The show was smaller this time around, with the troubled economy and a home and garden show taking up the other concourse. The show floor was literally cut in half, with a very noticeable absents of wake boards, some sunglass companies, and some of the smaller skate companies. Although the show was a bit of a let down in that sense, it might have been one of the most entertaining trade shows I have ever attended due to the wonderful people in our industry who stayed positive and brought so much stoke to the show floor.
Tracker
I met up with Linda Prettyman of Tracker trucks to discuss the future of Tracker trucks and its affiliates at Pure Distribution.
Being displayed were the new Tracker Fast Tracks, and the new Z-flex wheel line for their Z-flex board line. Most exciting though, was the news that the Tracker Offset slalom trucks would be returning very soon.
Linda was the sweetest lady ever, and was extremely stoked that young children are taking up longboarding.
The New Tracker Fast Tracks were also being displayed showing great build quality to compete with all the other wonderful longboard truck companies out there.
Abec11
Over at the Abec 11 booth I met up with genuine wild man and gravity sport legend Chris Chaput to see whats new in the lineup.
On display were the new Classic-thane Freerides and Classic-thane BigZigs. Fyre trucks were also on display, showing off all the different baseplate options, and mounted onto one of Chris’ Big Red X boards for people to try out.
Abec 11 employee and Skatera Team rider Marisa shows off Chris’ board with Fyre trucks.
Skatera
Right across from the Abec 11 booth was Skatera. Pamela Zoolalian shows off the clothing line and skateboard lineup.
The Skatera Skate Jean is made for “Skating Tuff” featuring reinforced seams, spandex to improve mobility, and tucks in the knees for additional movement. Definitely something that all skaters should consider getting, and lets hope they come out with a men’s version for those of us who are not fans of (women’s) skinny jeans.
The wonderful ladies at Skatera working hard.
Never Summer
All new is the Soldier Top Mount Speedboard. Based on the popular drop-through version with the same concave, and featuring the same quality construction that Never Summer is known for. The board stands at 43” long with a 35” and 36” wheelbase.
The drop through version has also been extended based on the feed back from riders.
Also being released is their new pool/slide deck called the Rival.
Neon Group
The Neon Group features longboard decks with built in LED lights that light up the ground as you ride. It features rear tail lights in red, and head lights in white. Every deck has a built in rechargeable lithium battery. Boards will be sold in completes with the release date being April 15, 2009.
Landyatchz
The boys at Landyatchz sent over two great ambassadors in Ryan Theobald and Blake Startup.
New for the Canadian company are the new Hawgs Zombie wheels featuring a rounded free ride shape, offset core, and a stone grounded surface that are slide ready as soon as you get them. They are featured in 84a and 80a durometers.
Mike McGoldrick’s pro model, known as the 9 two 5 features a drop through rockered design, with W concave. Paired with the new Zombie wheels, the board is a free ride monster. The board is planning to be released in 1 month or so.
Another new board is the Grom Race. Designed for young children who need a downhill board that is the not too long or wide.
All the boards will receive graphic updates for the 2010 year.
Madrid
New for Madrid is the Bubbler deck and trucks. The deck features a small blow hole on the nose and the tail, and in the rear truck, a small valve for bubbles to come out of. Not limited for just blowing bubbles.
New for the Cadillac line are slalom style wheels in 70mm and 80a durometer. They come with a variety of different color choices. The Cadillac Classics also will be featuring many color options as well.
Madrid’s DH boards were on display, and will receive updates this year.
Thumbcutter grip tape is rough, gritty, and can literally cut your thumbs if your not careful. On a longboard though, the grip tape will provide even more grip than the already gnarly Fly Paper grip tape.
Gibbon Slackline
Gibbon Slackline is new to Surf Expo, featuring a two piece ratchet system that is all in one kit, making for easy setup and at a really affordable price. They feature products for children as well as a version for tricks.
Slacklining has been a popular way to train for skateboarding. It’s a good workout and also a good way to improve balance.
Even Chris Chaput has a go at it, and yes, he does make it.
Bern
The awesome guys at Bern were showing off their new line of carbon fiber helmets. Each helmet features a carbon fiber shell with EPS foam, all weighing at a feather light weight of 13 oz.
Better protection at a lighter weight. Can’t go wrong with that.
They’ve done nothing but shown praise and support for silverfishlongboarding, and I’d like to give these guys a shout out for that.
Stykor Stykor introduced to me their new patented surf board rack called the Tadpole. It is the only surf board rack on the market that uses an added support on the truck to reduce stress, wobbles, and vibration while transporting surfboards and longboards. The guys at Stykor drove all the way from Virginia to Orlando, FL with their Toyota Camry, and a surfboard on top using the Tadpole system, and it works! Great for those of you that also surf.
Banshee Bungee
The Banshee Bungee has become a popular tool in the longboarding world. Able to propel a skater from 0-20 in roughly 50ft and in 2 seconds, it is being used in slalom races, and ditch races. Its just a gnarly, fun thing to do. For those who find the original 20ft bungee too sketchy, a 10ft is out now that is slightly slower, but still loads of fun.
Emad Electric Skateboards
A local company based in Winter Park, FL who build electric skateboards. Their boards have a top speed of 20 mph and a range of roughly 10 miles. Everything is controlled via wireless remote control.
Best New Product
The best new product at Surf Expo 2009 had to be the Gibbon Slackline kit. With its ratchet system, the kit is easily set up by anchoring the line down on any tree, column, or anything heavy enough to support the weight. Cheap and effective, the kit is a must have for skaters who want to work on their balance, and receive a good workout at the same time.
All in all, Surf Expo 2010 was 3 days of fun. Getting to spend time with important people in the industry and enjoy the company of some great people. Although the show was small this time around, it was a success for all the exhibitors. The economy might be at a low point, but longboarding and skating is still staying strong with sales this year being higher than any other. To everyone at Surf Expo, thank you for your time and letting me interview you, and my best wishes to all in your continued success.
This is Shawn Tseng signing off. Stay Stoked!
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