DIY: BUILD YOUR OWN SLALOM DECK

[JBH]

Wow, I hadn't checked this topic for a while. Cool stuff, both from the manufacturer side (Richy) and from the "so simple it's (not) obvious" side (making a basic slalom deck from a poopsicle stick). Once you've seen it, it makes perfect sense. And yes, I do get a tan, Eddy. But remember that Midwest winters are long and cold and dark, so it takes a while. Plus, I couldn't find my Speedo before the Sizzler.

[frank]

Plus, I couldn't find my Speedo before the Sizzler.

I bet Vlad has one you could've borrowed

[revzack]

I have to jump on this myself. If people didnt start somewhere, nobody would be anywhere. It is good that people are starting when they can, then Richy can come in and sell them better stuff when they want or can afford it. Some are fortunate enough to say damn i want to try this and boom buy it. I may have even done that, however, some cant and need a starting point, the progress, anyhow i think i am repeating what everyone else said so i will stop.

Pete, how is the shoulder? 2 people and a dog on the buttboard pretty cool.

Zack

[PMC]

I have to jump on this myself. If people didnt start somewhere, nobody would be anywhere. It is good that people are starting when they can, then Richy can come in and sell them better stuff when they want or can afford it. Some are fortunate enough to say damn i want to try this and boom buy it. I may have even done that, however, some cant and need a starting point, the progress, anyhow i think i am repeating what everyone else said so i will stop.

Pete, how is the shoulder? 2 people and a dog on the buttboard pretty cool.

Zack

Hey Zack, shoulder is healing well and yeah it was cool man, the three off us going down the street, THX for the board, I owed you for that one.

[GPymp]

Hey Zack, shoulder is healing and yeah it was cool man, the three off us going down the street, THX for the board, I owed you for that one.

I am glad that they did not have to amputate

[PMC]

I am glad that they did not have to amputate

Me too GPymp it would be difucult to carry cones and lay a course with one arm
Well I gues I could had bought a red rider wagon to carry the cones

[ckpcw]

Thanks very much for this thread.. lots of help for the new slalomer. I found the 6 board designs and the info on wheelbases particularly helpful (my new board is based off of #6).


thanks!

[frank]

this one time, I built me a slalom board in my back yard for around $20. It had this tail thing on it with concave stuff in the nose and the tail. Maybe even some of that itchy fiberglass crap, I stole from my mommys sweaters. I made it for this real cool dude I ride skateboards with. He rode it, it went left, right, left right, left, right, and we liked it. So I entered it some board building contest. A few months later, a board pretty close to the same design came up for sale on some slalom stuff for sale by pros website. (except no concave in the tail)

At first I thought it was cool that other people had the same ideas about how a slalom board should perform. Now I know I'm not a real skater and will never have a chance at being "pro".

Just sayin, anyone wanna go ride a ditch?

I'll quit now.
I like skateboard ridin and skateboard makin

[Joe & Nick]

Who owns that board now Frank?

[Directive0]

this one time, I built me a slalom board in my back yard for around $20. It had this tail thing on it with concave stuff in the nose and the tail. Maybe even some of that itchy fiberglass crap, I stole from my mommys sweaters. I made it for this real cool dude I ride skateboards with. He rode it, it went left, right, left right, left, right, and we liked it. So I entered it some board building contest. A few months later, a board pretty close to the same design came up for sale on some slalom stuff for sale by pros website. (except no concave in the tail)

At first I thought it was cool that other people had the same ideas about how a slalom board should perform. Now I know I'm not a real skater and will never have a chance at being "pro".

Just sayin, anyone wanna go ride a ditch?

I'll quit now.
I like skateboard ridin and skateboard makin

Frank, was that that rorarockit pressed board with the shape that had the jog in before a swallow-tail and the dark wood stain? Almost gloss finish with a single word written on it? You posted it on SF? I remember seeing a picture of a board like that on here and being absolutely floored at the idea. That board is what made me want to design and ride my own slalom stuff. At first, just these flat simple planks. They sucked, no question. But in that time I got the basics down. A few months later and the chicago race where Joe told me to get a real board, I saw that deck in person and I knew what had to be done. Its about freedom, baby, yeah! So we decided the flat had to go, while Aviv and I started figuring out how to make some concaved and kicked boards. He had the technical knowledge on how to make it, and I had the experience on what was needed. Pretty soon we were growing a scene out in Toronto and now we have sessions with more then 3 people.

Are these boards meant to replace the work done by Pros and Bros and the average manufacturing Joes? Hell no, this is strictly for the newbs. Maybe the kids who can't convince their parents to drop coin on a "real board". But I'd like to think that maybe, just maybe, this article will teach some of the new guys the basic stuff to be self-sufficient skaters... wouldn't that be cool?

[frank]

Joe hopefully you still own it. It's the second generation of the board which is even better, and stronger.

Yea DO thats the one. Wanna buy the mold?
I wish there was a guide like this one a few years ago. Thankfully people like boe, mauiline, and ol'due were around here and had posted up more than you ever needed to know about how to build a skateboard. You just had to do some nose pickin and not ask a bunch of annoying questions.

I just dont think anyone should be riding a skateboard and having "proness" be the goal. I think if you put jason mitchell on a WesE plank he would still win. (and if I remember right WesE won a race on his plank)

Point is, who gives a rats ass what pro rides what, or who is sponsored by who. Do what you enjoy and ride what your comfortable on. If you see a need for a specific board that is not sold by some army then you have no choice but to build it yourself.

Spending your lifes savings on a setup aint gonna make you pro either. I've raced against people on the fancy trucks, strapped on foamcores and beat em down the hill, and I' ain't nuthin but a mid C class racer. But I don't blame that on my homemade boards. If I could buy a set of "pro" balls, that would be somethin...

I say build em up kids!

and of course no disrespect meant to anyone, just one lunatics opinon on homemade pieces of crap.

[brainfartalerts]

..........
and of course no disrespect meant to anyone, just one lunatics opinon on homemade pieces of crap.

What a bunch of garbage.................

[Richy Carrasco]

2002 Catalina Classic FCR , I rode a homemade deck that was flat with concave and finished 2nd in the GS, This was before Pistols were on, The thing is I never said on this thread " Buy my boards " . I was trying to say that there are many manufactures that are offering good deals for starter boards that are ready to go without all the hassle and have been race proven. How much would one of your completes itemized come out to anyways. starting with a 20 dollar board.

[SteveC]

errr.. well could be $200 less. couldn't it. sure it wouldn't perform as well...
But we're not all buying boards to try and win comps, or instead of sportscars...

And as for cars from washing machines....
It's a skateboard.... even the most technical and expensive barely fit that analogy.

[brainfartalerts]

[Munchh]

SIMPLE SOLUTION THAT WORKS.

I was not having any luck with my mould foam and kept ending up with 'rocker' not kick tails, so in a stroke of genius i came up with this.

All i wanted to acheve was an entry level slalom kicktail deck for TS.

Start with a blank 80's style pool deck,



Reshape with my own classic nose shape and redrill,







Burn or spray a your logo,





Grip job,





Set up and ride,



Has to be the most cost effective and functional deck i've ever made and i ended up selling more of them then any i have made.

[Munchh]

Why are there not alot of photo's on here?

[grimble]

Why are there not alot of photo's on here?

^there are now! nice deck.

[Munchh]

HERES A FEW MORE.
my 1st slalom deck, 29" flat classic shape, it got me started.


1st one i did with the Roarokit kit, reshaped the one that came in the kit and addes an oak veneer.


these two are from my own moulds.




















My 3 year old loved the train track grip!

[grimble]

they're wicked!

i really like the oak veneer... infact they've all got style.

thanks for sharing those.