Category: Skateboarding Product Reviews

” Bus Driver attempts to kill howling Eagle!!! “

I had this beauty for ages before getting the chance to set it up, so long so, that I contemplated building a glass box on top of a tower and locking it in there for all eternity to look at! Obviously I’m not that queer, so I set that fucker up as soon as I got the chance.

The Anti Hero Howling Eagle (medium) soars at 7.81″ and has a wingspan of 31.75″; truly amazing if your swooping into bowls or just flying over massive gaps! The board is stable in a transitioned environment due to its medium fat body and will serve you well when the corner gets tough, but its not much bigger than the crowd favourite (7.75), which means, it holds its ground steadily when it comes to cruising the streets and tearing up them ledges!

The wheelbase is slightly shorter than average, but its perfect for a board of this size. Its not heavily concaved either, which is always a plus in my books, with the nose & tail being almost equal in lift. The shape is definitely the best I’ve had in a very long time and I truly intend to search high and low for something better, but I think it’s going to be a difficult search.

This board has taken a serious beating over the last couple of months, but it’s come up trumps, thus making it even harder to stop sucking its beak!! Besides the normal wear and tear any skateboard endures during its lifespan, this particular board found itself hopelessly trapped in the claws of a man made predator much more powerful than itself, the N31, a fucking London night BUS! Fortunately for me, the wheels of the bus couldn’t grab the eagle properly and spat it out to the side with mere pressure cracks and grip tape cuts being the only injuries sustained. I’m still flying the eagle to this day and am convinced it won’t be over between us for some time to come.

Like I said, this is arguably the best wood I’ve had in all of my life, but nothing is perfect and I will continue to try and find something better. However, this board is truly off the hook and worth checking out, in fact, the graphic alone is worth a purchase! It comes in a bigger model too if you fancy a beast under your feet.

9.5/10

Live FAST, Ride FAST
2P

This Flip Damnation jacket was sent to us before Xmas as a winter jacket but it did not seem thick and warm enough to be included. But as the rains come and the freezing ice pisses off, it’s time to buy one of these babies as it’s all you need to get you through if you are looking for a new jacket to shred in.

This military designed jacket made from cotton in a simple black colour is a Geoff Rowley signature design and fit. You can whip the hood off if it gets on your tits and it also boasts many pockets so you can lose all of your possesions in them until the next time you wear it! Seriously, i love having pockets but i lose everything in them every week!

This slim beauty has an i-pod pocket with a zip for your Motorhead soundtrack and you will be pleased to know that the jacket also has a waterproof coating but i personally would not try and swim in it, unless of course you are being chased by a bear.

Overall, this is perfect for skating in, lightweight, simple, with all the pockets and pull straps you need without looking like a totally dill in.

Go to www.flipskateboards.com for more.

Chuck Bangers

Branded by glory and fashioned by the best, the Independent Trucks Duffel jacket kicks ass!

I didn’t hesitate to grab this jacket after the first person who was offered it’s comfort turned it down because it was too big for their nut-hugger needs. Independent know that products must be of the highest quality without any unnecessary details, and this jacket stands testimony to such a production ethic.

To begin with, this jacket does exactly what a jacket is supposed to do which is keep you warm. The insides are padded and the collar is tall and thick with a wooley material that doesn’t itch. In fact, the collar deserves a mention because it can either be folded down to make you look like a lumber jack, or an East-end market trader, or folded upwards to block any cold from your fragile face. The collar is also wide enough for you to wear a scarf, just in case Hell has frozen over.

The next point that places this jacket way above a lot the other items on the skateshop rail, is the quality of the jacket’s finish. You won’t find any loose threading or botched details on this baby. Areas are double stitched for strength, and the buttons are pretty massive and firmly attached via loose hoops, so the jacket can be sealed securely. The Independent logos are discreet which ten times better than what can be said for some billboard-esque items of clothing on the market right now.

Finally, and probably most importantly, you can skate in this jacket. I would have though a duffel jacket would be too bulky to get a good shred on in, but this Independent jacket is light, flexible and strong. The jean type material used for the outer shelters you from the rain and wind alright, but it really comes in handy when you accidentally take a full body slam to harsh surfaces whilst out and about on your board.

I honestly can’t find anything wrong with this jacket, except perhaps the lack of a hood, but to my knowledge most duffel jackets don’t have hoods. So, Independent lay yet another laurel on their finest quality production levels by adding clothing to their long list of achievements.

9/10

Ralph L-D

As soon as you get these on your feet you instantly feel like either Bruce Lee or Hong Kong Phooey!

The vulcanized soles are slim, the shoe has plenty of movement and they almost feel like slippers once on. This can only be good for board control as there is nothing worse than wearing clogs to skate in and can’t feel the grain of the grip tape doing its job.

Etnies have come up with a classic here, in fact i believe they know it too otherwise they would not have sent the wonderful Slam City Skates tribute shoe into production with these and also would not have bothered with so many colourways.

It’s a simple shoe that has a lot of flexibility, the sort of shoe that if performs well for you, will be back on your feet as a fresh pair once the old are annihilated. They are light in weight and generally they are the most impressive shoe I have skated this year. My only concerns with these are the fact that apart from the addition of the Triple-stitched toe cap, the suede could well go through at the point of wear and tear due to ollies but only time will tell and this is an age old problem any skater has to deal with if you skate a lot.

Even though they are light and thin, the STI Foam™ cushioning footbed and the System G2™ inserted into heel should give you what you need for impact but after riding a ditch in these at the weekend, my heel was giving out a bit – but then again when you are hurtling downhill running out on a crap surface you are bound to run into difficulties whatever you are wearing on your feet! No shoe is going to wrap you in cotton wool completely and if they did, there would only be one company in the business.

But it gets better. After 20 years of service, London’s elite skate shop Slam City Skates were handed the accolade of Etnies producing a collaboration show but the biggest accolade of all is that they used the Faction, so possibly expect Etnies to drop these in leather in all colours at some point as they are simply wonderful on your feet, especially once you have skated in the suede versions. Due to the change in fabric these are the ultimate in skate shoe technology. Light, comfortable, straight out the box for use and big on looks. Fingers crossed they will be the next series although the suede versions are more than capable of bringing a big smile to your face.

Elissa Steamer, Kyle Leaper and Ronnie Creager all ride in these beauties and if you add Hong Kong Phooey into the equation then you can work out why you should have these on your feet pretty quickly!

Go to www.etnies.com for the full story.

Chuck Bangers

Take one look at these Beerhunters and tell me you don’t want a pair? GO ON!…See, told you so – silence…

I was the same when they arrived at HQ, i felt the animal in me come to the fore and reach for my shotgun, although we don;t actually have one here at all, but the thought was there all the same.

I suppose you came here looking for an honest opinion? Well let me tell you these ain’t no ordinary skate shoe, oh no. These are Vox and so far this newish company have done a splendid job in bringing proper skate shoes with attitude to a market place that can become stale and boring. My feet with these on explode, i wanna be Hewitt, but as i found out when i arrived to my local bowl, i was still just the same old Chuck that tries his best and wasn’t gifted like the people that ride for companies like Vox. It felt good though until the Back D hung up…

That herringbone tread pattern does a splendid job at the bottom of the vulcanised outsole and my griptape could be felt under my feet which is a must. The suede seems to be lasting out from ollies so far and i was surprised as it’s not the easiest fabric to have on the side of a skate shoe, but as i said, it’s holding out to date.

Overall, these are a winner and to be honest everywhere i have gone people have asked me where i got them. So thanks Vox, i have not been too popular since i came to, taking a whoopee in a phone box on New Years Eve – thanks to you, my life has now changed…

Chuck Bangers

16.02.07

Karma have sprouted another quality product in the form of bright fucking green wheels that stand out and stand strong!

The Karma tree has a reputation for producing plain clothes cops that do the job, and well, these rollers are no exception.

54mm is generally the preferred wheel size. Small enough for manual heads to get the flip in/flip out shit on lock, but just the right size for a cheeky powerslide when blagging some finesse. These are built to tame the ghetto streets of our homelands, which are still showing no sign of recovering from concrete acne.

Equipped with these and you’re as safe as Batman with his utility belt, soaring over cracks effortlessly leaving your lesser mortal friends sweating behind you while you cruise along ahead. I ain’t shitting you on this!

I won’t lie to you; I like a cheeky powerslide as much as the next Sergio Yuppie impersonator. And in England, the poor wheels are subject to the roughest form of torture when scraped against grit and jagged slabs of pavement bombing down your local San Fran wannabe. Unfortunately for these, I bomb hills like the USA bombs countries, but these wheels have withstood more than Hiroshima can claim. Not a flatspot in sight. Bo!

Overall, another gem from the Karma heads. Don’t even consider overlooking them especially as you can pick them up afrom your local skater owned shop for £20.00!

Visit www.karmaskateboards.com for more.

Joe Moynihan

If you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day! If you give a man a fishing rod, he’ll break it up for firewood, or swap it for a fish?! I’m going nowhere with that really, but I heard it the other night and thought it was really funny.

Never have I set foot on an Almost deck, so when the opportunity revealed itself, I grabbed it with both feet and have been popping away ever since.

The ‘Winter’ deck from Almost comes in at 7.6″ and totals 31.3″ in length. This 7 ply, Resin 7 vehicle was definitely built for the technical playground, but even though I’m not highly skilled in switch crazy flips to fakie rendezvous grind, I still enjoyed burning this piece of wood on all kinds of skate-able grounds.

To the point then, this stick shows early signs of bulimia, but at 7.6″, it’s hardly a disease and would be considered a good size for all the David Beckham’s of the skateboarding world. It’s a flat ride and leaves concave to a bare minimum. It’s got a sharpish nose and tail, but looks don’t really bother me that much, it serves its purpose and does it well!

The most remarkable feature of the deck is its weight, its light and very tight, which makes for springy pop and comfortable trick management. It’s a stiff bugger and has remained strong for a good 4 weeks of bashing, not showing any signs of weakness, just the usual wear and tear and severe graphic loss.

My only disappointment with this skateboard was its magical powers! I was really hoping to find the skills I’ve been hiding for years, but I haven’t yet mastered the “Deawon” level that I strongly believe is hidden within my talents, so where drawbacks are concerned, I guess that would be it. I still get a kick out of messing up a flip trick on flat ground, grinding my teeth and screaming…”ALMOST”!

This board also comes with a matching scarf and tea cosy (beanie), it’s a winter deck after all and believe you me, the core is yet to hit British shores.

Live FAST, Ride Fast.

Go to www.almostawebsite.com for all the trimmings.

7/10

2P
24.01.07

It’s pissing down again and you are about to go outside to deal with your daily grind, but wait – your hoody will not be able to deal with the damp and your jacket needs to be water resistant to bat off the moisture…..what do you do? Get one these Enjoi umbrellas of course!

That’s right – the Enjoi family have brought us the brolly of a lifetime, so slip one onto your bag and fend of the rain in one simple lunge to the skies! Available in the brightest colours ever created so you don’t lose it on your travels.- Genius.

www.enjoico.com

Chuck Bangers
29.01.07

Adidas have done it, Nike tried, failed and tried again, and now it is Reebok‘s turn to take on the skateboard industry in a bid to shoe the culture.

Essentially, skateboarders have used the aforementioned companies’ product, but admitting the fact is a different kettle of fish all together. Adidas have the Stan Smith, Nike the Dunk, and Reebok the Workout Lo and if the shoe fits wear it!

Reebok came to the table with a clever marketing strategy by focusing their attention on one key player of Skateboarding’s strongest currents: Stevie Williams, street skater supreme. Not only did Reebok incorporate Stevie into their vamped up ‘I am’ campaign, they also decided to co-brand a line of skate shoes with Stevie’s Dirty Ghetto Kid company, DGK. It has been gathering speed over the last couple of years, and finally the finished product is ready to hit European shores. Naturally, Crossfire saw what was coming and test rode a pair of Reebok alias RBK Workout Lo DGK Int’s.

Straight away these kicks look ‘gangsta’. No kippered, slim trim, space boot design here- Purely aesthetic genius blending a classic shoe and a contemporary social identity. The gum sole, flash white uppers and metal tipped laces will have the local hoods green in envy. The pair I got to test was made of leather, but I know that suede models are also available.

Personally, I don’t like leather skate shoes because it takes a good few hours of griptape abrasion before friction starts to result in board control. This case was no exception as I battled it out with frontside nollies and switch backside 180’s and managed a total of 3cm levitation. My usual pop at these tricks has me floating somewhere around the 30cm mark (Chill and check me out!). Once the leather was broken in and scraped, board control regained full momentum and I was off the ground in no time.

Now, normally when a big shoe company re-releases a ‘skate’ version of a successful predecessor, the major differences lie in the padding. I’ve tried a pair of OG Workout Lo’s on, and honestly I don’t find all that much extra padding with it’s modern counterpart, the Workout Lo DGK Int’s. I would have thought Stevie wanted a fat tongue on his shoes at least… The padding isn’t the root to the problem though.

The real risk is in the ankle support. Most modern skate shoes understand the importance of heel support and apply collar design and padded tongues to prevent pain. However, these shoes don’t, so once the footwear is broken in a bit, your foot has a tendency to slip and suffer. Luckily, the sole is flat and wide in the fore-foot and heel areas, so this minimises proper ankle tweakage. Phew!

Actually, the soles to these skate shoes are probably the best thing they have going for them. I rode these shoes for a month, solid and the sole hardly budged. Even the side where ollies afflict irreparable damage was virtually unscathed. Add to this the fact that they’re made in solid gum and you’re gripping good like you’re feeling good. If only as much chemical compound had been put into the uppers.

The stitching and thickness of the leather on the Workout Lo DGK Int’s really isn’t sufficient for someone rubbing sandpaper against them on a daily basis. After a month, holes had appeared and I knew that they would grow rapidly. The biggest surprise though in rigidity came from the laces! Everyone knows that skate shoe laces are the first things to pop, and there is no cure for this hindrance. (At least until lace-savers become fashionable again…) Reebok have found the perfect placement for their lace hoops so as to prevent thread shred and keep the shoe together.

So, my conclusion on Reebok’s seminal attempt to produce a contemporary skate shoe runs as follows: Top score in design and style. Why risk creating something new when the classic model worked?

Another top score goes to the sole compound, because tougher than this is rare. However, a poor score for the leather and ankle support. I reckon a baby blue pair in suede and gum will have a few major skate shoe designers in awe.

7/10

Ralph L-D
15.01.07

Can you believe that I’ve never ridden a Zoo York deck before? I mean, I might have skated a hand me down way back when the company first started (1993), but a lot of planks have been pressed, painted and produced since then, so it was about time I took a look at what the home of East Coast skateboarding had to offer. My pick was the Kenny Hughes New York City photo series deck shaping up at 7.625 by 31.5 inches.

I have to jump in and mention how suitable the 7.625 inch width is for street skating. The board is slim enough to flip and spin effortlessly, but it’s also got enough girth to maintain stability. Perfect for technical street skating. The next obvious angle by which a board must be chosen is it’s concave, and Zoo York are pretty established in that area.

Not a company to go lightly when they press their decks, Zoo York boards have an angular depth to them that reacts very well to the various foot positions you might have whilst out riding the streets. This board is not flat, but it isn’t warped like a barrel either. The lines of the concave lead your feet to almost always find the prime bolts stance that guarantees a good ride. The nose and tail are both of a healthy length and virtually identical, so switch skating and board control is optimal.

I haven’t really found anything wrong with this board, so I’ll just add some more praise in regards the graphic and quality of the paint used. No flakey cheap stuff here. If I really had to criticize this deck, I might say that it’s slightly heavier than some of the other decks available, but that only means it’s ready to take a tougher beating, and despite a bit of a stressed session last week, blunt blows to the nose and the tail haven’t dented the contour at all.

Some magazines might warn you about boards dipped entirely in paint so as to hide any defects or dodgy construction visible through the rails of a board. This Kenny Hughes deck was dipped in mat black paint, but I think that was more of an exercise in accentuating the dope photography that graces yet another fine Zoo York board series.

8/10

Ralph L-D
15.01.07