PRODUCT PATROL
Exploring a
forest of new
decks, a hard
look at 100
durometer
wheels and a
fruitful fore-
cast of product
on the horizon.
The war is over and the best is yet to come. Let's get back to the matters at hand. Decks,
decks and more decks-as I have said before, most of the merchandise that comes my way
are decks. In the coming months, look for BBC and New Deal decks, as well as products
from new companies who are knocking at the door, like Big Top and Cash. TNA Raider riser
pads are also on the horizon, so keep an eye out for news and keep in touch. Suburban
Skates has some new decks, including one by new pro Tom Peha, the Seattle Psycho. These
boards look an awful lot like H-Street's. XT Dirt Wheelz are king-some money to be made
by letting them on ski mountains in the summer. The hills are alive. Even though G&S
doesn't advertise in the mag, I'm looking for their new stuff so I can trash it. Also look for
"Velocity" shoes by Airwalk. This month's merchandise includes an excellent crop of decks,
as well as the first wheels to go over 100 in the durometer department.
BLANK STARE PLANK
Real Skateboards, P.O.
Box 881914, S.F., CA
94188-1914
If you haven't heard
of Real Skateboards
yet, you must be liv-
ing on another planet.
These guys came out
of nowhere and are
killing it with pros like
T.G. and Thiebaud.
The Blank Stare Plank
is one of their best.
shapes. It checks in
at 32.25" x 9.75", with 6.5" of nose, a
6.5" tail and a 14.25" wheelbase. If they
don't carry Real where you live, they'll
have to get real to keep up with the times.
TREE & NINE
Small Room, 662 Upham St., San Luis Obispo,
California 93401
Last month it
was Fishlips, this
month it's Small
Room, a small
HAIRBALLS
Santa Cruz Skateboards, 4401 Soquel Dr., Soquel, CA 95073
The current trend in wheels is small and hard.
Speed Wheels introduces the new 55mm/100
durometer Hairball. The future is now. From Bullet
66 to OJII, Metiver has for-
ever had his finger on
the pulse of the wheel
machine and, to be
honest, he went right
for the throat with
these balls of fire.
They are super fast
and have a functional
shape. They wear out sooner
because they are so hard, but if you need the
speed, these are the wheels indeed.
company with a big heart. They know
how to make skateboards and that is all
they make. As I said last month, my
heart goes out to these little companies
that are out there competing with the big
guys and are not afraid. Small Room is
right on target with simple shapes and
functional designs. The Tree is a good
board for the
smaller skater out
there. It is 31.25"
by 9.5", with 6.25"
of nose, a 6.25"
tail and, my favorite, a 13.5" wheelbase.
The "Nine" is a little more my size. The
Nine is 32.75" by 9.85", with 6.25" of
nose and a 6.75" tail. I seriously recom-
mend the Small Room line for all
skaters. Louis, I tip my hat to you.
MIKE CRUM
& CHRIS GENTRY
Vision, 1395 S. Lyon
Street, Santa Ana,
California 92705
As I already said
last month, the new
blood is pumping at
Vision. Well, here
they are. The Mike
Crum and the Chris
Gentry, two new
loads to set the
record straight. The
Crum looks a lot like
a World Industries
product-a simple concave and a
focus on the large nose and small
tail. It rode well, and I'll tell you, it
took a licking and kept on ticking.
The measurements are as follows:
32" long, 9.5" wide, with either 6" or
6.5" of nose, a
smallish 6.5" tail
and a 14" or 14.5"
wheelbase. The
Gentry is more of a
classic shape with a
rounded nose and a
wider tail. At 32.25"
by 9.75", it has a
larger surface area.
The nose is slightly
shorter (5.5" or 6")
and the tail is the
same (6.5"). I think
that the guys at Vision are finally
giving their riders more freedom to
ride what they want.
Next month I'll check out Real
Small Wheels, some new decks
from Suburban Skates and
maybe, if you're lucky, the new
Danny Sargent killer model.
Write to Jake c/o Thrasher
Magazine, P.O. Box 884570,
San Francisco, CA 94188-4570.
-Jake Phelps
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