Category: Skateboarding Product Reviews

Some things never go out of fashion, whether you’re new to a particular style or whether it repeats itself onto your favourites lists, some things just age well and will always be in demand. One of the garments I like to place in this category, is a good old skool Vans quilted flannel, simple by design, practical in use and very warm over the cold winter months!

Every skate company that features a clothing dept would have done at least one of these over the past decade or so, but through experience I can tell you that this one is probably amongst the best I’ve ever owned. It looks like all the others, but the sherpa body lining and quilted inner arms will keep you very warm in this comfortable and very well fitted jacket, without giving you the appearance of Britain’s fattest skateboarder! Not sure how they’ve pulled it off, it’s so warm but not super thick?!

The jacket really looks more like a warm shirt than a coat, but don’t underestimate it’s ability to save your life in the blistering wind! It features 4 front pockets too, so you can keep your fiddlers tucked up nicely and not have them dangling out in the cold.

NS

Looking for something you can wear under a jacket without suffocating yourself…something nice and thin, yet practical and stylish? Then I’d say the Hobo Plaid is a fairly good answer to your prayers.

This lightweight, Henley style hooded shirt comes in a stylish plaid design and is made from 100% cotton. It features a drawstring hood, 4 button neck for ventilation control, nice and steezy kangaroo front pockets and another drawstring in the hem, useful to keep the bite out. The hood is lined with a nice thin jersey layer which makes all the difference when you wear it up and over your ears, trust me, it goes a long way in the adverse weather conditions we’re currently experiencing!

Altamont has a few very diverse ranges and I’d classify this garment as much more of a simple item, it’s practical, very functional and looks really good, not a bad effort in my books. I like rolling with this hood in winter because it’s like skating in your favourite shirt, but with a hoody to cover your ears and keep them warm too

2P

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Ok first of all, due to me being a Star Wars fan, this board is pretty awesome! I mean I’m not the type of person who is going to keep it in its wrapping and place it neatly on a display shelf with all my Storm Trooper figures, badges, die cast AT-ATs or my Millennium Falcon Lego, but I like Star Wars, so looking down at a picture of Chewbacca holding a beer did make me chuckle.

I took this board to Holland with Moose and the boys and had the pleasure of setting up fresh wood to skate the Area 51 park in Eindhoven. Let me tell you the pop was so good that it felt like I had harnessed the power of the force and it was strong in me. Some might argue that it was the Santa Cruz Powerply giving me that pop, but I was the one feeling like a Jedi leaping over imaginary logs on Endor in order to save the princess so I will write what I like.

It was solid to skate and really felt like it was going stay on my feet. Nice concave, which is how I like it, and a really nice shape. It wasn’t completely symmetrical as in nose and tail size but I did have to ‘dick the nose’ so as to save confusion at first. After returning home from wood park heaven I also tested this board out at Stockwell, a place I regularly skate so this was a better testing ground. It was as cold as Hoth in Empire Strikes Back but it held up really well against the cold UK winter and unforgiving concrete, I felt totally at home on it and it felt right – like a damn good skateboard should.

If you are looking for a new board to skate then this is it and if you are looking for something to treasure and polish in your den of George Lucas then also a win. It’s also worth noting that the deck comes with a PowerWarranty. All Santa Cruz decks come with a 120-day warranty covering delamination due to materials and/or workmanship. Try one, you will not be disappointed.

MT

Not heard about Worn By Originals yet? Ok, they are fairly new to me too, but they have a formula behind a good idea and if you love music as much as we do here at Crossfire, then this might be a good introduction to some clothing you can wear out after skating.

Worn By Originals is sort of a T-shirt brand who’s primary focus was to recreate tees worn by musicians during famous periods of their careers. It’s quite a fun concept, because you can rock what your idols were rocking while they were actually rocking. The range includes a Dread Controls tee Worn By Don Letts from The Clash era, Fuck Art Let’s Dance Worn By Madness and all sorts of other gems like the Money neck tee, worn by Ian Brown from The Stone Roses as well as the Falling Skulls tee, worn by Alice Cooper.

The great thing about these tees, is that they are of superior quality, very soft to the touch, stretchy and has an amazing fit. I’m currently rocking the Oscar Wilde tee, Worn By Morrisey and one of their ultra fresh Woodstock tees, both amazing shirts and get good comments everywhere.

They have a vast variety of different T-shirts and sweats to choose from, each with a different representations on the chest and they come with a custom Polaroid style picture which shows the actual T-shirt in it’s prime, so pop over to their site and check out what they have to offer.

Daniel Thomas

If there’s a shoe company out there that knows how to diversify their ranges into more practical designs through demand, then we all know there’s only one name that comes to mind, Vans!

The Dollin Tre is another tweak on an instant classic shoe which gives the skater and perfectionist another opportunity to find the shoe that fits. They’ve taken the very popular No Skool and stripped it down to thinner construction by introducing something they call BoardFeel XD, enabling better board control and over all performance.

On appearance the shoe matches it’s predecessor, but when you break it down, you’ll start to notice the tiny, but crucial differences. Less padding in the upper construction for a more responsive ride, a low profile cupsole that perfectly blends durability with grip, feel and shock absorption, thus giving you more control.

Overall this a much thinner feeling skate shoe, but not to be mistaken for flimsy or weak, oh no, it’s sturdy as hell still and will protect your feet as you’d expect. Dustin skate’s pretty much anything, even if it’s unskateable, he still gives it a go. These shoes are a prime example of his passion, they are an improvement on a shoe that didn’t need improving, so try them for size and see what you think.

2P

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(P-2 Construction)

The boys at Flip recently sent us over their last creation in skateboarding innovation, the Pro-2 deck with it’s spring loaded pop construction. Now, I’m what I like to call an organic skateboarder, not Vegan, but a big fan of good old Canadian maple, so my sceptics on the science behind this creation was Eiffel to say the least, but even though I roll with ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’, I still recognise that evolution is crucial to our existence and therefore I cut up some Jessup tape and set it up.

The idea behind the oval shaped aramid fibre reinforcement panel is that its design allows for it to spread the stress loads throughout the board, therefore taking strain off the truck area and this in theory should allow for a longer lasting board which will retain power pop forever.

On throw down, the board felt completely normal to me, I couldn’t really feel the science from day one, but after a few rounds in the ring, I started to notice the small differences that makes this board quite unique! After about a month of banter, I normally tend to look at setting up a new ride, but not on this occasion, this guy was still happily performing under my feet so I though I’d stretch the journey. It’s been 2 months now and too be honest, I’m not ready to pack it in just yet, thinking about re-gripping it and carrying on with the endurance test I set out to achieve. The main advantages about the P-2 construction is obviously the ever lasting pop and snappiness, but you’d be surprised how light this fella is, it’s that little bit easier to bring this board right up to your chest with a power snap of the tail, always good!

Overall shape is normal, no mad concave, usual Flip nose and tail ratio with the lift on both sides being what you’d expect from a skateboard deck. The board still consists of 7 thin veneers of maple, but it’s less sluggish than the old skool 7 ply we’re all used to.

Like I said, 2 months in and the board is still in great shape, all they need to invent now is an ever lasting tail and nose, this way you can regrip your board after a while and have the freshness back without breaking the bank for a new one every month.

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So this Max Schaaf Real deck dropped into my lap the other day and I must say it’s bloody lovely. I’m the first to admit that I am the fussiest person ever when it comes to deck shapes and unless the nose and tail are the exact same shape, I go all A.D.D. and blame every non-make on my board.

Crafted out of Deluxe’s world-renowned wood and coming in at a very comfortable 8.25”, it’s surprisingly snappy and agile for a larger lady. Somehow in my ten years of skating, this is the first time I’ve ever skated a Real board, or even a DLXSF board for that matter, and I’ve just had the epiphany that everyone else has when they step onto their decks. Solid as anything, and you’ll never go back. The concave isn’t too deep but the rails are high enough for your toes to get a nice purchase on for flips. I even started chucking myself down stairs on this thing, something I never do, confidence in my deck inspiring me to try tricks I’d normally sack off for a frontside slash any day.

Max Schaaf is an utter legend in skating, and his recent Epicly Later’d will get you up to speed with his no nonsense approach to life. This deck comes adorned with a gorgeous ‘4Q’ graphic, a nod to Schaaf’s motorcycle conditioning company, where he spends hours crafting some amazing classic bikes. You can tell that the same effort was put into this board design and shape too. Real state that all their decks are made from the exact same wood and exact same shapes as their team rides. Not every company does that and quite often you end up with a deck that just doesn’t cut it. Not here. The wood quality is excellent and feels like it’ll take a serious pounding without any trouble.

This is the second time I’ve found a deck that is literally perfect. The first time it happened I went and bought another three of the same deck just to make sure I could skate it for as long as possible. I’ll certainly be on the hunt for at least ten more of these, stockpiled ready for when this Harley Davidson of decks finally has to be retired to the junkyard. I’ve got a feeling that won’t be for a while though.

Click here for the latest Real catalogue if this floats your boat.

Moose

Face the facts out there right now, it’s bloody freezing. To combat this problem I have caved in and reverted to wearing gloves when i’m skating this year. I always thought gloves were for pussy footballers in the summer and not exactly the most needed item first on the wish list of a skateboarder but now i have them i’m not turning back.

Made from simple black cotton and available to buy online for just £5, these gloves from Who? Clothing don’t get in the way, flap about in the wind or make your palms sweat, but just simply provide an extra layer to fight that bitter cold weather on a street sesh.

An alternative to these Welsh wonders is a Peacock pocket warmer made from the heat of lighter fuel inside a platinum-catalyzed glass fibre burner. Simply light your wick, sink into your pocket and keep your bollocks warm for up to 30 hours depending on the size of your tool. Made for skaters too apparently, what a choice.

Davis Spencer