|
First. Some personal history (skip this paragraph to get to the good stuff). Last year I had my own web business in Seattle. It went okay, but not okay enough so in October, I moved back to Virginia to take a real job (as a multimedia designer). Having a real job means I have to have a real schedule and it’s meant that some companies who really deserve to have their stuff reviewed here have basically gotten the shaft from me. I’ve been pretty much out of the longboarding scene since September of last year. Well with spring being here and summer around the corner, my longboard quiver is calling to me but before I can skate guilt-free, it’s time for me to start writing again. Reviews will be shorter and more to the point--enjoy. Please keep reading for the full Insect Skateboards Review
Insect Skateboards Insect is a fairly new company run by Steve Hopper. Steve is a great guy—one of the few longboard-company-owners I’ve met in person, he lives in West Seattle and makes boards out of a very sweet shop that from the outside is pretty mellow but inside is surprisingly hi-tech. He graciously had my wife, son and I over one afternoon and gave me the grand-tour. I was impressed. Once thing you’ll notice on his site- www.insectskateboards.com is that there is only one board—the Dragonfly, the board I’m reviewing here. How, you might ask, can you run a longboard company with only one board? Well, he actually makes (or at least when I was there, made) other boards that aren’t on the site, but the Dragonfly is JUST THAT GOOD. The first word that will come to mind when you see one of his boards is “precision.” There is not a single thing about them that looks home-made or unprofessional. Riding them will not change initial impression. Insect Skateboards are obviously made by someone who skates and has taken the feedback of other skaters to heart. Graphically the board is beautiful, the camber only adds to the look of the board and the colors will leave you scratching your head, trying to decide which one to get since they’re all awesome. Give Steve a call, he’ll be more than happy to talk to you about his boards, the company and why his boards are great. I was very impressed—the looks, the ride, the company—all top class. UPDATE
I just got an email from Steve... he says the following:
There are actually 5 boards in the lineup now: 32" GS, 34" Cutaway, 36" Dragonfly, 40" Classic Pintail, and the forthcoming 44" "Big Bug" cruiser. He also mentioned he's co-sponsoring a race in Munich in a few weeks -- http://www.longboardmag.de/monacocone/partner.php3. |
Board Reviews 
