tree for every board it sells, which should make for whole forests in the coming years.

Landyachtz continues to innovate with interesting shapes like the Dinghy Trout swallow-tail mini cruiser, but its drop-through and drop-down decks are perennial favorites in downhill longboarding. Any will make fine street longboards, especially if cruising and carving are on the agenda.

Rayne

Rayne has continued to diversify its offerings over the years, but its longboards are still its flagship products. The company’s commitment to producing the finest decks is evident. Rayne still manufacturers its longboards in Vancouver, B.C. It also continues to build on the innovation that saw it introduce the first bamboo-and-fiberglass longboards, which brought a new level of stiffness and toughness to downhill longboards.

Rayne’s newest shapes show an understanding of the direction longboarding is heading that only true insiders possess. It devises decks for the different disciplines, rather than expecting those experienced riders to conform to its shapes. Rayne downhill decks are all top-mount with adjustable wheelbases, are offer the utmost in stability. It also produces decks specifically for dance style, as well as a new line of mini cruisers. Rayne has a street longboard for every rider.

Conclusion

This list of competent longboard companies is necessarily brief. There are others, such as Santa Cruz, Gold Coast, Globe, Dusters and more that are putting out some fine wood and urethane. And, new companies continue to break out with quality gear on a regular basis. Of course, quality is never cheap. Be wary of longboards costing fractions of what top brands sell for, as the prices of quality materials and manufacturing preclude selling these boards on the cheap. Finding a good street longboard is not that difficult, but you usually get what you pay for.


By Ritch, writer and also hobbyist longboarder.

LOST BUG

LOST BUG from NOIALTRI production on Vimeo.
A story of longboarding in Mexico.

The Church of the Open Sky | Official Trailer

The Church of the Open Sky: Official Trailer from Nathan Oldfield on Vimeo.
'The Church of the Open Sky' is the latest feature length release from award winning independent Australian filmmaker Nathan Oldfield, creator of 'Lines From A Poem', 'Seaworthy', 'The Heart & The Sea' and 'Gathering'.

Shot on location in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka, the film features Dave Rastovich, Lauren Lindsey Hill, Tom Wegener, Belinda Baggs, CJ Nelson, Alex Knost, Johnny Abegg, Neal Purchase Jr, Jasson Salisbury, Devon Howard and many others.

'The Church of the Open Sky' is a luscious visual love poem that explores gratefully lived surfing journeys. It is a sea soaked celebration of the exquisite preciousness of being alive.

This film is an inspired and endearing representation of the surfing experience, where all participants are worthy and welcomed - to learn, play and grow together - in inclusive, sacred playgrounds beneath 'The Church of the Open Sky'.

World Premiere in Byron Bay, May 2017. World tour dates to follow.

The song in this trailer is called ‘A Final Mantra’ performed by Pepa Knight, from his upcoming album ‘Hypnotized Vol. II’.

Web: nathanoldfield.com
Social: @nathanoldfield

Blackies Bunch

Blackies Bunch from Mollusk Surf Shop on Vimeo.
Jack Coleman brings us another tasteful surf film featuring some of Blackies' finest. The lineup includes Robin Kegel, Jared Mell, Tanner Prairie, Alex Knost, and Levi Prairie.

HAND MADE

HAND MADE from jonathan  may on Vimeo.
A portrait of Mark Rabbidge, a professional longboard surfer through the 80s who shaped many surfboards for champion surfers in the 80s/90s including his wife the 1990 world champ Pam Burridge
Mark lives on the South Coast of NSW, Australia. He has always been connected to the ocean, and is constantly on the pursuit for uncrowded waves. His other passion is cars, and he builds them to suit his unique personality. Whether shaping a surfboard or building a car, the common thread is that they are always one of a kind.

CJ Nelson Session

CJ Nelson Session from Jonathan Anaya on Vimeo.
Spots_ 2nd street south, Cocoa Beach pier
Colby Nickell, Austin Hollingshead and Grey Copenhaver riding their CJ Nelson Designs before the cold front 🖖
Music: Mac Demarco

Yrwan Garcia Léal | 10'10

Yrwan Garcia Léal- 10'10 from YrwanGarciaLéal on Vimeo.
One winter day 10'10 trimming at Anglet France.
all footages by Freddy Bermond.

2017 Board Clips 2 of 6 | The Rincon

2017 Board Clips 2 of 6 - The Rincon from McTavish Surfboards on Vimeo.
The Rincon is one of the most popular models slipping out the door of our new Byron headquarters showroom. How come so well appreciated and admired by so many happy wave sliders?

Well, the Rincon satisfies the needs of so many Aussies: An easy paddling, easy wave catching midlength. A board that will handle one-foot dribble all the way to powerful lined-up points at double-overhead. A board you can stuff into the passenger seat, and lock inside your chosen set of wheels. How did the Rincon get born to fill those needs?

Fifty years ago the Shortboard Revolution kicked off in Sydney, Australia. The standard everyday surfboard plunged in length from 9'6 down to 6 feet in two years, globally. A true Phenomenon. That first year, 1967, the shapes revolved heavily around stubby full templates and vee bottoms, as we shapers cautiously tried to maintain paddling volume. But by January of '68, we realised knee paddling was over, and Hawaiian inspired templates with full but pointed noses were far more aesthetic and functional. Hence I spent six wonderful weeks at Rincon in California perfecting the shape, riding an endless long rides from way out on the Indicator all the way through to the beach.

The Rincon shape performed so well that it revolutionised the Californian surfboard industry almost overnight. Old clunky longboards were dumped. Speed and carving were in.

The Rincon today is the act same outline template, the same low rocker, and the same small rounded rails, the same sweet specially designed fin. A true honey from sixty-eight, still sweet and perfect in 2017! - Bob McTavish

Noon After | Brigid Lally

Noon After from Adam Burns on Vimeo.
Brigid Lally in "Noon After"

Alex Knost Wild Fire

ALEX KNOST WILD FIRE from Ocean Street Creative on Vimeo.
AL KNOST // ONE SESSION // BLACKIES // NEWPORT BEACH

Music by: The Pin Heads
Track: Wild Fire

Filmed and Edited by Jarryd Watson @ Ocean Street Creative
Instagram: oceanstreetcreative
Email: oceanstreecreative89@gmail.com