Skating Safe: Protective Gear

There’s nothing like the feeling of just hopping on your board for a leisurely cruise around your neighborhood streets. Or heading to your practice spot with friends to dial in your slides in the hopes of holding them out a little further. The same feeling carries over to when you find yourself on the top of a hill, ready to get in your tuck and bomb. Longboarding despite its different styles and facets, is a fun sport. Although some styles may be more extreme than others, there’s always the chance for messing up and getting hurt in more ways than one. It’s a sport with inherent risks. So if you want to get into it, and plan to do so for the long-term, make a sound investment in safety before you start skating.

For anyone looking to get into longboarding, safety equipment is of tantamount importance, even on the most relaxed skate session. This article aims to discuss the different safety equipment available to longboarders regardless of skill level.

1. Helmet

“Wear a helmet.” “HELMET!” “mag-helmet ka!” It’s not rare to hear somebody saying these words to someone skating without a helmet when different groups of skaters share a spot. As bossy or brash as it may sound, there’s good reason behind the warnings. It’s not fun hitting your head on the ground, especially without a helmet. Just because you’re over legal age doesn’t mean you’re exempted from the possibility of eating it when you hit the ground. People both here and abroad have lost their lives from head injuries sustained from not wearing a helmet and messing up. It could happen to anyone.

Different Half-shell helmets are readily available at different places such as bike shops, motorbike shops, boardsports stores in the malls, and your friendly neighborhood skate shops. You’re going to want a helmet with a good, hard shell that’s lined with something like a foam that can effectively dissipate impacts, and is capable of taking a good number of hits before you need to replace it. When trying a helmet on, make sure it fits just right on your head, meaning it doesn’t feel like wearing a vice grip, but it isn’t too loose to come off when normally riding either. The same thing goes for Full-Face helmets as well.

2. Slide Gloves

Sure, you can throw big stand-up slides all day. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear slide gloves. Aside from being able to put your hand on the ground for slides that require dropping a hand, to a certain degree slide gloves keep your hands from getting cut up. You can make your own slide gloves with a little time, construction gloves, velcro, superglue and chopping board. Some ready-made gloves offer cushioning for your palms and wrists, or a mix of leather and breathable textiles to keep your hands cool. Most longboard brands available here should offer branded slide gloves, and even one of our local shops is releasing their own branded gloves soon!

3. Pads

Elbow and Knee Pads help protect your joints from impacts and keep them from getting scraped. When trying them on, again fit is important. You’ll want pads that are snug and won’t slip as you sweat. You’ll want a nice liner and material that doesn’t feel like it’s digging into your skin as a session goes on and allows them to breathe.

4. Leathers

Leather suits protect you somewhat from impacts and keep you from getting nasty road rash when you mess up bombing hills. If I remember right, I read from Kiko Meily’s blog that getting leathers are a sign of commitment to downhill skateboarding. You can either get yourself an off-the-rack suit from motorbike shops, or have one suit custom made. Either way, a leather suit is a considerable investment. The former option has suits that fall under specific size ranges, which differ in brand. Unless you’re really lucky, chances are ready-made leathers won’t give you the exact fit for you and if you’re into the aesthetics, you’re limited to set color combinations for their suits. On the other hand, getting a custom suit allows you to create your own design, and have it fit you exactly the way you want it.

So before you look into building that board, make it a priority to invest in safety as well. What you shell out for a helmet and gloves is nothing compared to the amount you spend on hospital bills and time spent not skating because of injuries that could have well been mitigated because of no safety gear. So skate hard, but please please don’t forget to skate safe!

Chasing Stoke: “Sierra”

If you haven’t had the chance to skate it, “Sierra” could very well mean two things. It’s an absolute gut check for any longboarder, offering anyone who makes it to the end nothing short of heaven. But at the same time, hearing the many horror stories about those who weren’t as fortunate, there’s certainly hell to pay for anyone who messes up.

Excitement, anxiety, and a little bit of that kind of fear that unsettles your stomach; these were the things that were running through my mind leading up to the first time I got to skate it with Ice and some friends a few months back. The misty mountains of “Sierra” offer a solid mix of extremely fast straights and sharp, challenging turns. When you see the spot for yourself and hear how many of the country’s top-level speedboarders skate it, it’s easy to get intimidated. But when you’re there, whatever drives you, be it the thrill or the resolve to see just how far you’ve come since you first started skating, you simply have to take that first kick and make your way down.

Having a better grasp of it and knowing what to expect certainly helped the second time I got to skate the course. But nonetheless, there’s still that bit of fear that gives way to a solid amount of stoke once I get to the end.

All Photos: Alexis Javier-Betia. 

Solid Pack Run! (L-R J-Bels, Me, Kaloi Sulpa, Kishin Javier)

J-Bels attacking the hairpin with steeze

Nico Naguit sailing through the corner

A breezy run for Joshua Bondoc

Kaloi turning Japanese past the hairpin

Thank You Again to Koun Ryu Streetwear for the shirt!

Hangtime for Kishin Javier

Good times!

I’m always looking forward to a chance to get re-acquainted with this long and winding mountain road, for at the end of each run and even in the downtime in between them, there’s an abundance of stoke to be had. It’s out there, you just have to keep chasing it.

Do keep in mind that this is an open mountain road. So do exercise road awareness when it comes to all road users, and not just your fellow skaters. Like any other spot, there’s always a chance for bodily harm to happen, so make it a habit to wear protective gear. Skate hard, but don’t forget to skate safe! Aside from safety and proper road awareness, it’s or tantamount importance to pay your respects to any spot that you have the fortune of skating.

A huge “thank you” to Joel “J-Bels” Belcina for having us and guiding us through. It’s always a pleasure to get to share the stoke with you! Til the next session, in your words, iskitsip!

Chasing Stoke: “Taktak”

When I get old and incapable of skating, I’ll probably spend a great deal of time thinking about all the spots I got to skate back in my younger years. If I can remember that far back when I get to that point in my life, Taktak I’m sure will conjure up a whole lot of great times.

I’m all for traveling to new spots, trying to chase and spread the stoke. But sometimes you can’t go wrong with hitting up an old favorite. Taktak over in Antipolo will always be special to me for a handful of reasons. It was the first hill I got to skate that wasn’t in my neighborhood, as the site of the first race I ever joined (Padyak Bayani 2),a and most importantly, because all the time I spent skating it eventually instilled in me the confidence to go out and skate faster, lengthier courses.

I owe a lot to Taktak for helping fuel my drive to keep pushing, to see how far I can take my skating, and ultimately, to see how far skating can take me. With its good mix of straights and a couple of challenging turns, Taktak is a great spot for both beginner riders looking to start developing their DH game, and for seasoned skaters looking to get some speed while being relatively close to the city. It’s no surprise by now how many people get stoked on this spot, as you’ll certainly run into a good number of groups on the weekends, and even on the weekdays too!

Photos: Alexis Javier-Betia

Paul. Everyone's favorite Taktak local.

Me on the last turn before the "finish"

Stoke run with my good buddy Kaloi.

Whether skating solo, or in small or big group sessions, Taktak is always a spot for a great time.

Artee, Me, Justin Rivera, and Pao. I believe this was the first day I ever got to skate it.

I know I owe Taktak a whole lot, for a whole lot of great times I’ve already had, and for the ones I have yet to have. I’m sure everyone who’s had the chance to skate it has their own fair share of stories as well. For those who want to get into DH, or for some reason you haven’t skated it, it’s a must. It’s not too far from the city, and there’s a lot of groups of skaters who you could get hooked up with for a session for sure.

Always remember that Taktak is an open road, so do acknowledge the presence of other road users such as motorists and bike riders. Always skate safe, and please do respect the spot.

It’s not just just finding out how far you can take your skating, it’s also finding out how far skating can take you. Take a trip to a new spot, and keep on chasing the stoke!

Bataan Skate Weekend (7/23/11)

Thank goodness for weekends. They give chances for a newly working stiff like me to still get time to skate. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job. But I’d much rather have some board time than to find myself in a board meeting. So a couple of weekends back, I did just that, and joined some friends on a skate trip to Bataan.

After picking up my girlfriend Ice, the both of us went straight from Manila to San Fernando, Pampanga to meet up with my buddy and Longboards Manila Gnarchitect Nico Naguit, his cousins Carlos and Wax, and a good number of groms that make up Sisig Skate. After getting some food, the entire party headed out to Bataan to meet up with Orion Skim Crew (OSC) and to skate Mt. Samat and Radiation Hill.

After we had met with Christian from OSC, we drove straight to a spot that I had been itching to get back to since the Gravity Games Super Slide Session, Mt. Samat’s “Dark Terror”, a steep, curvy section of road that’ll get you going fast without even trying. The spot can get intimidating, but skating it will work wonders for anyone’s DH game, especially when it comes to practicing sliding. And even though we didn’t skate the entire course, there was stoke aplenty, and this was only the first course we hit that day!

Photos: Alexis Javier-Betia

Nico at the hairpin

Carlos Naguit sticking the line

Me rounding out the hairpin

Kosmo Tayag

Skating runs in the Tayag family. Kosmo's cousin Ozni

Group shot with Koun RyuxOrion Skim Crew (Thank you for the shirts!)

After leaving Samat and having a bit to eat at a Sari-Sari store along the way, our group made it to Radiation Hill, the site of an upcoming race in September which a number of us were keen on joining. Prior to skating it, I had seen the course video, so I had an inkling of what to expect. But all that goes out the window when you find yourself on top of the hill. It’s a short but pretty fast course, with a good amount of challenging turns. Everyone pretty much had fun on it while I somehow didn’t exactly sail through it, but thankfully didn’t get bucked off during any run.

Nico and Carlos leading the pack run

Me and Kosmo

Jam Vergara Leading Ozni Tayag

Watch out for Wax Naguit

After a good amount of runs, we left Radiation Hill before the rain started to come down and had ourselves a little rain skate over at Crazy Trucks in Subic before grabbing a bite to eat and calling it a great day of skating before hitting the beach to relax and top off a great weekend!

Skate trips make for great experiences. Skating new and different spots to test your skills I think is an essential in terms of raising your skate game and becoming well-rounded. Once you skate something totally new to you, if you don’t sail through it, you find out your limits, and eventually learn what you need to push past them. I came back from that skate trip stoked having finally gotten to take on the “Dark Terror”, but seeing how I fared during my initial runs at Radiation Hill never dented that stoke even in the least. I’m glad I got to skate new spots, and got to do so with some real good friends! I know I’ll come back one day, to give it the runs I know I’m capable of doing.

Again, skate trips make for great experiences. It’s not just the fun in skating the spots, there’s the fun in the travel, the to and fro, and coming to the realization that aside from chasing stoke, the only real competition is yourself. It’s always up to you if you want to raise your game.

Plan one with your friends. Take a trip. Skate hard, skate safe, and keep chasing that stoke!

Stoke +63 Episode 3: “Board Time”

Here’s the third and final installment of the series of short video collaborations between Longboards Manila and Manila Man Productions! Thank you all for taking the time to watch the series! I’m just as stoked as everyone in the Longboards Manila crew to share the last clip with you (for now)!

Press play, hopefully enjoy, and get enough stoke out of it to tide you over until the weather gets better! 

In the third and final installment of the Stoke +63 series, Longboards Manila and ManilaMan Productions pop in on a downhill training session with the Longboards Manila team riders. 

With seven local championships won, at least fifteen podium appearances, and two international competitions (and counting) between them, these guys are not only some the finest longboarders of the local Manila scene but through their example are true ambassadors of the sport, always punctuating the need for safety and respect for one another, the environment, and for longboarding itself. Perhaps we all can learn a thing or two from them.

Rafe, JV, Fern, Paolo, Arthur, and Joaquin, Longboards Manila is proud to support your skating and we wish you the best in all your endeavors always, be they on, or off, your boards.

As always this production would not have been possible without our friends at ManilaMan Productions:

Executive Producer: Longboards MNL
Director: Paolo Abrihan
Directors of Photography: Jan Parma and Gio Puyat
Assistant Directors: Dijo Songco and Gracie Vergara
Editor: Paolo Abrihan and Gio Puyat
Producer: Dijo Songco
Production Assistant: Raffy Las
Featuring: Rafe Arcenas, Fern Garcia, Arthur Manuel, JV Montoya, Joaquin Romero and Paolo Villacorta
Original score by Paolo Abrihan
Special thanks to: Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority

We also would like to thank Mrs. Jenny Romero for her time and dedication to helping us complete this project.

The Loaded Fattail

The Pintail is dead. Long live the Fattail!

Although a lot of people are moving into downhill skateboarding, it’s nice to see that Loaded still keeps  creating products that will work for the modern longboarder, the one who loves to blend riding styles in the name of progression.

Enjoy the video!

A Reminder To Always Skate Safe.

DON’T BE LIKE THIS GUY.

Not even a cool mustache saved him from eating it on the grass next to the road. As hilarious as this video is (even more so with the subtitles), hitting your head and getting messed up sure isn’t fun for anyone. What you spend on a helmet and other protective gear for skating will still cost less than hospital bills and injury time that’ll keep you from getting better on a board!

Image from Longboard Loft NYC

No matter what type of riding you’re into, from mellow cruising to bombing steep and turn-filled hills, longboarding has its share of inherent dangers. Make safety a habit by (at least) wearing your helmet. So once again, don’t be like that guy! Skate hard, but always skate safe!

Stoke+63 Episode 2: “Collective Identity”

Just your friendly neighborhood longboard skate shop.

The second episode of Longboards Manila and Manila Man Productions’ series of video shorts showcases the store and the people who help run it.

I’m beyond stoked to be able to help out with such great people, to get to meet different kinds of people who share the same passion for longboarding, and try to help out our still-growing community in the ways that I can. I’m by far not the best skater around, or the most knowledgable when it comes to gear, but there’s no questioning how much I love skating.

Whatever and however you skate, chase after the stoke more than anything else. Always remember to skate safe!

Enjoy  the video!

Longboards Manila is located at The Collective, 7274 Malugay Street, Makati City. We’re now on our fourth year of operations proudly serving the ever growing longboarding scene in the Philippines.

We’d like to thank the following people for making this video possible:

Director: Paolo Abrihan
Directors of Photography: Paolo Abrihan, Gio Puyat and Dijo Songco
Assistant Directors: Dijo Songco and Gracie Vergara
Editor: Paolo Abrihan and Gracie Vergara
Producer: Dijo Songco
Production Assistant: Raffy Las
Featuring: Mykee Alvero, Artee Libunao, Nico Naguit and Paolo Vasquez
Music: Superfast Jellyfish – Gorillaz
Special thanks to: Rico Trinidad, John Tumang and Alexis Javier-Betia♥

Stoke+63: “Neighborhood” (1 of 3)

Longboards Manila in collaboration with Manila Man Productions brings you the first video in a three-part series called Stoke +63. Solid good times!

While going downhill fast and shredding it is always fun, sometimes you just wanna skate at your own pace.

In the first of three shorts in the Stoke +63 series, Longboards Manila and Manila Man Productions spent an evening with just those types of folks who do do that. These are just some of the people in your neighborhood.

Hope you’ll enjoy this brief video as much as we did making it.

***
Thank you, Liz, Bojit, Gian, and Japeth for your time and sharing with us your unique insights. Thank you also to the following skaters and friends who shared the stoke with us that evening:

Nico Naguit, Artee Libunao, Justin Rivera, John Tumang, Gino Jose, Gali Te, and Dino Pastrano

Special thanks as well to the people of Barangay Kapitolyo for giving us permission to skate that evening.

This wouldn’t be possible without the creativity of our friends at Manila Man Productions:

Director: Paolo Abrihan
Directors of Photography: Miguel Gutierrez and Gio Puyat
Assistant Directors: Dijo Songco and Gracie Vergara
Editor: Gio Puyat
Producer: Dijo Songco
Production Assistant: Raffy Las

Music: “Something About Us” by Daft Punk

***

Remember to skate safe and always wear a helmet!

A Couple of Sessions with…The Landyachtz Wolf Shark

Every culture has it’s own mythical and legendary creatures. The Greeks have the Hydra (and dozens of other things), the Scots have the Loch Ness Monster, while our lola’s tales of Kapres and Tikbalangs were surely a part of many a Filipino’s younger years. In my life, I doubt I may come remotely close to seeing an actual creature of such stature, but I’ll still be able to pass on stories in the future of me in my younger years being able to skate with a board of equal mythical footing, the Landyachtz Wolf Shark.

By now, it’s no surprise that the Wolf Shark is a new deck that’s a part of the 2011 Landyachtz lineup. It’s a 9-ply topmount speedboard made in the same press as the freeride-friendly Nine Two Five. It comes in at a pretty good size in my opinion for many riders on this side of the world, 37″x9.75″. And in terms of features, the board sports a range of wheelbase options from 25.25-29″ to dial in the ride in the exact way you want it, a good amount of rocker, and huge gas pedals to aid the rider with both heelside and toeside slides.

I set it up with 44 degree Caliber Trucks, 70mm wheels, and used one of the shorter wheelbase options. With even the longest option coming in below 30″, it’s no surprise that the board is pretty nimble. For slides, the huge gas pedals really allow for huge amounts of leverage on both sides, with the slight curvature of each pedal’s end providing a good reference point to map your feet when it comes to both the normal riding position for carving and sliding down hills, or  getting in a tuck when you want to get your speed on.

Aside from freeriding and going sideways, the Wolf Shark has all the makings of a downhill predator as well. The rocker helps ensure a stable ride, and attempts to negate the high, slightly unstable feeling many experience riding a topmount. The concave is pretty comfortable for long bombs, and again, the reference points created by the gas pedals allow for good foot mapping, and the curves at the ends of each pedal come up big when it comes to providing riders with a locked-in feel, despite not having as solid a concave as say, Rayne’s “Pleasure Dome” or other aggressive W-caves.

The only drawback I would have to mention is that the wheel wells aren’t very forgiving when it comes to different trucks. Many other people have had problems with the wells when it came to their setups. Make no mistake about it, wheel wells that look like shark teeth are a nice touch. But then again, teeth bite. I did a little bit of searching on the net as to why this problem came about, and do correct me if my info is wrong but it seems like the wells were primarily designed around Bear Trucks. With another setup, I encountered a bit of wheel bite. This issue should be taken into consideration by anyone who wants to get a Wolfie, as wheelbite isn’t fun at any speed. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to get around the problem, with risers or sanding down the actual teeth. But then again, not everyone’s setup is bound to encounter problems with it, so a little trail and error may come into play.

Overall, the Landyachtz Wolf Shark is a great top mount speedboard on its first salvo in the longboarding world. Wheel wells notwithstanding, Wolfgang Coleman came up with a pretty sweet design, which I can only hope gets improved in future Landyachtz lineups. In its first sighting, I’d say the Wolf Shark could take a high spot on the longboarding food chain. But with a couple of little tweaks, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this beast way close to, if not on the very top itself.

Go out and skate hard! But no matter how wild your style, always skate safe and make it a habit to wear a helmet!