The Stowboard makes skateboarding very convenient. The box it came in was literally smaller than my shoe boxes (I wear size 13/14 USA). The post man who delivered it seemed about as surprised as I was when I told him what it was.

It's nothing like any other skateboard I've seen or ridden-the makers essentially redesigned the skateboard from the ground up, borrowing very little from existing designs. The very large, thin front wheels give a board this size some unique characteristics-it feels very smooth and the wheels glide over just about anything. I think it's principally the large front wheels that give the Stowboard the fast, fluid feel, characteristic longboard rather than the more jolting ride of a shortboard. The coned back wheels make up for the lack of real back trucks and give the board a decent turning radius.

The front trucks have are also completely different from any I've seen. They are plastic (obviously not made for doing tricks that involve olling) and have an axel of about 5 inches. They don't have bushing or torsion rings, but instead have one spring that allows the trucks to steer in a manner more similar to a car with a fixed axel than a skateboard. Their movement is not up and down, but only side to side. The front platform is aluminum with holes punched out which in my opinion do a good deal for the aesthetics of the board. The back is also plastic with bumps that act as grip tape. The back platform extends over the back wheels and can act as a kicktail. There is a replaceable tailguard on the bottom.

With all the differences from a standard skateboard, you might expect to have a completely different ride as well. It's not as far off as you might think. From a longboarders background, the fluid feel of the board was second nature. The most awkward part was the fact that your front foot has to be basically facing forward all the time. This feels especially awkward the first time you do a backside carve. Although it wasn't natural, it didn't prevent normal riding and like anything, after awhile, you get used to it.

It's not made for heavy downhill skateboarding. I'd feel comfortable at maybe 12-15mph, but after that I imagine it would start wobbling.

In the weeks I tested it, I found it very easy to take with me. The handles make for very easy carrying. The folding process is fairly simple and fast, which made it easy enough just to jump on it for a quick cruise in the parking lot before I folded it back up and threw it in the front seat of my car.

I can see this board coming in very convenient for airplane trips--especially business trips where you might not have the option of bringing a long a large longboard. I don't think you'd have any problem getting past security with it as there's absolutely nothing dangerous about it :. The instruction manual says it can double as a luggage cart, which could be very useful. There's a handle on the kicktail that would make pulling it a breeze.

I think that one of the things that impressed me most about the board was as previously mentioned, it's a completely different board-each and every part was manufactured specifically for this board and its design draws very little from any other skateboard I've seen. In addition to being unique, the design is very well thought out and very well implemented. The board is completely functional and fun at the same time.

The Stowboard definitely falls in the "head-turner" category. Pretty much everyone who saw it-especially those who saw it being unfolded were curious and asked about it. The general consensus was that it's "cool."

I think that some improvements that could make the Stowboard a more all-around board would be to make it a little more sturdy-right now there is a weight limit of 200lbs, which I'm guessing is because of the plastic parts. It would also be nice to give your front foot some more room. It seems like this could be accomplished without sacrificing structural integrity (but losing some functionality) by removing the black handles. I'll try this and comment on it later. It comes with a skatetool and a couple other tools that make for easy adjustments to any part of the board.

The Stowboard's main purposes are transportation and convenience-to allow you to take a board where you otherwise might not be able to because of space concerns. I think it meets these goals very well, and stylishly at the same time.

Check out Stowboards website at www.stowboard.com.

Stowboard Video-Large Version (10mb quicktime)
Stowboard Video-Small Version(1.7mb quicktime)