Longboard Planet – All You Need To Know About Longboards And Skating

Whether you are new to long boarding or a seasoned veteran, shopping for a new board can be a tedious process filled with product reviews, in-depth research, price comparisons, and a lot of second guesses. We want to save you time, money, and hassle while you search for a new board that will reliably help you get where you need to go with style, speed, grace, and ease. In this article, we discuss four leading long boards and highlight their special features, overall performance factor, pros / cons, and price point. The brand in the spotlight for this review is Loaded Longboards, a California company focused on designing boards of all types for pavement, water, and snow.As we look at each model, we hope that you find our reviews to be insightful and full of useful information that helps guide your process as you hunt for your perfect, fresh long board. Loaded Longboards is a company that offers thoughtful board design, durable build, and serious craftmanship delivering high-performance gear for the most ambitious riders. Let's get started by checking out more specifics and features of Loaded Longboards. What Are Loaded Longboards?Image via https://loadedboards.com/Loaded Longboards got their modest start in the late 1990s as they searched for innovative ways to bring the experience of surfing water or snow to the pavement. Their first board was launched in June 2002 and since then, the brand has taken off to become one of the leading high-end longboard producers on the market. After many sessions of trial and error, the crew at Loaded Longboards manufactured unique longboards that could seamlessly emulate surfing or snowboarding. To this day, they build boards and gear they themselves as designers and creators want to ride.Loaded Longboards is a company that is driven by strong values and aims to design environmentally conscious gear with precision details, clean aesthetic, and powerful performance. Their boards have a strong identity for longboard dancing, cruising, and freestyle riding. Their decks range from around 32 to 45 inches long with consistent widths and various composite materials. Loaded Longboards are built to last and carry a lifetime warranty, which is a direct reflection of the company's ethics. The model we are specifically highlighting in this article is the Icarus by Loaded Longboards.Icarus by Loaded LongboardsThe Icarus model by Loaded Longboards is a 2018 board that is a compact yet powerful ride built for easy cruising or shredding a smooth downhill. The Icarus by Loaded Longboards is 38.4" long with a wheelbase that sits at 28.25". This unit has a large platform and 3D wheel flares as reliable reference points while maintaining clearance for wheels around 80mm.The Icarus by Loaded Longboards is a beautiful board with a clean and smooth appearance with quality stock hardware that will take you through mellow or rough roads without issue. This Loaded Longboards model is great for beginners or advanced riders who want an intuitive board with a quality build backed by a solid, supportive company. The Icarus offers versatile function yet remains smooth and precise regardless of the road conditions. The Icarus by Loaded Longboards is amazingly flexible, durable, and easy-to-carry making this unit great for everyday travel and commute.Product SpecsImage via https://www.skatehut.co.uk/The Icarus by Loaded Longboards is fully loaded with quality components and design to ensure you are safe while riding in style at low or high speeds. Its drop-through truck mount design pushes more stability and provides more power with less effort. Its concave edge makes for unique maneuvers and precision control. Its clearance is maxed out for the addition of big wheels, giving you more room for deeper carving and quick turns---which are excellent features for a commuter board. Although this board is a fundamental cruiser, its small nose and tail will keep you swiftly navigating city sidewalks or streets with room for creative tricks and style.The Icarus board by Loaded Longboards is constructed of a composite, vertically laminated fiberglass and bamboo material making for a super responsive yet durable deck. With this model, you can choose between two levels of flexibility depending on your weight as the rider---Flex 1 and Flex 2. This option gives you more potential as a rider to customize the board to fit your style or size. The Icarus by Loaded Longboards arrives to you fully assembled with Paris 180mm wheels, reverse kingpin trucks, Loaded Jehu V2 bearings, and your choice of Orangatang 80mm, 80a Kegels for speed, grip, and a smoother ride or the Orangatang 75mm, 83a durians for more slide and balanced grip essential to free riding. Build SpecsThe Icarus's dimensions are 38.4L x 8.6"W x 28.25"base with flex ranges of 75 - 250+lbs depending on the Flex model you choose.PricingImage via https://www.skatesonhaight.com/The Icarus by Loaded Longboards is a premium board at a premium price point. This board is built to last and backed by a lifetime manufacturer's warranty. You can purchase the Icarus for around $345 USD on loadedboards.com or amazon.com.How It ComparesWe picked a few similar products available on the market to see how they compare to Loaded Longboards.Quest Super CruiserSector 9 Lookout Green WaveArbor Axis CompleteLoaded LongboardsPrice $$ - $$$Performance The Icarus model is very light-weight, portable, and solid with reliable footholds, precision turns, and a compact design for quick maneuvering on tight city streets. Its flex is highly responsive and the bushings are soft yet sturdy. Amazing carving performance, this board rides like a snowboard or surfboard.Design Quality This board is short and maneuverable with thoughtful components. Its high-quality build will last for many years of sessions and is reliably backed by Loaded Longboard's lifetime warranty. The Icarus board is made of sturdy yet forgiving composite material that makes gripping with your feet easy and comfortable. All stock hardware is ready-to-ride, our only recommended upgrade is to switch the ball bearings with better quality.Special Features The design of this longboard is comprehensive yet minimalistic giving you high-quality components ready to ride straight out of the box. No major modifications are necessary for this to be your everyday reliable ride. We recommend swapping the ball bearings for a higher quality set. ProsLightweight and travel-friendlyWell-balanced and easy to rideResponsive springFunctional and agileConsPremium price pointLow-quality ball bearings, we recommend replacing them[amazon box="B01HU972I6"]Quest Super CruiserThe first board up for comparison is the Quest Super Cruiser Skateboard. This board is a large, 44" cruising longboard with a composite board of hardwood maple and bamboo. This board rides like a traditional longboard and because of that feature, you get an extra-long longboard. This Quest unit comes ready to ride with grip tape and hardware pre-installed, though we recommend checking the hardware for loose parts before you get rolling. The board is ideal for cruising, though its stock bearings will slow you down significantly. This Quest board is assembled with a top mount tuck setup for a higher lift and smooth, gliding ride.Price $The Quest Super Cruiser is great for riders of varying skill levels. It is an affordable option for beginners or riders who want a cheaper board to improve on with upgrades. You can purchase the Quest board for around $75 USD on questboards.com or amazon.com.Performance The Quest Super Cruiser has a stiff board that may not be ideal for some riders depending on their needs or preferred style. The stock ball bearings are rough and we highly recommend upgrading them for an improved ride experience. Beyond the stiffness, the board is easy to ride out of the box with comfortable footing.Design QualityThe quality of the Quest Super Cruiser feels reliable but the craftsmanship could be better—although the price point reflects the level of detail you are given with this board. We think Quest could improve the quality of the Super Cruiser's stock wheels, bearings, and the board's general durability.Special Features This Quest longboard is a straightforward ride with minimal special features. Perhaps the unique thing about this model is the various artwork choices you have. This is not a compact unit. ProsCasual cruiser, good for daily riding and commutingAffordable priceReady to ride out of the boxGreat for beginners who want a stiff boardConsUpgrade the wheels and bearings for higher performanceThe board is stiff, may challenge beginners who are looking for something more forgivingLow to medium speeds, this can change with updated components[amazon box="B008EZNY4W"]Sector 9 Lookout Green WaveMoving on, the next longboard on our list is the Sector 9 Lookout Green Wave. This moderately priced board is great for strolling and carving with a sleek, surf-inspired design for an incredibly smooth, gliding ride. This Sector 9 model is a large board with a long wheelbase so it will feel stable underneath your feet, keeping you safe as you slid around some hills. This board is fun and designed for easy speed checks, slides, and a forgiving yet sturdy build. The Sector 9 Lookout is equipped with 5-ply vertically laminated bamboo, a drop through mount, and 10" Gullwing Chargers with 74mm 78A Sector 9 top-shelf wheels and PDP Abec 5 bearings. Its dimensions are 42"L x 9.6"W x 31.5"base.Price $$You can purchase the Sector 9 Lookout Green Wave for around $179 USD on amazon.com. This is a great niche longboard for riders who put themselves in extreme circumstances and need more precision control.Performance The Sector 9 Lookout is a smooth ride with reliable hardware and solid, sturdy build. This unit is great in high-speed, downhill conditions with no issues with durability. Its grip is heavy-duty quality and will keep you riding with ease. Design Quality The board's aesthetic is clean and attractive with quality components at a proper price point. This is a reliable ride for beginners that will deliver on downhill adventures. Our only caveat is that the bearings could use an upgrade.Special Features The clear grip tape that comes on the Sector 9 Lookout is a unique feature that gives this board a special aesthetic. It is extremely solid and very high-performing grip tape. All components are Sector 9 factory-original parts. ProsAwesome board for heavier, larger ridersPrecision response and accurate controlQuality build at a moderate price pointIdeal for downhill riding, very stableConsClear grip tape---board gets dirty quicklyPoor quality bearings, recommended the upgrade for higher speedsDelicate drop through design, not ideal for aggressive riders[amazon box="B00JSNU8D4"]Arbor Axis CompleteThe last board on our list is the Arbor Axis Complete. This sturdy board is great for beginners and riders who are looking for a durable model with drop through mounting. This board sits low to the ground for more centered and properly weighted control. Designed as a smooth cruiser meant to carve as if you are surfing ocean waves, the Axis Complete is an easy-rider's ideal. The board is a beautiful and durable wood composite with quality hardware and smooth bearings straight out of the box. Minimal features and straight-forward design make this unit approachable for all skill levels without compromising the quality of craftsmanship.Price $$The Axis Complete is moderately priced and can be purchased on amazon.com for around $189 USD. Performance Reliably built for smooth carving and easy-riding. The ride experience is well-balanced, and the board is easy to maneuver with reliable grip. The Axis Complete's trucks are responsive and the unit is sturdy even on high-speed hills. Design Quality The Axis Complete is well-built with quality components and a sturdy wooden board. Aesthetic is clean with cool graphics and clear grip tape. Special Features This board is a straightforward unit great for beginners who want a quality board at a moderate price point. Stock components and bearings perform well in a variety of riding environments and road conditions. ProsSolid board materialReliable bearings and stock hardwareSmooth and sturdy ride straight out of the boxUnique shapeConsNeeds better grip tapeModerately priced for low-end hardwareHeavy and bulky[amazon box="B07FPW881M"]ConclusionAs we wrap up our review of these four powerful and unique longboards, we hope that you have found these reviews to be insightful and informative as you search for the right board for your needs. Each board we discussed in this article has its own special features and niche environment for optimal riding. After checking out three competitors, we are confident in our overall rating of the Icarus by Loaded Longboards. The Icarus model is a high-end longboard that built to last a lifetime. We like its thoughtful and sturdy build so much that we rate the Icarus 5 out of 5 stars for any skill level. With this model, you get what you pay for. The Icarus by Loaded Longboards is a premium ride that performs well in most scenarios though it shines the brightest on long cruises or commutes. We recommend this unit for any rider who is looking to make an investment into a high-quality longboard that will last for many years to come.

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