PRODUCT PATROL
Tradeshow
news, deck
reviews and
wheels that
can take you
anywhere.
What's up with all of these new skate companies? First, it is only logical that most of them
are indeed started by bigger companies to spread the money out over a larger area. And second,
most of these "new" companies are really old ones. From the trade show comes word of some
interesting and outrageous skate paraphernalia. Tracker was sporting 24-karat gold-plated
trucks for the Elvis in all of us. Christian finally left Vision, and SKT Kultur is on the rise with
both his and the Serg man's new models. Real broke new ground with a revolution in wheel mar-
keting by selling sets of 6-more slide for your dollar. I heard the Airbourne gang is making
truck mounting hardware that runs lengthwise (with the board grain), which I think could lead to
excessive pressures on the board and baseplate and eventually cause breakage. Venture is
busting with magnesium hangers that may lead a renaissance in the truck industry for the light
yet fragile material. The new all-terrain XT-Wheelz-just put 'em on and your deck will look like
Bigfoot. If they work as well as they look, the hills are mine.
Fish Bowl
Fishlips, 777 Fay Ave., Suite K-215, La Jolla,
California 92077
Fishlips is one of my personal favorites.
They have no pros that I know of (no atti-
tudes) and they make some killer planks. It is not easy starting from scratch and building up
a good rep with materials to match. Perry sent me another deck called simply "Fish Bowl"
It's uni-directional and built to last. The numbers are 31.5" x 9.625", with 6" of nose, a 6.25"
tail and a super quick 13.5" wheelbase. If your local shop doesn't carry these boards, I sug-
gest you write direct. They won't let you down.
Sergie Ventura
SKT Kultur, P.O. Box 481228, L.A., CA 90048
SKT Kultur's own Sergie Ventura is
one of the longest (32.85") decks
around and it really kicks ass. I set it
up with the max nose (6.75"), rode
my ramp and did 11-foot airs. (In your
dreams, Jakester.
T-ed) It was great.
It's about time
Serge got a model
that's a true reflec-
tion of his talent.
Smooth tail and
nose, high quality
wood-you can't
go wrong with this
cue. I think this will
put SKT Kultur on
the map, so to
speak. When in
doubt, I will whip
this one out.
Jason Rogers
H-Street, P.O. Box 9990, San Deigo, CA 92109
It has been a while since I
heard from H-Street and I was
wondering if they were ever
gonna let me see some new
cues. Well, they sent me a
Jason Rogers and, like most
of the H-Street decks, the
concave is now less extreme
than the old Hellcaves. H-
Street has come out of obscu-
rity to almost cult status in
four years. They have done
this by securing young, strong
riders and by making the cult
classic vid "Shackle Me Not."
Jason Rogers' deck is light
and strong with a medium
Hi
concave and no funky mid-board bends. The length
is just under 32", width is 9.75", with the front
truck back all the way, it has more nose (6.75")
than tail (6.5") and a 14" wheelbase. They will sell
like hotcakes, so don't delay, order now.
B-83 Wheels
Powell-Peralta, 30 S. La Patera Lane, Goleta, CA 93117
B-83
Small wheels seem to be the hip thing these days, so it's no
surprise that the majority of companies make some.
Powell-Peralta is no exception. Not only is P/P coming out
with a new shape, but a new gimmick-a durometer B series.
They are called B-83s, they are 55mm tall and have a pretty
basic square shape. It seems that when com-
panies come out with a new durometer
scale, they feel as though they are unique
and this will catch the
skater's eye, but in reality
it only confuses the con-
sumer and often leads
to the purchase of the
wrong wheel. Once I fin-
ished the battle of putting
the bearings in, I found the
ride smooth but slippery. Powell-Peralta
has one of the best track records when it comes to consis-
tency of wheel 'thane, so maybe they are your cup of tea.
Steve Schneer
But,
sell. This all-terrain, well-
Airbourne, 7945 Dunbrook, Unit E, rounded board will excel in
San Diego, CA 92126
all situations. The nose is
smooth and the tail
features a slight
extra kick in the
last inch or so
for those hellbent
Imoves like Steve
does. It is 32.75"
long, 10" wide, the
tail is 6.25" and the
max nose is 6.25". I
found this to be
a highly rideable
board. Write to
them; they will set
you straight.
In the past I have
gotten some pretty
funky product from
Airbourne.
they are back on
track with the new
Schneer. I know
Steve is a better
skater than a gam-
bler, and he is tak-
ing no chances
with this slab. Ex-
cellent concave
and simple graphic
design will make it
Question to Alien Workshop: Are you so far out in space
that you cannot even write or send me some products? I, as
well as the rest of this world, am waiting. If I was gonna
start a new company, I would call it "Free" so that whenever
you went to the skatepark and they asked for your money,
you could say, "I skate for Free."
That's all folks, and keep those cards and letters coming.
Over and out! Jake Phelps, c/o Thrasher Magazine, P.O. Box
884570, San Francisco, CA 94188-4570.-Jake Phelps
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