Prime Longboard Blog

2010-10-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

The 4th Bath to Bristol Charity Skate

This past weekend saw the 4th Lush Longboards Charity Skate from Bath to Bristol. The selected charity for this year’s event was Macmillan Caner Nurses, as they having been taking care of the legend that is ‘Longy’, during his battle with cancer. It was also decided that compulsory fancy dress would be the order of the day this year as a way of drawing more attention to the event and its aims. Needless to say we dispatched our resident longboard nut Matt off to join in the fun and see what happened;

Marcus and his new hombre!

I woke up Saturday morning to the grey misty dawn and immediately prayed for a dry event as last year’s rain made a usually good day appallingly draining and difficult. As the sun rose the cloud cleared but it never brightened and the oppressive humidity increased. With Kym driving myself and Marcus loaded the car with our boards and packs for the day, we then battled through the traffic, and Bath’s ever complicated one way system, to get to the start in time, eventually making it with only 10 minutes to spare. After grabbing a few shots on the camera and catching up with a few friends Rich Auden gave the order to get started. Marcus and I had decided to get off to a quick start to avoid being held up in the usual log jam of skaters on the river path at the start. After sprinting to the head of the field, with music in our ears and our hearts pounding we just pushed, stopping every few miles to take on water. Upon getting to Saltford we discovered we had covered 4 ¾ miles in a little under 25 minutes so a decision was made to carry on at the same pace and forgo the usual lunch stop at Warmley in a bid to see how fast we could get from start to finish.

Tunes pumping and awesome costumes - what will next year hold?

By the time we hit Bitton we had already been caught by the roller-bladders who had joined us at Bath but had not seen any other skaters. Then as we neared Warmley, the slight uphill began to take its toll, the legs began to ache and Marcus riding his Kisiwa was finding it particularly tough but he kept pushing and sipping fluids till got reached our next break. After a drink and some chocolate we pushed on, over the ring road with its killer slope up to the first bridge, and then revelled in the drop down in to Bristol. My feet were beginning to ache and the ever so slight downward incline began to help ease the pain but the wet leaves and fallen sticks under the trees did make for a few tense moments. Keeping a keen lookout for our turn off to Shiners we carried on, but unbeknown to me, Marcus was falling back.

Matt, Bruno and Marcus at the finish

About two miles later I noticed the sign for Shiners and dived off the path in to a busy street, dodging traffic looking for a giant warehouse and the now infamous roll-in on to the Shiners hill. After reaching the gate I sat and waited, catching my breath and trying to drink as much as possible. After a few minutes I made my way back toward the cycle path, hoping to catch Marcus and I was greeted by a very tired looking American Indian on a giant skateboard with Bruno in hot pursuit, wiggling furiously down the pavement. After leading them to the finish we greeted Liz as she and Charlotte arrived in the car and we proceeded to phone Rich to get him to open the gate so we could rest and contemplate the hill and the new roll-in.
After discussing times with Bruno it was established I had been waiting about 15 minutes for Marcus and him which put my time at 1 hour 14 minutes and Marcus and Bruno’s at about 1 hour 28 minutes, which we all agreed was not bad for 15 miles.

Rich and Mark with their new ramp...

After a fairly lengthy wait other skaters rolled in, including a group who we had seen earlier but who had missed the signs and had ended up at Temple Meads station. As the crowd started to grow people began to christen the roll-in and photographers jumped up from where they had slumped and started squeezing off shots from numerous angles.

Zombie Rich, mega standup slide.

All in all we were treated to a wicked day of skating, for a fantastic cause and with a lot of likeminded people. All I want to know now is how the hell are the Lush crew going to top this next year.......
For more information visit the forum over at Lush or to donate check out the Just Giving page

2010-10-05T00:53:00.000-07:00

Shaugh Lake Outlaw Review

For the second time in 5 months the collaboration of Prime Delux and Lush Longboards put on another race & freeride. This time the location had moved from a city based business park to the wilds of the Dartmoor National Park just outside Plymouth. The course was just under 1.2 miles in length and featured a fast top section which encouraged drafting and close riding before throwing the riders in to a steep right followed by a fast left which featured a morass of surface changes and even a 'river' of water running across the final part of the course due to the recent rain.

Broken, beaten, cold and wet but still wanting more...

The unpredictable weather and torrential downpours the night before kept numbers low and the problems with lifts not showing put the race over an hour behind schedule, but the organising team rallied and got everything sorted. Once everyone had arrived and a quick safety check was made a few exploratory runs were arranged with the course starting off patchy but mainly dry (except the infamous river on the final bend). Then, as is customary on Dartmoor, the heavens opened and soaked the whole course just after the first heats, which lead to some interesting racing on the slippery, unpredictable surface. Luckily the shower didn’t last long and the bottom of the course began to dry but the top stayed wet until the end of the day.

Luck of the draw...

To throw a different spin on to the racing and to encourage some close battles the organisers decided to use a ‘squash ladder’ format where the racers pick their opponents and then they race head to head to either climb the ladder or fall depending on the results of the heat.

Chilling between heats.

As the riders paired off and due to the luck of the draw many of the faster racers found themselves down the ladder with a pair of first time racers at the top. This resulted in a few very close heats, some big bails and a couple of last gasp overtakes. Local riders struggled to make a showing in the early rounds but as the weather improved the racing got faster as the grip levels went up and the field started to spread out. As the light closed in it was decided to run the top four in the table as a final run to settle the podium positions. Both Marcus Larbalestier and Will Gibson had managed to stay near the top of the ladder due to the weather and the battling in the lower order amongst the more experienced riders, that left the other two places in the final to local riders Zak Allen and Matt Dimond. In the final Zak and Matt battled to the line as their experience showed leaving the two novice racers to battle for third place on the podium. In the end Matt took the victory followed by Zak, whilst Marcus managed to hold off Will for third.

Oli's only injury after his crash

After the racing a thirty minute slide/freeride jam was held on the bottom section of the course with both skaters and marshals helping to judge the final outcome. In the end Oliver Slaughter won best bail for a near 35mph crash in to the banks surrounding the road after attempting a ‘no braking’ run down the hill and losing control in the ‘river’, whilst local boy Elliot Allen took the slope style prize for his massive drifts mixed with technical sliding but was run very close by Ben Bishop. An honourable mention went out to Will Gibson who in his first outlaw with no pads or gloves managed fourth place and as he was judged to have shown the most improvement over the course of the day he walked away with a Lush Kuni complete for his efforts. Adam Lewis netted the last prize of the day for his dip in the creek followed closely by Ben. For more information on the next event check out the Prime Longboarding Facebook and the Lush Longboards Forum

A massive thank you is due to Richard Auden and Mark Penman from Lush Longboards, Michael Brooke from Concrete Wave Magazine, the marshals and photographers who kept the riders safe as without their support this event would not have happened.

2010-10-01T13:42:00.000-07:00

Loaded and Landyachtz just dropped in......

Even though the weather is playing its usual moody tricks we just received a load of new stock from Landyachtz, Loaded, Bear, Hawgs and Orangatang. Come in and grab your kit then come out and it through its paces at Shaugh Lake Outlaw this weekend!

First up we have the new for 2010 Bear Grizzly trucks in a super smooth black finish. Bear have been working on the already awesome grizzly and have added a new deeper bushing seat, a cleaner more precise axle and hanger facing as well as improving the pumpkin bushings to make them more suitable for all-round skating as well as taking on the more technical downhill runs.

Secondly we have managed to fight off the hordes and claim some Zombie Hawgs. Stone ground for super long slides from new, a super side-set bearing seat for ultimate control and response, coupled with an oversized core to keep the urethane in the right shape and running smoothly.

Following closely behind the Zombies is an assortment of the ever popular Orangatang wheels. They have arrived in 4 President, In Heat, Stimulus and Durian varieties so take your pick, bolt them on and go shred.

Loaded also hooked us up with a pair of Dervish’s and a Tan Tien so if you have the need for a smooth, fast carvy ride or want to get super technical with your freeriding these are for you. The Dervish has become a classic since its inception and the Tan Tien is fast becoming the board for the emerging generation of freeriding flat land skaters who still crave action on the hills and in the park. Set up with either Paris or Randal trucks it is possible to have a grippy carvy ride or if you slap a set of Stimulus or Durian’s on then you have the ability to pull monster slides with complete control and still have the grip you need for general skating.

2010-09-27T07:07:00.001-07:00

Prime Delux, Lush Longboards and Concrete Wave are collaborating to bring you a new event in the South West. The day will consist of a DH Race followed by a Freeride session on a marshalled course and the chance to win some top notch gear from Lush Longboards.

This is THE place to be if you are a longboarder next weekend. Check Facebook for the signup and for more information

2010-09-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

Shaugh Lake Outlaw

If you enjoy longboarding and are a bit of a speed freak the place to be next weekend (03/10/10) is the Shaugh Lake Outlaw. Outlaw grassroots racing doesn’t get much more fun than this, a long run through some fast kinks in to a gnarly bottom section where your cornering and balance will be tested. Add in the chance of sheep or ponies on the course and the unpredictable Dartmoor roads and you have a recipe for a wicked race. After having spoken to the organisers there will also be the opportunity for freerides down the fully marshalled course so even if racing is not your bag come and take a few runs and get the feel for it. For more information and to sign up check out the Facebook page.

2010-09-24T05:02:00.001-07:00

Just had a look around the new website and Rich and the guys over at Lush have seriously updated their new layout with new graphics, descriptions and everyones favorite, pictures!!!

Head on over and check it out, join the forums or geek out on the latest offerings from Lush, and don't forget the Bath to Bristol charity skate all for Macmillan cancer nurses, you won't want to miss it!!

2010-09-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

CLBC.....

That's Coast Longboarding British Columbia, probably the most reknown social network of Longboarders in the world and their new video has just gone live, head over to Youtube and check it out, you won't be disappointed!!!

2010-09-02T07:16:00.000-07:00

Delivery....!!!

Just in time for the drier weather a delivery of new Lush, Cult and Sabre products. First up we have the Lush Huna, which is a small swallow tailed board in the same mould as a Tula but with a bit more room on the deck due to its larger dimensions. The acidic green graphic harks back to the 80’s skate scene and the soft Magma wheels keep you rolling over the variable surfaces this country has to offer. Equally at home as a commuter board, in a park or a bowl or just chillin’ on the Hoe.

Next up we have the Lush Thing. A medium concave and wide deck shape make this a perfect mini thrash/speed board, the adjustable wheelbase meaning it is possible to tweek away for the perfect ride while the Lush trucks compliment the deck perfectly and Cult Classics keep you rolling, sliding and drifting your way across any terrain. The lush boys weren’t wrong about how good this board is, try one and be surprised!

The new 2010 Kuni has been revised to make a smaller more nimble board designed to aid the progression of beginners as well as still appealing to more seasoned riders. The new graphics stand out in an old school Lush way and the newly developed Acid Drop wheels provide a flexibility to the riding style helping to keep the costs down if you want to switch to a grippy or slippy ride depending on your preference.

The Mako has also received a few upgrades for this year. Some are cosmetic such as the new Celtic graphic which ties in nicely with the new Kuni (above) but it also has been improved by the addition of Sabre trucks and the ever popular Cult Classics. This combination makes for a surf style pintail which can carve, slide and cruise as well as handle the odd steep hill with ease. If the previous iteration was the ultimate pintail, then god knows how good the new version is...

Our last new board is the new 2010 spec Samba. It still comes with the awesome Sabre trucks and Cult Gammaray wheels but the feel, shape and construction of the board have all changed in a good way. The new layup is stiffer, slightly shortened in the tail, has more of a symmetrical outline and deeper pockets to lock you in for those super long stand up slides or for ripping turns on the steepest of local hills. Finally the Lush boys have added in the sharper rail shape from the Spooky to aid edge control and foot placement and when combined with the new concave the confidence these changes give is amazing.

Finally we have a re-stock of the Magenta and Yellow Cult Classics, Cult Gammarays as well as F & R type Sabre Bushings and Sabre Trucks.

2010-09-01T23:55:00.000-07:00

Just slithered in...

We are proud to announce that we have added Zak Maytum’s Venom bushings to our range of products. Ridden by some of the top racers and freeriders in the world and now available in your local shop

Venom’s come in three shapes, Barrel, Conical and Eliminator. The Barrel and Conical shapes have been around for years and are close to standard now but the Eliminator is designed for Spherical bearing equipped precision trucks but is also compatible with all reverse kingpin trucks as well as Indy’s and Trackers etc.

The main aim is to go experiment to see what works best for you and you riding style. If there is a particular style or durometer you are after we have access to the full range so don’t hesitate to ask for it if it is not on the shelf.

If you are interested in Venom or want more information check out www.venombushings.com and get the lowdown from Zak himself or see the chart below:

2010-08-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

A longboarding trip home...

Due to a family illness Kym and myself decided to load up the car and head for Somerset and my old stomping grounds for the weekend. On my list of things to do was check out the new Midsomer Norton Skatepark and just generally go and session a few old spots with my friends from home.

Well the drive up was dull as hell, despite looking out for all the old landmarks, and after sitting still for two and a half hours I decided to embark on a little session when we arrived at Marcus’s place. I didn’t really work out like that as we had a few other things to do but we did manage to squeeze in a quick half hour at a nice local hill with a bumpy as hell hairpin half way down and a pub at the bottom. Once it was too dark to skate (no streetlights in the country!) we headed home for some food and a catch-up.

Friday morning, dogs barking, chickens clucking and the sun beaming in I woke Kym up and we headed down for breakfast. Marcus was already at work so we went and collected my sister and decided to go for a walk/skate around the beautiful city of Bath. Suffice to say the roads haven’t got any better and the new shopping precinct is fun to roll through. After a pub lunch and a bit more wandering we headed off to a nice hill I have been skating for many years and decided to lay down some urethane. Ellie broke out the Mako and got accustomed to the smooth wide expanse of tarmac whilst Kym worked on her freeriding and I set about killing some O’tang Stimulus. Marcus then showed up and proceeded to rock his Globe 38 and hard wheels, digging deep in to his bag of tricks and unearthing a few hands down gems as well as working on a few new variations we dreamed up. As usual Marcus didn’t disappoint in the bail stakes as he soon showed when he lost control of a slide and ended up suffering road rash for his loss of concentration. As the light faded we decided to head home and then venture out in the dark to the local pub. A couple of local cider’s later we headed for home and our beds.

Saturday looked like a promising day until it rained, not much but enough to make the local skateparks treacherous to say the least. Thankfully the weather gods decided to be merciful and the sun burnt the intermittent showers off and granted us an afternoon of riding at the newest skatepark in the South West. Before my trip I had heard a lot of skaters and BMXer’s raving about this new park, but nothing prepared me for the variety of terrain it had to offer. Crazy rail transfers over grass, rocks built in to the top of the ramps, step-ups made to look like castle battlements, flat banks and even a huge bowled section. This place truly opened my eyes to the possibilities of riding a longboard in a skatepark.

Sunday was christened skate day. After a beautiful lunch prepared by our hosts mum(thanks Kayla!!!), we loaded up the car and set out for our favourite spot of old. Marcus was keen to finally finesse his new found variations, I was keen to learn a few new ones and Kym wanted to have a go with Marcus’s new camera. The main source of entertainment was an old local enemy calling the police to have us moved on but upon the officers arrival he was nothing but complementary and once he saw our footage he allowed us to carry on with just a polite word of caution for pedestrians and other road users. Remarkable what a polite tongue and a reasonable attitude on both sides can achieve.
Other than that I will let he pictures do the talking..............................

General overview shots of the new park at Midsomer Norton

You want to ride that in here?!?

Backside Bert on the bank.

New park, new friends.

Marcus and his injuries...

Marcus backside 360 variation.

Matt frontside pendy-manual.

Matt coleman slide.

BAIL!!!

Marcus working on a new variation...

Matt killing some wheels.

Many thanks to Kym for the photo's, Mark and Michaela for a place to stay and some awesome food and the locals at Midsomer Norton for their hospitality.

For more pictures check out our Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=100001453446949&v=wall

2010-07-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

Prime Longboarding......now on Facebook!!!

After realising the power of social networking and seeing as we were being outdone by the local 'shortboarders' we decided to get a page up dedicated to longboarding. We will be posting up new stock updates, photos and videos from sessions and roadtrips etc. If you have anything you owuld like to see on the page or want to hook up for a session then feel free to drop us a message and we can go from there.

2010-07-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

A Day on the Moor...

Hazy eyes opened to a grey and overcast day, the thick morning air did little to refresh as I tumbled downstairs to stick on a few coffees and open the door to an already excited Sam. Marcus joined us as soon as we hit the kitchen and Sam’s eyes lit up as there it was, his new toy, all ready to be assembled and taken out for a through workout. Soon after, coffee downed, board built and kit gathered we were off to a local hill for a few runs to allow Sam to dial in his new ride and to shake off the final vestiges of sleep. Sam started tentatively but soon got in to his stride after a few tweaks and adjustments and we all jumped back in to the van to rush back to town to collect Kym and the rest of our gear and we made a beeline for the local supermarket to supplement the meagre packed lunch we had prepared the night before. A quick call to Daz confirmed our meeting point and the mission was on.

Sam and his new ride

We arrived to find the clouds had lifted as the weatherman had promised to reveal a beautiful day on the Moor. Driving up to our base camp we were all spotting nice little runs, fun corners or gnarly inclines which were all begging be tamed. After parking the cars we decided to fuel ourselves up for the day ahead and with the sun beating down and a reasonable headwind, Marcus, Kym, Sam and myself set off to discover what the Moor had in store for us. A few gentle runs later we decided to go for one more speedier run down. Setting off in a group reminds me why I love to skate, good friends, good weather, nice roads and above all the joy of riding. Once at the bottom of the hill we swapped grins and began the kilometre long hike back to the top. A shiny purple box appeared behind us and a greeting from Daz and in enquiry to where the cars were parked followed. Reinvigorated by the new addition to the group we made short work of the hike and we all went round swapping stories and making introductions.

3/5ths of the crew

The mellow run back to the cars

Some more food and a couple of runs later we decided to move to a steeper more demanding section of the hill so Sam could really get to grips with his new ride and Marcus could have his first taste of real speed on a proper Speedboard. Daz decided to try out a few new slides and was enjoying wearing a few more millimetres from his O’tangs whilst Marcus got to grips with sliding on soft wheels and bombing the bottom section. I also got stuck in and grabbed out my Speedboard and went for a few banzai runs whilst Kym expertly watched for traffic and shot a memory card (or two) of photo’s and videos.

Marcus representing......

Daz sideways

Sam ripping it on his new ride

Yours truly joining in the fun

The day ended with us all deciding that we would definitely be coming back for another go on this rollercoaster landscape. So, after saying our goodbyes to Daz and latterly Sam, Kym, Marcus and myself headed off to a local spot to go and chill out and share a few laughs before we were sucked back in to our weekly routines of work and home life.

All I want to add is that Marcus is possibly one of the greatest characters both on and off a board. Never short of a story or two he is up for anything and is always giving maximum effort all the time. If you ever get the chance to ride with him you will not forget it, just ask some of the locals...............

Marcus in his casual attire................don't ask!!!

2010-06-14T04:14:00.000-07:00

Speed and Sliding

Saturday, 21 degrees, sun and shredding. For the second time in a month Sam called me and we went off for a sliding and bombing mission. Before we went out a new helmet and gloves were in order for Sam and he proceeded to put them through their paces. Kym and myself decided to take Sam on a bit of a tour and introduce him to sliding corners and steeper narrower hills than he has available in his neighbourhood. Sam didn’t disappoint either as he went at it in his usual charging style, pushing until he fell then getting up and doing it again. We then decided to adjourn for a little cruise and a chat, soaking up the rays and rehydrating, then stomachs started to rumble so we took the now almost traditional trip to KFC for an energy packed nutritious lunch. We had all been discussing different riding styles during the day and it was decided that today was the day for Sam to try a bit of speed with his longboarding. So, lunch done, everyone refuelled and ready we went to hit our local practice hill, which consists of a set of three alternating rights and lefts in to a straight and a fast left sweeper to finish. We proceeded to get a few runs in, speed building on each run, the riding becoming closer and closer. Sam was getting the hang of it and was visually stoked on the speed and the concentration required. Then came the first lucky miss of the day, at the fastest point on the hill a loose dog ran out in front of me and I proceeded to dodge it, only just scrapping by between the canine chicane and the high kerb of the traffic island, this was swiftly followed by another dog incident. Again I was the primary target, the owner not able to control the dog almost ended up under our wheels with her animal, but luckily a quick dodge averted a crisis and respective hospital/vet trips. After the near misses and with the building crosswind we decided to do a few solo runs for speed and then packed up and headed home. All in all a fantastic day of riding, weather and company, long may it continue.

Sam, backside slide.

Drifty hairpin action.

Sam, one handed frontside slide.

Hedge or gravel, take your pick.......

2010-06-02T06:28:00.000-07:00

A Weekend of Prime Longboarding

Saturday was a washout and it looked like the rest of the weekend was headed the same way, typical English bank holiday really, but as I checked the forecast on Saturday night I was pleasantly surprised to find a ‘sunny with the risk of showers’ forecast. This boded well for the Sunday rendezvous with Sam who was popping down to collect his new wheels and have a bit of a slide session. By the time we had got to the first spot the weather was holding but the clouds were beginning to slowly grey so we decided to go for it and keep skating till the rain came or we got injured, which ever happened first. Sam was quite shocked with how easy it was to slide his new Lush Cannonballs after learning on a soft set of cruiser wheels, his progression was nice to see and he kept coming back for more information and help with every run, leading to him finally nailing a few new tricks and giving him something to practice when he got home.

Sam B. grinning after discovering what he is capable of on hard wheels.

Monday was a Cornish invasion. I awoke to a flurry of text messages coupled with bright clear skies and proceeded to hurry to the meeting point to collect our guests. After a little stop at the Prime shop and the collection of a few new bits of kit (Comet Voodoo Doll, Orangatang Durians, Landyachtz Drop Speed and an assortment of bushings, washers, bolts, grip and bearings) we proceed to raid Sainsbury’s for a nutritious lunch of convenience food and drink then we returned to my house to load up two cars with boards and people. With the Cornish lads in Cadan’s car and myself and my partner in our car with more boards and kit we convoyed to a steep left-hand hairpin on which we proceeded to find our limits fairly quickly. Cadan and his Voodoo Doll left a new dent in the hedge, which was enlarged by Nick and myself on more than one occasion. After finally nailing the corner we then moved over to our local hill and proceeded to indulge in some race runs and have a general play about on each others boards. Rob and is double-reverse stinkbug action threatened to steal the show but Road Rash Dan decided to upstage him with a fine display of ‘slimly attired’ skating whilst being pursued by the rest of the pack. After gathering up our stuff and Dan recovered his clothes from the vegetation we moved back in to town for a second healthy meal courtesy of McDonalds. Rob decided to hold a tech-sliding master class in the middle of town and then we rolled up to the Hoe in the dimming light. Cliff Road then played host to more of Rob’s skills as well as Dan trying to coleman slide on the grippiest wheels known to man, the ensuing crash was just comedy of the highest calibre, skater goes one way board goes the other, brilliant. The final spot was a much loved local corner and the boys proceeded to rip both heel and toeside drifts round it, whilst avoiding the tourists and the seagulls that plague the city. As the last of the daylight disappeared we decided to make a move and return to mine to say our goodbyes, but not before ‘rebranding’ Cadan’s car!!

All in all the bank holiday weekend turned in to a belter and I still ache while I write this. Thanks are due to Sam B. for his trip down and his inspirational progression, Rob for his sliding prowess and infectious presence, Cadan for doing all the driving and providing the days quota of crashes, Sam C. for adding to that quota, Nick for his photography and stylish ‘magic carpet’ drifting, the hedge will never forget him, or Cadan for that matter, and finally to Kym for the photography, the conversion of her room in to a board storage facility, the driving and helping to keep us unruly lot in line and making sure we stayed safe. I can’t wait until next time, truly a weekend to remember.

Sam C. preppng his camera for an intense afternoon of photograhy.

Rob keeping the tech-sliding crowd happy

Cadan making friends with the hedge.

Nick quickly following Cadan's lead.

Nick finally nailing the hairpin.

The drag down the main hill.

Dan taking it easy.

Time for another run.

After his rookie mistake Dan goes clothes hunting.

Rob, reverse stinkbug down the main hill.

New stock just in........................

2010-05-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

Today we have been lucky enough to receive not one but two deliveries of longboard stock,

Which was closely followed by,

Cult Classics & Deathrays,

Classics are awesome freeride/soft wheel sliding wheels and the Deathrays are a fast rolling and slightly harder race inspired wheel designed for smooth fast courses where roll speed is a deciding factor.

Sabre Trucks,

A 45* angle makes these halfway between a racing truck and an amazing carving truck, stable at speed and with amazing manuverability they are well worth it.

Sabre Bushings,

These bushings are designed to fit all reverse kingpin trucks and are a suprb aftermarket addition to any truck, R Types are a green 93a race inspired double barrel set, F Types are a purple, softer 88a double barrel and the X Types are 86a orange conicals designed for ultimate carving

Lush Cannonballs (60mm),

Probably the best hard sliding wheels around. I have spent years riding these and they are superb, quality core, predictable slide, don't flatspot even if you try and last forever.

Comet Voodoo Doll deck,

Comet's new topmount Downhill Freeride deck, super short, adjustable wheelbase, deep concave, and oversized wheelwells to prevent wheelbite.

Paris 180's,

A 50* carve orientated trucks but are also highly popular on the Downhill scene due to there awesome turning and stability and are the truck of choice for a lot of the Loaded team for all types of riding.

Bear 852’s

Designed to be a super stable racing truck, that when you swap the bushings out will do anything you want to, fast becoming a local truck of choice.

Landyachtz Hawgs 85mm,

85mm of pure freeride fun. These wheels steamroller the rough roads yet still slide or grip depending on the riders inputs. An old school shape bought up-to-date with a new superb urethane.

Orangatang In Heats,

Wheel of choice for some of the fastest racers on the IGSA World Tour. 80a, 75mm of high grip action and they will even slide once broken in.....

Orangatang Durians,

Butter smooth slides and good wear rate. Loaded's 75mm freeride wheel available in both 86a (yellow) and 83a (purple), designed for the bigger hills and longer slides.

Orangatang Stimulus,

Butter smooth slides and good wear rate. Loaded's 70mm freeride wheel available in both 86a (yellow) and 83a (purple). A smaller version of the Durian designed for more technical tricks and smaller hills.

Lush Huna,

The new retro cruiser form Lush. A wider, slightly longer Tula with a wicked surf style swallow tail and retro graphics, the ideal capus runabout and Hoe cruiser.

Lush Samba,

The ultimate carve board. Custom Sabre trucks and super grippy Cult wheels mean you can ride like a snowboarder or slide the tail out if that is your preference, a true Lush classic.

Lush Convert,

Flexible, fun, fast and fantastic. Looking for a board for the run to the shop and something that is still a good mode of transport and is fun to boot? Look no further.

Prime Longboard Jam: Review

2010-05-10T09:04:00.000-07:00

On 9th May 2010 over 60 longboarders from all over the South West of England congregated on a cold and windy business park to session a hill, trade stories and get some racing in. Everyone from local groms who had only been skating a few months to seasoned local and national riders rocked up as well as some internationally renown riders from the rugged south coast of Cornwall. Everyone went to bed the night before anticipating a rain interrupted day, but as is so often the case we awoke to a dry and bright start but the clouds were omnipresent, blowing in from the moors on the cold wind, threatening rain, yet thankfully it stayed dry.

Everyone rolled up at roughly the appointed start time, midday, and proceeded to disgorge themselves from cars and vans and set about getting a few runs in. Many of the beginners took their chance to watch the more experienced riders and gain some tips for later on, as well as trying out each others boards and some even managing to blag a ride on some of the higher end boards and get some further advice from their riders.

The format for the heats was a simple one, designed to fit with the laid back, all inclusive nature of the event. Each rider ran 6, four man heats against different opposition every time and points were awarded for the positions (3 for a win, 2 for second, 1 for third) in these heats. The racing was very close amongst the groms and there were a few local grudge matches settled as many of them had never had an opportunity to race safely before. Thankfully there were few crashes of any description and no major injuries. A lot of this was down to the mellow nature of the hill as well as the width of the road as there was plenty of space for riders to make mistakes and recover.

As the day progressed and the heats kept on coming, the racing assumed a three way battle for the top of the table. The Plymouth locals were keen to defend their ground against their guests, the lads from Cornwall were putting in a fantastic effort and the interspersal of a few visitors from the rest of the country kept things close and interesting meaning no one could let their guard down for a moment.

After all the heats were run, the top twelve moved on to the semi-finals, the same mixture of people who had been battling it out at the top of the table went through, with some of the locals succumbing to the skills of their guests in the previous rounds. The first Semi-Final included locals Matt, Zak and Jordan, along with Ben and was topped off with Piet and Dan from Cornwall. After a close battle of the start Matt crossed the line first followed closely by Piet and Ben, with Zak, Jordan and an injured Dan bringing up the rear.

The second Semi – Final included local rider Elliot, with PUATB member Chris, Nick, Sam, Mark and Will from Cornwall. It looked like a possible Cornish lockout of the second Semi but it didn’t quite go to plan as local boy Elliot exploited his knowledge of the hill and edged out Chris, Nick and Sam but couldn’t live with the speed of Mark and Will.

The Consolation final was run after the results had been gathered and confirmed by race organisers and included Chris, a road rashed Dan, locals Jordan and Zak as well as he two Cornish lads Sam and Nick. Local boy Zak used his epic push to power away and take the victory with Jordan making it a local one-two and Chris denying the visitors a consolation podium.

The Final was a close drafting battle down the long straight as Will used his giant frame to power in to the lead and he didn’t look back. Local boy Matt looked strong in second only to be pipped on the line by a silent and deadly pass by Mark. Ben managed to fend off Piet to take fourth and despite his strong showing earlier in the day Elliot was left to round out the top six.

Many thanks are due to the team at local skate shop Prime Delux for providing the beers and prizes, Lush Longboards for providing a complete setup for the winner, and Concrete Wave Magazine for providing giveaways and a few goodies. The event wouldn’t have been possible without the help of local band Paradox 51 who helped marshal and keep the results table or without the support of the local skaters who extended their hospitality to the visiting riders.

1st - 3rd Podium

4th - 6th Podium

Consolation Final Podium

Lush Longboards with Prime DH event...

2010-04-30T05:40:00.000-07:00

2010-03-22T05:29:00.000-07:00

A dervish flex 1 turned up today with a some Presidents and freerides.

2010-03-03T08:12:00.000-08:00

Here's an update on the Prime outlaw event. Watch this space for more info. For now, I thought the email I received below sounded it out quite well...

Hey Nick.

So the provisional date for you event is 18th april? I have noted that down
in our diary. here is what Lush will hope to provide:
*Our Team riders- Matt Pearce, me, Rich and Darren Rathbone. displaying
their fine pelts, shiney teeth and gracefull moves....
*Prizes, let me know how many you need, we are keen to donate a Kisiwa deck
as a prize, cos its MASSIVE and pretty cool to win and have to drag home
hahahah!
*Banners, stickers (we might be able to get a gazebo as well, or is that
over the top?)
*Demo boards. -let me know how many you need, or if you even need them.

Im sure the Lush team will all be happy to lend a helpfull hand to skaters
asking for trick tips or advice etc. All we need to know is what time you
want us there, and how much free beer you can supply us.....

speak soon man!

regards

--
Mike River

Plymouth Outlaw Race Number 2...

2010-02-21T01:13:00.000-08:00

Plymouth Outlaw
Race Number 2: Plympton

The second instalment of the Plymouth outlaw race took place last Sunday around the Plympton area. The course was a nippy European style course with tight twisty corners which complimented a top mount deck such as a Lush Revolution or Comet Voodoo XL or drop through deck such as the Comet Pagan or a Lush Spooky.

The board line up for the first round.

From the start line the course went down into a tight 90 degree right hand bend into a short sweeping left then taking a right across the roundabout then an immediate left for the straight, going on after the traffic calming to take another sharp slightly off camber left in to a chicane and a another 90 degree right before the finish line. Due to the size of the course and the tight corners it was decided the heats would be run head to head, with spotters on every corner.

After everyone had a couple of practice runs to get use to the course and dodging the traffic, the heats were randomly decided and the racing began. After a few close runs and an epic crash from Jordan the semis had been decided.

The first of semi finals was between Matt D. and Elliot. Off the line Matt hugged the inside kerb thought the right then drifted slightly to wide on the exit allow Elliot a look down the inside in to the right left flick across the roundabout. Matt just managed to keep his lead and as they approached the tight left threw down a footbrake, with Elliot following suit, both riders tucked and squinted through the dim light aiming for the final turn, it ended with Matt crossing the line a metre or two clear of Elliot which elevated Matt D. to the final and left Elliot to race for fourth and fifth. He was soon joined by his brother Isaac as he was eliminated by Matt E in the second semi-final. Charlie earned a bye in to the final where he was joined by both Matt’s.

It was decided that the fourth and fifth place race should start before the final so as to give everyone a brief respite from the action. Elliot and Isaac both lined up with Elliot on the inside for the first corner. After numerous false starts due to the unpredictable traffic the race finally got underway. Elliot led through the first corner with Isaac in his wheel tracks. Isaac then
darted out from behind his younger brother and built a marginal lead down in to the left, both riders braked lightly, choosing to vary their lines in a desperate attempt to outwit one another.
In the end age conquered youth as Isaac walked away with fourth.

The final was a three way duel between Charlie, who had placed fourth last time out, and the two Matt’s who had swept the top steps of the podium in the previous race. The pressure was on Matt E. to defend his home course from the other two riders and despite Matt D. still recovering from illness and both Matt E. and Charlie having done D of E walks the previous day
the stage looked set for a close run finale to the evening. As the call for a clear course went rippling up the run, the start signal sounded and the three riders began their headlong
dash for the finish. Matt E. proved he still had strength in his legs by using his trademark lightening start to lead in to the first bend, with Matt D. slotting in behind despite having the inside line. This left Charlie to follow down the course, hoping for a mistake from either of the leading two. AS they braked for the final left Matt D. closed up on Matt E. but was unable to make a move and Matt E. proceeded to hold him off till the line with Charlie running in a close third.

Podium of the night:

1st. Matt E. of Orsum Boards,
2nd Prime Delux rider Matt D.,

3rd Charlie of Orsum Boards.

So, after the second race of the session the rankings are; Prime Delux team rider Matt D and Matt E. from Orsum boards are joint in first place, with Charlie just behind in 3rd and Elliot chasing him close in 4th.

Special thanks to Matt. E for organising the course, Mo for providing the safety equipment and all the spotters who hung around until the end, without them the race could have not gone ahead.

Words: Matt Dimond &
Kimberley Reynolds

FSM Complete in store now!

2010-02-08T08:44:00.000-08:00

Matt was kind enough to knock up a Comet FSM Complete.
This board was designed by the online community of silverfish longboarding. The original idea was for a freeride board designed to be able to tackle big mountain roads as well as the urban jungle. We have set this board up with the new Sabre trucks and the new Cult Classic freeride wheels. This means it is a stable yet completely sliceable ride with a smooth transition between the two. The deep concave and the negative rocker keep you locked in to the deck while still providing the type of feedback essential for all round performance riding.

FIRST RACE OF THE PLYMOUTH OUTLAW SERIES

2010-02-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

Saturday night played host to the first in a series of Downhill events to be hosted in and around Plymouth by the local longboarding community. The format is fairly simple, turn up and race!! Everyone gets a few runs at the course and then the heats start. Depending on the hill it is either a mass start with the last person eliminated until there are only the top 3 left to race for the podium or it is divided up in to heats of varying numbers.

We used the mass start for Saturday and it went off well with no accidents. The top of the course is fairly twisty so the riders had to negotiate some bends whilst jockeying for position. After the second right there is a long hill down toward a nice left at the roundabout, with the finish line just after. Not too big a course with speeds reaching about 30mph for the fastest racers. The first major surprise came when local boy Isaac was eliminated in the first race as he is usually such a fast starter and has one hell of a push off the line. Next to go was Adam who couldn’t quite keep tabs with Elliot in the re-run for the final place losing out by about two board lengths. That left Charlie, Elliot, Matt D. And Matt E. To fight it out for the final slots in the podium face off. Matt E. Made his customary blistering start closely followed by Charlie with Matt D. drafting the pair of them and Elliot right behind. Out of the right-hander on to the straight the order stayed fairly static but all was about to change as they dropped down the hill. Matt D. dummied right then as Charlie moved to cover dived left to take second with Elliot in hot pursuit. Slotting in to Matt E.’s slipstream the other Matt then squeezed between the pavement and Matt E. and ever so slowly began to accelerate away. Meanwhile Charlie was locked in a battle with Elliot which was only resolved when Elliot crossed the line fractionally ahead.

So, the final. Matt D., Matt E. and Elliot. At stake the first race of the year. Off the line Matt E. again used his supreme push to gain an early lead though the top bends but the others were sticking close to him and as they emerged out on to the straight line astern utilising the draft of the leader it all went off. Matt D tried a move toward the centre of the road and was politely denied while Elliot was all the while breathing down his neck; Matt D. then ducked back behind Matt E. and tucked for the line inching out a tiny advantage. The bottom corner did nothing to separate the top two and it was Matt D. by almost a board’s length over Matt E. and Elliot coming in a close third.

All that remains to be said is that the next one is going to be a belter as people look to make up lost ground and others try to consolidate their position. A big thanks is in order to Chris and the PUATB crew for calling the initial session, Laura for the cookies and pics, as well as all the riders who turned up and gave it their all.

Podium of the night. 1st Prime Delux team rider Matt D. 2nd Matt E. from Orsum boards and 3rd Elliot

Adam Lewis Interview

2010-02-07T14:13:00.000-08:00

Name: Adam Lewis

Age: 16

Location: Callington just outside Plymouth, which puts me on the Cornish side of the bridge!!

Give us the history of your skating:

I started riding a normal board in about 2003 and got quite in to just rolling down the street and generally cruising around. My friend Sam had a new longboard and I bummed a few goes and was hooked. I quickly pestered my parents in to letting me have one so I ordered a Lush Kuni which became my everyday ride. I customised it with Khiro bushings and when the Orangatang wheels were released I got a set of the 70mm 4 Prez in purple. That board taught me a lot so I decided to try my hand at building my own which was fun and it turned out quite well seeing as I had never done anything like it before, it soon snapped though which was a shame, so I was back to riding the Kuni everywhere. I then managed to scrape the money together to get a Rayne Hellcat which is probably the best board I have ever ridden. I have since managed to get hold of an Earthwing Superglider and this has become my everyday ride while I save the Hellcat for the big hills and races.

What do you ride:

Rayne Hellcat, Randal trucks, Retro Big Zigs, Bones Reds bearings – Earthwing Superglider, Bear Grizzlies, Orangatangs, Bones Reds bearings. I use a combination of Sabre, Khiro and Venom bushings on all my boards.

Go to setup:

Hellcat every time!!

Favourite places to ride:

Derriford Business Park, Hoe Park, Harewood, Redmoor.

Any plans for the future:

I would ideally love to do the complete IGSA European tour or at least hit a few of the French races. I am also itching to get out to Australia again as I really want to ride the Newtons Playground track at Mount Panorama, Bathurst.

Greatest achievement (skate related) to date:

I learnt standup slides on soft wheels before going out to Oz which was pretty cool but I think that ties with my progression at Downhill.

Best session you have ever had:

The G-spot Chinese Outlaw was a good one but the Plymouth Outlaw in a thunderstorm was amazing

Adam has just spent 3 months in Australia so I thought I would let him give us an insight in to his trip:

I was lucky enough to have a few months out to go and spend in Australia with my extended family, which came at the perfect moment to avoid the worst of the English winter, thank god. They all live in a place called Denmark which is about 5 hours drive south of Perth on the West Coast. I pestered my mum for weeks as she threatened to not let me take a board due to the baggage restrictions but she relented in the end and I managed to get the Hellcat packed up for the plane. The West Coast is a bit of a weird place to skate as it is mostly flat but when you do find a hill it is usually empty and with the smoothest surface imaginable. The only issue with the topography was the fact that most of the locals all ride S9 or Original boards and are influenced by the surfing vibe rather than the Downhill vibe that is so popular in the UK. I had originally planned to bring back the Adam Yates pro model by Early Skateboards and a JZ helmet but when it came to getting them home there was no way I could afford the excess baggage as well as the possible tax so I had to forego them and settled on a copy of Colabo Innovations HD movie Fellowship of the Bearing. I think that next time I go for a visit I will take nothing and buy all my bits out there so I can then bring a few rarities back. I am also going to try and see if I can get over to the East Coast as that is where most of the Downhill scene in Oz is based. Overall I had so much fun and the skating was wicked if a bit slower than I am used to. I have come back with a head full of memories after a wicked trip which has left me so stoked, I just want to get back on the plane and go back to drinking pineapple juice on the beach at 7am in the blazing sun.

Shout outs:

I just want to say thanks to my parents for putting up with the skating and the amount of time it takes up. I also want to thank the whole Plymouth crew in particular Matt D. and Matt E. as I have learnt so much from both of you.

Words: Matt Dimond and Adam Lewis

Photography: Kimberley Reynolds and Matt Dimond

2010-01-31T14:27:00.000-08:00

A little insight from Fraser Tooley: "ah dudes for your outside bit here are some ideas cuz the snowy skatepark in this vid looks insanne"...

2010-01-31T11:47:00.000-08:00

All leather and kevlar armour. Close fitting, extra leather patches where you need them. An emphasis on comfort ensures a versatile and superior glove design.

The new Delrin palm puck is round so it has less chance of catching and biting the road, and can be rotated to get maximum life out of the puck. No finger pucks. You dont need them. They just fall off and get lost, and stop you doing things like gripping the board, or opening cans of pop, or pointing at things with accuracy....

Developed with many years of input from sliders, racers and longboarders everywhere. GO SHRED!

If you're new to all this sliding business, slide gloves allow the rider to de-weight their board and push their wheels fully sideways, giving the ability to stop really fast at the drop of a hat. They're also essential for drifting corners, and pulling most freestyle slide moves. Aside from a helmet, these are the one single piece of longboarding protective equipment that you really, really should own. You'll be able to stop faster, which means safer, which means you'll be able to skate faster down steeper hills.

Available in small medium and large.

What's on

2010-01-29T21:35:00.001-08:00

It's been a while without any updates - been super busy setting up our indoor skatepark. Check it out

Anyway - new product updates coming very soon. Bye.

PRIME SUPPORTS OUTLAW DH RACE

2009-11-07T02:56:00.001-08:00

Prime are supplying the prizes for an outlaw downhill skateboard event being held HERE in Plymouth TONIGHT! Get your gnar on and geddon down! Click here for more details!

REVIEW | Lush Makonga

2009-06-11T03:32:00.001-07:00

FROM MATT: The Makonga is a 40 by 9 inch cambered deck with a snappy yet responsive flex. The concave locks you in just enough to make you feel safe but at the same time is not so deep as to make foot placement difficult. It has a single kick on the tail which is useful for the odd bert-slide or small manual. Overall I think this is one of the best beginner’s boards on the market today. It combines features such its flex and camber, which are rarely found on beginners decks, and adds in a nice blend of quality components which are easy to maintain and are good enough to facilitate fast progression.

As always there are things which can be changed to personalise the ride and handling further. The most popular modifications I have seen are the addition of aftermarket bushings such as Khiro or Shorty’s or even Venoms. Another popular one is the addition of a side set, soft race wheel such as the Loaded Orangatang or the Abec 11 Zig Zag. Finally I have spotted a few of the surfers sporting Holey trucks which makes for a surfier ride and allows for deeper carves and a little more control for the more experienced skater. If you want to get in to any or all form of longboarding I cannot think of a better place to start than on a Makonga, cruise to work, bomb the odd hill or even take on the Loaded Challenge it’s your choice.
We stock the Makonga at £99.99, Holey trucks at £19.99 each, longboard wheels at £32.00+ and numerous bushing types from £4 upwards. Drop in to the store or give us a call if you have any questions or want some advice.

Keep skating,

Matt

Lush B2B Charity Skate: Get Involved!

2009-05-26T04:24:00.001-07:00

FROM LAURA: Do you want to know where you should be on Saturday 6th June? Y'all should be taking yourselves and your finest setup to Bath train station for a 16 mile skate journey to Bristol with around 250 other skaters, that where you should be! I'm heading up, as are a tonne of other skaters from the South West - train, plane, automobile, just plain skate there if you're that mad, but get there you must! This is the UK's most heavily attended longboarding event for all ages and abilities. There'll be people in costumes, on comedy boards, and some good old fashioned slogging it out will take place for sure. It's going to be RAD!

There is no official signup, but this year's event is, as always, a charitable one, and funds raised this year (a nominal fee of £10.00 or whatever you can give would be amazing) go to the National Autistic Society, a very worthy cause indeed. Hit the picture above to go to the fundraising page and give whatever you can give. It's a bit of a mission to get there, but when you're hurtling along with skaters behind in front and sometimes underneath (STACCCK!), it's an amazing feeling.

Bring water, food (although there is a rest stop halfway selling teas, bacon baps etc), plasters, and a helmet if you like that sort of thing. Oh and your board. Oh, and you. :D

LOCAL TALENT: Jesse "JJ" Tighe

2009-05-05T05:03:00.001-07:00

FROM LAURA: After the awesomeness that was Matt the week before, I felt it was only right to focus on another area that our local riders are excelling in. I met Jesse up on the Hoe once, riding his board with his trucks so loose I thought I'd die when I was trying it out! Turns out he's one speedy mofo, and he's sponsored too. I had no idea at that time quite how fast he liked to go, until I got back and checked out his You Tube videos. This young man rips it up on all fronts! Madamoiselles et Monsieurs, this is what happened when I questioned the heck out of one Jesse "JJ" Tighe...

Name: Jesse "JJ" Tighe
Age:15
Lives: Totnes, Devon
Years Skating: For 2 years on April 15th.

Boards Ridden: Loads, but mainly Neversummer Soldier and Descent, Lush Revolution and Globe 33

Favourite Styles: Anything as long as it's SMOOTH and STEEZY
Favourite Trick: FS Melon pre-grabs

Fastest Recorded Speed: Coming soon, SHhhh

Events Participated In and Results: 1st at Filton Grass Roots Bowl Comp, Most Promising Newcomer at Eastbourne 2008, 09 is the year for events for me...

Favourite Skate Spot: Stoked Hill, Exeter, or the Sharpham 'pin

Skaters Who Inspire You and Why:

Louis Pilloni - Mad Skills and sketchy style
Aki Von Glasgo - Redonkulously clean style and killer leathers
Mark Short - Badass slides, and multi-discipline skaters are awesome

Worst Injury: Recently tore a tendon in my ankle and fractured the fibula, pretty lucky as i've been skating hard for 2 years and its the only major injury

Most Embarrassing Skate Moment: Turning up at my first real downhill session, and faceplanting, luckily it was caught on camera...thanks Jo!

How You Got Sponsored: Err, well Laurie hooked me up with a sponsorship by Neversummer, I live 4 doors down from his mum so were practically neighbours.

Future Skating Goals: World domination! or short-term, winning SlideQuest

Prime Delux Is...: A building of much awesomeness!

Pow - JJ, a mini legend in the making. So there you go folks, work hard, and even in a short space of time, you could be ripping it up as a sponsored skater too! Keep your eyes peeled here, as we'll have another rider profile coming soon. If you would like to be featured here, or know anyone that rocks on a longboard, let me know! In the meantime, I'll leave JJ to have the final word:

PHOTO AND VIDEOS COURTESY OF JO COLES - BAREFOOTBOARDER PHOTOGRAPHY

Some New Arrivals...

2009-05-05T04:40:00.001-07:00

FROM LAURA: Orite yo? Well, the weather's been up and down this week, and it's been making my sessions inconsistent and windswept - I don't know about yours...grrr...

Anyway, there's a few new products that Nick's got into the shop I thought I'd tell you about:

Bennett Alligator wheels were introduced in 1977, and they were the rad thing at the time. Everyone wanted them! Fortunately for us, they've been revising and updating their "total memory" urethane formula since then, so it's even more RADDER now. These latest wheels have been 2 years in the making, and we've currently got the 71mm wheels in blue (80a) and orange (79a). Sweeeet!

For a cheap mini cruiser around town or campus this summer, we've got a huge pile of Mindless boards for £69.99. Not bad for the price, and heck, you can mod the pants out of them!

And my personal favourite of the latest products instore...Mr Lacy! Spice up your shooooes innit!

LOCAL TALENT: Matt Elver

2009-04-22T05:53:00.001-07:00

FROM LAURA: This is the first in what I hope will become a series of features on up and coming longboarders on the Plymouth scene. We're always stoked on stylish skaters here, and our first rider certainly fits that description.

It is my great pleasure to introduce to you Matt Elver. I first met Matt when I heard on the Skate Further forum about a board he'd built himself in his dad's workshop. Not just a clever designer, he actually knows a thing or two about riding longboards too, weaving dancing, sliding and long distance together in his own quietly stoked way. Let's hear what he has to say for himself:

Name: Matt Elver
Age: 17 (I don't remember getting that old!)
Lives: Plympton, Plymouth
Years Skating: 3

Boards Ridden: I've lost count! My main ride is my old Lush Mako with Holeys and Orangatangs, I also own a Kisiwa, a home made drop down and a few other random pintail shapes that I made.

Favourite Styles: All of them! Mostly dancing, speed, distance and a bit of sliding.

Favourite Trick: G-turn, random huge nose manuals, stylish cross stepping, going ridiculously fast. Not eating concrete.

Favourite Skate Spot: Ahh its gotta be the Hoe! Although there are some nice hills around the place too.

Worst Injury: Ripped cartalidge, 6 months on crutches baby.

Most Embarrassing Skate Moment: Oh man! I was practising this cross step to switch turning round thingy, and I'd pretty much got it sorted, and a beautiful girl with a longboard appears on the Hoe. So i was like, hellyeah, gotta pull it off! And it went perfectly, but then i added another cross step to the end and went head over heels into the concrete. Bad times.

Future Skating Goals: Skate a very long way, for charity. Perhaps break a few more speed limits. Complete the Loaded challenge! And to always skate with a smile on my face. Someone once told me that "It's just not fun when you're not having fun" and it is true.

Why Plymouth Longboarding Rocks: Theres so many people that do it, it's awesome. Also, the range of spots is incredible. I can wake up at 5am for a gnarly speed session down some crazy roads, cruise on up to central to skate the bowl, grab my gloves and go for a slide, carve down some hills and then cruise over to the hoe and dance the night away. Epic.

Greatest Skating Influences: It's gotta be the Adams. The first time I watched skate to sunshine it blew my mind! Stokowski is just the king of cool, and Colton is so good, and his distance trips are inspirational to say the least.

Other Interests: I surf whenever I can (fingers crossed I pass my driving test so I can go even more!), have just got into slacklining, and it is some of the best fun I've ever had and it totally works out your legs and your balance improves like crazy. I also enjoy walking a long way on the moors, its a beautiful place. Board building, strumming my guitar, playing badminton and tennis, speaking french. Its all good.

Music to Skate To: I'm into a mix of stuff. I like classic rock sort of music, but nothing too heavy because nobody likes their ears to bleed. I am happy to listen to most music though, but perhaps not Neyo or Rihanna, they're not really my scene.

Prime Delux Is...: the place to be!

So there you have it, our first featured rider, Matt Elver. If you want to get featured up here, come into the shop, have a chat with us - we're lovely really, and we don't bite. Show us your stuff. We just want to show off Plymouth's longboarding talent to the world.

Cheers Then!

Plymouth: Not Just A One Spot Town!

2009-04-22T02:11:00.001-07:00

FROM LAURA: Well, we're all back from our Easter holidays, and the weather is slowly starting to turn in our favour. We've had some cracking days this week, and I've been up on the Hoe prancing around religiously. There are, however, some other amazingly rad spots to take your longboard to in this concrete jungle of a city. Here are a couple of other places to consider:

Central Park

Aside from its shady reputation as a place of nocturnal ‘fraternisation’, Central Park is the jewel in Plymouth’s skate crown. Situated at the northern end of the city centre, it contains a sports centre (for your first aid needs) and the Plymouth Argyle football stadium (for post skate nosh on match days). It’s also a five second skate from the best Spoonies in Plymouth – The Britannia Inn. There are so many different runs to try in Central Park, it’s unreal. You could spend a whole day here, and my posse frequently do, just exploring. Look out for Lumberjacks, The Bone Shaker, The Main Drag, ¼ Miler (now clocked at 1/3 miles), and Crimin-Alley. We do have fun naming them.

From the silky smooth Park and Ride (frequent service til 7pm) car park at Milehouse, which is good for any discipline, you have access to a land of half-mile smooth cruising runs, challenging downhill sections, and long testing surfaces (bumpy, broken, never-ending) to name but a few. It’s a perfect training ground for anyone who loves long distance skating.

The best thing about the park is the feeling of freedom and peace that its tree covered runs bring. The most trouble you will ever hopefully have are the curious dogs whose owners apologise profusely every time they mistake your board for a chew toy. Not a busy place by any stretch, you can hone your skills here in relative privacy.

And if that’s not enough, there’s a skate park very close to the car park as well, with a concrete bowl, half pipe and various other things that the shortboarders amongst you will dig…if you can deal with the youngstrels.

Town Centre

When it gets too dark/dubious to skate in the park, head into town and be prepared for an exciting evening of cit-ay action. Plymouth’s town centre is built in a block-style arrangement, with long, fast runs from the newly built Drake’s Circus shopping centre, right down to the Toys ‘R Us car park. In the town, you’ll find all the sorts of things you’d expect to find – and some gem-like runs for all rider abilities.

We have quite a few names for the different runs through town: Sundial, Moneybags, Kiddy Fiddlers, Theatre of Death, All The Way Down – I’ll leave you to discover these beauties for yourself. The car park at Toys ‘R Us may or may not be a goer for skaters – I have skated through it many a time on my way to work, and once or twice ventured in on a renegade-fast session. I’m not an expert on that one. I have seen police posters stating that skateboarders should travel on the roads in the city centre, not the pedestrian pathways, but I have yet to ever hear of or see it being enforced.

The best time to explore the city is between about 1800-2230 during the week, or early Sunday morning if you want some daylight skatings. Do NOT go down Union Street unless you want a bashing. When you’re done, and you need some liquid refreshment to celebrate your awesome day of skating – head up to Studentville, North Hill, just up the road from Drake’s Circus, and bam, job done.

I'll focus on some other spots soon, but no doubt, you'll see plenty of skaters around these areas as the weather gets better. Get stuck in!

PRO-TEC YOUR SWEDE!

2009-04-08T03:03:00.001-07:00

FROM LAURA: Man, I know it's a drag, but sometimes you just gotta think of the bigger picture. You want to skate along, hair flowing in the breeze, wind whisking round your boardshorted knees, making smooth lines around your neighbourhood. But all it takes is one carve on a loose stone, or an uneven paving slab, and BAM, game over. As skaters, we know the risks, and we accept the outcomes if those risks don't pay off, but there are some things you can do to ensure you ride to glory, and live to tell the tale.

Helmets, pads, guards. They don't have to be things that prevent your ride from being awesome, in fact, they're there to make sure your ride STAYS AWESOME. And they don't have to look like those horrid 80's Tufftops badboys either. In store and online we have a great range of Protec helmets in lots of colours and sizes, as well as pads from Industrial and Rector.

We're not here to lecture, just advise. If you value your brain, and its contents, as I do (although some people would dispute their value), then come on down and have a look at our protective gear!

ARRIVING ANY SECOND NOW: Arbor Longboards

2009-04-08T02:10:00.001-07:00

FROM LAURA: I was nicely surprised when I came into Prime Delux the other week (I don't work here by the way, I just hang out a LOT!) to find some very attractive looking pieces of wood on the floor. No, Nick hadn't gone off on one and torn up the laminate to reveal some mystical gnarly original flooring, these bits of wood had wheels!

Well established on the snow and surf scene since 1995, Arbor have been producing longboards since 1999, and like to use some very special woods in their decks - this is what they have to say about their board construction choices:

"...you can’t just be “green” for the sake of being green. If it were that easy we’d all be wearing hemp. Choosing an environmentally friendly alternative should not involve sacrificing performance. Rather - you should expect improved design via eco-solutions accessed in responsible ways. This modern approach to environmental thinking and skate design is what Arbor is all about.

To that end, our eco-materials are chosen to improve the performance and style of our skateboards, while reducing the impact their production has on the planet. All of these natural materials, including our maple plys, are sustainably sourced. In addition, we reclaim the wood and bamboo by-product created during construction for use in other Arbor products or by outside companies."

So that's pretty right on, eh? These surf-inspired boards (Kelly Slater on the Arbor team) are suited to all levels of riders, from beginners seeking an attractive first deck, to a more confident skater looking for something to cruise around picking up the UoP hotties on. And man, they're just beautiful to look at. The boards as well as the hotties :D

Adding to our already varied and awesome range of longboards, Prime Delux will carry the Arbor range of boards in store and online, and we're expecting them to arrive at the door any day now...so just in time for summer! Come on down and have a natter with anyone in store if you're interested.

It's All About The Orange!

2009-03-28T06:21:00.001-07:00

FROM LAURA: Following up on the previous post about the truly rad Orangatang wheels on sale in Prime Delux, I thought I'd go and do some detective work around the store and find some more amazingly cool orange stuff that could match your new wheel purchase! Click on the links to find out more about each product in the webstore:

Personally, I prefer to combine my colours and celebrate BOTH Orangatang colourways. Again - Hatwell, you saddo, sort it out. And stop stealing quad rollerskate laces whilst you're at it.

PRODUCT FOCUS: Orangatang Wheels

2009-03-28T05:28:00.001-07:00

FROM LAURA: If there's been one product line that's set the longboarding world on fire recently, it has to be the Orangatang Wheel range. Developed by Loaded, in partnership with their top skater Adam Colton, and tested furiously on a journey through New Zealand, these little beauties have been a hit at Prime since we opened in 2008.

Formulated with 'Happy Urethane', and available in two shapes, and two durometers (hardnesses), these babies soak up the bumps, carve as hard as you like, drift controllably, and stick to the ground like, in the manufacturer's own words, "...chewing gum on a park bench!". The larger 75mm 'In Heat' model is right at home on all our Loaded and Lush boards, but if you prefer a smaller wheel, the 70mm '4President' wheel might be your thing.

The softer 80a urethane is grippy, and holds really well. The 83a urethane is good for driving forward and giving you speed when when you're skating on the smooth stuff.

Personally, I don't ride any other wheel than the Orangatang. Not because I don't care about trying other wheels, I do, but because they do not disappoint. At £44.99 from our shop and webstore, these wheels are an investment indeed, but they will not let you down. They look stunning, they feel amazing, and you'll be the envy of your boarding buds.

Even the most hardcore skateboarding types *coughjamesfromprimedelux* have remarked on just now rad these wheels are. I'm a right saddo, and clean the dirt off mine every night to keep them bright and shiny :D

Here's an awesome video from Loaded promoting the wheels, with their best team riders going for it:

New Vans Online Now

2009-03-27T08:25:00.001-07:00

Check out 15 NEW STYLES ONLINE

The Summer of Stoke Starts Early At Prime Delux!

2009-03-26T07:40:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the Prime Delux Longboarding Blog! This is the place to come and find out about all the good things that are happening down here at the shop, and out there on the Plymouth longboarding scene.

My name is Laura and I'll shortly be joined by my compadre Matt, and together we aim to provide you with all the latest happenings in our awesome skatey city and further afield. We're both passionate longboarders, and we love what we do. So we hope that comes across in our posts!

We'll keep you up to date with all the neat products coming into the store, stick on some reviews, and answer any questions you have about longboarding in general. We'll do profiles of some of the up and coming riders around town, and feature some of great spots to hit around our beautiful concrete jungle.

We've got some great brands in just now: Lush, Loaded, Landyachtz, Santa Cruz and Urban Blue. In about a week, we've got the awesome Arbor Longboards range coming in, and boy are we excited about that! With so many beautiful boards to choose from, and a full on range of wheels, trucks, Khiro bushings and hardware, as well as the most extensive range of skate shoes and clothes in town, you've got everything to gain by coming down to take a look. Or check it all out online at our web store!

If there's anything you want to see in store that you don't already, just ask and we'll do our level best to get it in for you. Remember...we're here for you! Fire a message to info@primeskateboarding.com, or call us direct on 01752 22436.

Here's to the summer, we had a bit of it last week - we're gonna get more, I can just feel it!

Skate happy, and don't forget your helmets if you're bombing North Hill!

Laura xxx

PS: Nick Says: "Come on down and get your flippin' beanies!"