gear suggestions for a new lifetime skateboarder/snowboarder

geolemon · Faceplant Joined: 23 Mar 2008 Posts: 12 City: Buffalo subs

I'm a 33 year old guy who has been skateboarding his entire life (I haven't ever stopped - I put some weekends in at a local skatepark teaching kids), and snowboarding his entire life... both since the late 1980's.

I've never wakeboarded, but I started to learn kitesurfing - haven't bought a water board yet, but did it on my snowboard on a frozen lake Erie.

I have a bunch of friends who wakeboard, and I want to learn to wakeskate. I'll have plenty of opportunity to borrow a wakeboard for my first few times, if you think that's wise.

I'm having a tough time because I don't know what to look for in a wakeskate. I just blew a chance at an Ebay auction for a new Kampus swing wakeskate that had a rounded tip/tail and reviews said it rode like a skateboard... damnit! shoulda bid. ($35!) But in the same review, said "not recommended for beginners" - and I asked myself - why not? Question

I saw the rounded tail and started dreaming of on-water pressure flips, lol...

Anyway, I've got some old skate shoes I figure I could commit to water duty - good idea? Bottoms of course are pretty worn.

I have seen a bunch of people recommending "Integrity" boards... is that just a forum pet favorite, or is there something real that could be described that would make for reasons for favoring them? Seems their website hasn't been updated since 2005. Tough to judge when people just shout "Integrity!" without any reason whatsoever for the recommendation... Confused

But at any rate... I also would like to get off cheap. I'd buy a used board if I could, to figure out what I even like in a board. Seems smart rather than investing $200 into something when I don't even have preferences formed yet.

I learn quick, and don't want to be outdated too quick either, and I'm a technical skater and snowboarder. I'd love to hear suggestions!
And thanks.

samgoskate · Posted: Mar 23, 2008 7:17 pm Post subject:

Welcome to the best sport in the world, pretty much any skate shoe will work (some might hold more water than others). The Integrity 08s won't release for a couple more months I think. Check out newwakeskates.com I have a NEW pelican 39' I really like it alot, has good pop. Good luck!

Mr. Top Hat · Dead Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 5818

i would recommend a wooden flat deck. they are inexpensive and ride better than anyone will ever admit to anymore.

pastura · Pop Shuvit Joined: 19 Jul 2006 Posts: 238 City: cincinnati

i think most wakeskaters/skateboarders use wood wakeskates which makes sences. for example aaron reed, ben horan, danny hanpson. your other choice would be fiberglass or whatever a wakeboard. check out newwakeskates.com.

also i skateboard and snowboard too.

ZoSo · Backside 180 Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Posts: 900 City: Winnipeg

Most people start off on a flat wooden deck...whether it's a homemade deck or a cheap corpo skate like the Hyperlite Scape. I wakeboarded for several years before I got into wakeskating...and I didn't feel like dropping $150 on a Scape (that's what they retailed for here) and since shipping to Canada is absolute murder, anything off ebay would have been about the same...so I went ahead and made my own board for about $50.

That worked out well for the first year, then I decided that I loved the sport and upgraded to a "real" wakeskate. Though, I think I'll be making a new skate this summer just to try a few things out.

As for shoes...my first ones were an old pair of Nikes with a few holes drilled in the soles for drainage. Skate shoes with a lot of mesh work best because they drain/dry faster.

Also...the forum's general obsession with Integrity is not just pet favouritism...but rather support for a company founded by someone who helped birth the sport and has invested his life in helping it grow...plus from what I've heard, the boards are simply amazing and damn near indestructible.

fastgreens · Kickflip Joined: 29 Dec 2007 Posts: 3563 City: baytown

Le Jalapeno · Guest

geolemon, Dude, Homemade boards are the schet

you can make one for like 30 bucks if you know where to get your schet. Smash

pastura · Pop Shuvit Joined: 19 Jul 2006 Posts: 238 City: cincinnati

just use an old pare of skate shoes

electricsnow · cassette Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 10756 City: Jefferton

If you're wanting to start affordably, I would recommend a flat deck like the others. You'll probably only have to spend around 100.00 for one, and it will give you a good taste for what wakeskating is all about. A board with concave is nice because of the control points (and of course, your skate background) but you will end up paying more.

Companies like hyperlite and liquid force make boards that are constructed out of a flat wakeskate with a foam top and built up kicktails, but they tend to lack in the concave department, so you really only get mellow kicktails. For the money, I'd just stick with the flat deck if you want to experiment.

Skate shoes will work fine on the water! I guess I'd just pay attention to the traction though...I personally notice on the water when a pair of skate shoes are worn out from actual skating or what have you, and I don't like that lack of traction.

People have been praising integritys for a lot of reasons--they're built by good people with an advanced level of construction. You get what you pay for, which is a really nice high end wakeskate that's pretty much unlike anything on the market. The new boards have a new centerweighting system (to aid in rotationals, like kickflips and what have you), urethane rails to absorb impact (and urethane surrounding the centerweight system, which will aid in the longevity of the board--Here's a quote I took from one of schmaltz's posts: "The urethane is acting as a bushing around the centra-fuse core so heat/ flex/ expansion / wear... wont weaken the core and soften the pop over time."), and normally they have a PBT top sheet and durasurf base for durability on rails and such. The urethane is also re-shapable so you can customize your ride if you're down--round rails will make you sit deeper, a sharper rail keeps the board higher and more responsive. Some people like to keep the tip and tail a bit sharper and have the center rounded for forgiveness on the lip and what have you. You will be paying more for an integrity, but when it comes to construction and materials, there really isn't anything currently on the market that's comparable, if that's what you're looking for in a board. I guess it's a board to commit to, but that board commits to you as well...

In the end, I'd try to check out a bunch of the companies out there and see if there's one that really has what you're looking for. Perhaps by checking out the other products, you might persuade yourself to jump up and buy a board you weren't expecting. Oak has some nice concaves coming out, I like the looks of the LF concaves, of course there's integrity, sattelyte, hyperlite, Ronix, GB, new, etc. There's really a lot to check out...

And the kampus...it's something to start with, especially for the price, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it rides like a skateboard. It's pressed like one, so it has a small amount of concave, but it also has a sort of hump along the base (again, from the construction process), and some people didn't like that...it's something that's going to disturb the water flow under the board. If you really get into wakeskating and test out the shapes and constructions (like standard concaves, bi-levels, various rocker types, core materials, top deck features, etc) you'll be able to figure out what is most similar to skateboarding, as far as your taste is concerned. For me, I think a bi-level feels the most like a skateboard because of the pop and concave/overall top deck shape, others have said that a 5 stage rocker pops the most like a skateboard...and others will completely disagree with the last two things I've mentioned. Just ride whatever you can and find the board that you're the most comfortable and confident on, because I think that's the one factor that cannot be replaced when it comes to wakeskating and your own progression.

Sorry for the long post--if you come up with any specific questions, feel free to post and I'm sure someone will be able to help!

nate_ · Backside 180 Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 1226 City: toronto

yea...what she said

OLLIES WAKE · Pop Shuvit Joined: 09 Jan 2008 Posts: 225 City: Nokomis

kornhouse · Posted: Mar 24, 2008 3:41 pm Post subject:

Le Jalapeno, you stil owe me one from the bet.

geolemon · Faceplant Joined: 23 Mar 2008 Posts: 12 City: Buffalo subs

Wow - I have to say, these are some of the best replies that I've ever had on any forum! Cool

I was kind of wondering if it was one of those "just start with SOMETHING" ...so that I can even figure out what I like and don't.
I'll keep my eye out on Ebay - and I didn't realize there was a classifieds here, probably some good starter decks on there.

And if I could get out once a week, that would totally justify buying a nice high-end deck.. sounds like there's a lot of nice stuff there that would make riding plywood feel like... plywood. lol

...DIY, that's interesting. I built a mountainboard once, pressed my own deck so I could create a low center of gravity, with a sort of up-down kick to mount the trucks above the deck surface... if I can build that, surely I could laminate something up with some front-back rocker and no concave. Hmm...

Le Jalapeno · Guest

kornhouse, I know, I'll send it down with some of the others I'm sending to FL Wink

ZoSo · Backside 180 Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Posts: 900 City: Winnipeg

cheapskate · Guest

geolemon, I will give you a 05 LF Anthem for free(just pay the shipping). Integrity=Royles Royce

cheapskate · Guest

Rolls

Schmaltz · Backside 180 Joined: 16 Sep 2003 Posts: 721 City: San Jose

Geolemon

Since your just getting into the sport... I'll sell you a un-ridden Mutiny "Steadfast" no concave with grip tape... durasurf bottom size 43" or 41.5" or 39" plus DHL ground shipping for $ 60.00 ... I've got a hand full left that i've been ready to e-bay, but just haven't got around to it yet.

Below are some pictures...

Won't warp... won't delam... super solid fully saturated Canadian hard rock maple with a low viscosity epoxy... Made at Taylor Dykema MFG... worlds largest Stake board MFG'er in the 80's to late 90's... I use to work there, and spent a year just developing the Mutiny Line before we sold any. These wood decks can sit 4 weeks straight in water with no warping...

...SOLID... Quality....
ask anyone who has one ... they will vouch...

PM me if your interested.

electricsnow · cassette Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 10756 City: Jefferton

I will vouch right now. I have one of those--I bought it from a mutiny rep and it's unridden. It was one board I really wanted for various reasons...That board is really solid, and 60.00 is a really good deal. It's also going to be a really durable flat deck...some of the companies out there that make flats don't quite dedicate themselves as "i think" they should. When boards fall apart, you get bummed.

Anyway, I'll just say that the construction is sound and the weight is solid. A long time ago erich told me that before each deck was sent out, they were soaked in water to make sure there weren't any deficiencies (sp?--I'm retarded) in the sealing and construction.

Very, very cool... Cool

-=AlexXx=- · Posted: Mar 26, 2008 1:13 pm Post subject:

Id say go with that mutany.... looks amazinggggggggg

but check your pms.