Categories
Skateboarding Product Reviews

Element Winter Clothing

02.01.07

Element Pionner Jacket

Element have sent us pretty much everything they put into the stores for honest testing here at Crossfire since we started in 2001 and that is what we expect from brands that believe they have the quality to pass the tests.

We believe that the brands that ignore our requests for product reviews and decide not to be involved are scared that we will expose their shoddy products.

Magazines tend to hand the product to you on a plate without exposing the design faults and cheap fabrics that some brands will try and get away with but we like to do things differently as a lot of that has to do with advertising: the brands put money their way in return for adverts and the magazines do not want to upset the product managers by exposing what really goes into the product they offer the general public. Element do not advertise on this website yet, but they have enough confidence in their brand to send us everything that comes out season after season. They know that they do not rely on cheap fabrics and have enough experience to get the perfect blend of design and functionality with their products for skaters worldwide.

On first view this Pionner Jacket leaps out of the box, wraps its warm material around you leaving your head to poke out of the top with a smile on your face. It’s lightweight shell does not weigh you down if you want to get loose on a ledge although like any jacket made of micro ottoman 100% polyamide. I’m sure if subjected to being blown off a San Francisco hill bomb at 40mph it would give in at some point. Anyway, that’s obvious of any material but this jacket is firstly super warm without strangling you in a sauna once you get warmed up and also has the pockets you need when you go riding to hide any portable music player on the inside and your mitts on the outside.

The only main fault I could find with this jacket is the fact that the sleeves have the option to be tightened with Velcro and the strip of Velcro stitched to the sleeve itself seems to be a little too long for my liking and is exposed by a good 4 inches which is not needed. Personally I have decided not to skate in this jacket and have used it as my daily winter jacket to tackle weather during my daily duties. Other than the Velcro overdose that can easily be fixed if you want to make the effort at a local tailors, this could well be a contender for jacket of the year here at Crossfire this winter, go grab one and defeat the cold this season in style.

Element Congress Jeans

Once upon a time Levi’s were choice of jean for skateboarders worldwide, probably due to the fact that no skate companies ever made them available, but nowadays you can guarantee that most make them tailored to the way we ride but the question is, are they as good?

Element have done their research and have produced a jean that runs with the same logic and chemistry as their range of shirts, mixing 1.1% lycra with a 98.9% cotton. This provides movement, allowing the fabric to move wherever you do but so minimally that you would not notice it compared against your usual denim.

The cut would suit anyone looking for a superbly fitted jean with a low cut waist that again allows perfect flexibility so if you like either a baggy jean or tight drainpipe styles these will not for you. Add the fact that you could wear these out in the evening and feel good in them and you have one of the best jeans you could buy.

Element’s wood and thread have always delivered quality and these jeans set a high standard. Go get some and find out.

Element Horizontal Hood

The first thing you notice as this fits around your bones is the fact that the fabric is killer soft on first touch. Made of 80% cotton and 20% polyester this hoody manufactured in India has great shape and comes with a perfect hood and the wind water fire and earth logo that sleeps on the chest.

The front pockets supply your hands with warmth once again due to the quality fabric and also boasts another classic logo on the left hand sleeve. You can’t really go wrong with this hoody, go get one and feel the earth….

You can find all of these threads at www.elementskateboards.com

Chuck Bangers