PRODUCT
PATROL
by Jake Phelps
Now that I am here at the magazine every day it gives me a chance
to call manufacturers, establish a working relationship with some
of them, and get new equipment faster and easier. The new product
by product format has met with favorable reviews and in the future.
I hope to keep you abreast of all the goings on in the manufacturing
as well as retail end of the market. With a steady supply of mer-
chandise and an open mind, I find my job very comfortable.
Z-Oiler bearings
Z-Products, PO Box 5397, Santa
Monica, CA 90405
walking home from the shop,
you can lay into 'em with the
sealed packet in your fist and
that is the end of that. Z bear-
for a good wheel (smooth ride,
even wear and functional shape).
Those ideas are still alive in the
new Rats. I rode the 95's for a
while and found them fast,
smooth, all-around good wheels.
I think the slide takes a little getting
used to, but it's more than worth
the wait. Check into the new Powell
line at you local shop or write for
a price list or catalog today.
Chuck Dinkins deck
Walker Skateboards, 1365-A South
Patrick Dr, Satellite Beach, FL 32937
Bruce Walker sent me a care
package with some rails and two of
their newest shapes. The one up for
review is the Chuck Dinkins Pro
model. This top is strong and light
with a medium concave and
aerodynamic shape. As mentioned,
the concave is nothing special, but
the overall package is up to par. The
Dinkins doesn't have a tri-tail but it
Z-Products has generously ings are fast and last, so get per" nose that is a must in any board
flowed a box of their new Z-
Oiler bearings and, for the
price, they are worth every
penny. While most companies
don't concern themselves with
bearings, the boyz at Z know
that a necessary ingredient to
any fast skate is some smokin'
rollers. They come ten in a
pack, so if someone starts
hassling you when you're
POWEL
104
serious and get on 'em.
Rat Bones wheels
Powell Peralta, 501 East Gutierrez St.,
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
When you think back about four
years to what everybody was
riding, the wheels that come to
mind are Rat Bones. Well, that was
then, this is now and Rat Bones
are back and better than ever. They
used to come in 90, 95 and 97
durometer, now they come in 93,
95 and 97. Rats were extremely
popular because they had all
the necessary ingredients
does have the state of the art "whop
these days. It came with rails but no
tape which I thought was kind of fun-
ny. Well, write to Walker for the
WALKER
BB
straight talk. Oh yeah, it's 30%"
long, 10" wide, with 4% of nose,
a 6% tail and a 14%" wheelbase.
More on Walker at a later date.
Thanks Bruce.
Steve Saiz slabs
Ray Barbee/
Powell Peralta
How could I do Powell wheels
without doing their decks? Well,
I can't. Powell has been making
decks for many moons and this
time, after many tries, they got it
right. I know what you're think-
ing, "Is he saying that the old
Powell decks weren't hot?" Well,
no. I'm just saying they were
never known for their deep con-
cave or tri-tail, and now that they
have both of those attributes,
they're hotter planks. With the
changing of the guard on the
horizon, Powell has issued two
new pro models: The Ray
Barbee and the Steve Saiz.
Steve and Ray are both raging.
skaters, they need raging planks,
and these babies are the ones.
The Barbee is 32" long, 10"
wide, with 4% of nose, a 6%"
tail and a so-smooth 15%"
wheelbase. It's a clean stick with
no rough edges or funky cuts.
The Saiz is 31" long, 10%"
wide, with 4½" of nose, a
6½" tail and a 15" wheelbase.
The bottom line is that Powell is
back in the swing of things. I for
one am glad they finally did it.
Hey kids, notice how long the
decks are getting? Does anyone
know why? Write to Powell for the
whole ball of wax.
Bullet 63mm wheels
Santa Cruz Skateboards, 4401 Soquel
Dr.. Soquel, CA 95073
When you talk about keeping
up with the Joneses in the
wheel Industry, you have to
realize that Bullets are the
standard of comparison.
Metiver sent me up some new
63mm Bullets fresh out of the
The wheel has the same killer
steepest, but these guys make a
simple, quality deck-no hype or
gun, and they're still smoking. fashion. The Ngoho is 30" long.
934" wide, with 4" of nose, a 6%"
tail and a 14" wheelbase.
The Z crew would still be making
decks from themselves even if
nobody bought them, and that is
the true definition of a "skater-
owned" company.
shape, it's just trimmed down
a little for lower risers or looser
trucks. Hey Metiver, how about
some "liquor store" wheels,
huh? I'm kind of thirsty, and I
think you promised. Also new
RIZ
from the wheel king are Hosoi
Rockets and the Slalom wheel
that has everybody talking.
Keeping up with the Joneses,
hah, these dudes are writing
the book.
Pat Ngoho plank
Z-Products
I started with Z, so I will end
with Z. The new Pat Ngoho is the
latest addition to the ever-
expanding Z line. The concave is
not the deepest, the tail isn't the
Well, those are the nuts and
bolts for this month. As always,
feedback is appreciated and
encouraged. Thank you for
your time and letters. I love
them all. Write to: Product
Patrol c/o Jake, THRASHER
Magazine, PO Box 884570,
San Francisco, CA 94188-4570.
A last note to H-Street and
Sims-answer my calls and
send me your latest stuff. We
want to check it out and let the
gang know what's up. Later.
PATINGOHO
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