Latest Posts 🔗
Stooge 3-link truck: skating in never-never land
A fantasy steam-punk machine that looks kinda cool, if that’s your thing, until you realize it can’t possibly exist, because it violates the laws of nature and logic. Continue reading Stooge 3-link truck: skating in never-never land
Skateboard geometry: balance line
The basic idea I’d like to convey with this post is that a skateboard always balances on the line that connects the two centers of the axles of the trucks. Continue reading Skateboard geometry: balance line
Math 🔗
Ideal truck angles
How do we decide which angles our trucks should be wedged to? In a post addressed to beginners, I propose a process and explain the reasoning behind it. Continue reading Ideal truck angles
Wheelbase: the case for short decks
In this post, I want to make the case for a turn to shorter decks. First, I explain why long decks are redundant, then I enumerate the advantages of short-wheelbase decks and finally I attempt to answer exactly how short decks should/could become. Continue reading Wheelbase: the case for short decks
Pivot axis angles and wheelbase (open access)
Wheelbase and truck angles are directly related. I want to show that the three variables: front and rear angles and wheelbase are sufficient and necessary to determine the turning radius of a skateboard, when tilted a given amount. Continue reading Pivot axis angles and wheelbase (open access)
Data 🔗
GBomb’s Torsion Tails: a closer look
The Torsion Tails are a line of rear trucks made by GBomb specifically for platform decks. In this post I examine the design. Continue reading GBomb’s Torsion Tails: a closer look
Curfboard: a closer look
Curfboard is a simple but ingenious design, which shows that innovation can still happen in an oligopolistic, stale market. It would be better though if Curfboard’s marketing steered clear of speciousness and didn’t thus undermine its own reliability. Continue reading Curfboard: a closer look
TKP trucks: history and quirks
The TKP template has been with us entirely unchanged for many decades, during which materials technology and consumer needs have evolved. However, some things that are characteristic about TKPs are not also essential. In this post I want to examine two ubiquitous but not defining characteristics of TKPs, which truck makers ought to reconsider. Continue reading TKP trucks: history and quirks
Sociology & Political Economy 🔗
MelonenKacke: interview with Lena
Lena Meringdal, deck maker and distance skating athlete, talks about her skate brand, MelonenKacke Longboards. This interview covers her brand’s story, lineup, R&D and marketing strategy. Continue reading MelonenKacke: interview with Lena
The distance skating scene: a miniature market oligarchy
The distance skating scene is a small insulated social world that includes all the main spheres and dynamics one sees in an oligarchic market polity. Continue reading The distance skating scene: a miniature market oligarchy
The roots of LDP: distance sports or slalom?
Is LDP a kind of skateboarding, or does it belong under the distance skating umbrella? In this post, I make an effort to define this sport. Continue reading The roots of LDP: distance sports or slalom?
Changing Angles 