The Hop Shop is not only a warehouse of skating goodness, its heart and soul is the website. So we are always making improvements, trying to make it even better. A lot of those improvements come from feedback, so speak up if you want to see something on the website.
This month’s uber geek modification is “email me when back in stock button”. Oh yeaaah. So now you can annoy us with stock requests. If something is not in stock, you can type in your email address and get notification when it is back in stock. Does not commit you to buy it but helps us know what everyone is missing most. It is hard to keep it all in stock … we try.
And for those of you who made it this far in the blog post, I got some other news. Venom bushings will be here Tuesday. You gotta get in quick, we have only 20 sets available in the first shipment. Our “cracked” bushings sold out in a day, so these ones will go fast.
There are so many slide gloves out there at the moment, and i bet you find yourself asking “which ones do i buy?” Although there is always the option of making your own but it you really want quality it sometimes can be a bit tricky to decide which gloves to get. Hopkin Racing team rider Jackson Shapiera has written up a quick brief of which gloves best suit different riders:
The types of glove really differ from the type of sliding/skating your doing.
I love the Loaded gloves for technical sliding like laying down a few spins and trick slides beacuse they have a nice puck that wears evenly and keeps you sliding through each spin fast and smooth, and they have alot of protection such as the wrist guard. Also the fact that they have finger pucks and a thumb puck keeps your slides a lot smoother. However i wouldnt reccomend them for downhill because the material is alot thinner and will tear a lot easier, and when you have your hand down for a corner you have pressure on one part of the puck constantly and that will wear the puck out a little bit quicker. They were never designed for downhill racing.
Loaded Slide Goves:
http://www.hopkin.com.au/loaded-slide-gloves-c-271-p-1-pr-16216.html
If you want a thicker glove for tech sliding i would suggest the new lush gloves because they have really big palm and finger pucks made of good material and offer a little bit more protection, but once again they are a pretty beefy pair of gloves and can be a hassle getting them on and off like the loaded gloves… But they do work well as an ‘all-rounder’ glove.
Lush Longboards Slide Gloves:
The Landyachtz gloves (or similar, like TImeship Westslide) i would recommend more for free-riding and downhill because they have double layers of leather on the fingers and the pucks are really dense and wear out really slowly when putting them through abuse around corners and long slides. They work really well when your just corner drifting or racing, and also because they are not as chunky as the loaded gloves they are more handy for just riding around town on. When you want to walk back up the hill they fit perfectly in your back pocket.
Timeship Racing Westslide Gloves:
http://www.hopkin.com.au/timeship-racing-westslide-gloves-c-271-p-1-pr-16465.html
If you want propper racing goves then your best bet is to go for the Moto style gloves with the Knuckle protectors, Timeship Racing makes an awsome glove specially designed for racing. They are made strong with lots of leather and carbon on the knuckles and fingers for protection and have removable pucks for the palms and fingers. They are strong as hell and wont shred in a gnarly crash, however these gloves are a bit more expensive but they definitely give you bang for your buck. These are being seen regularly in the international downhill racing scene at the moment.
However if you are still unsure, or if you just dont have the money to cough up for these awesome products, there is always the option of making your own gloves. All you need is a tough pair of riggers gloves or a pair of sturdy Moto gloves, some pieces of your mum’s chopping board cut to your desired size and some really strong glue. Quick grip works well otherwise a hot glue gun. You can easily find a how-to guide in a lot of skateboarding forums or just search on YouTube for “how to make slide gloves”.
Not only have Loaded proven to be a leading manufacturer of boards, but they have also provided a top-quality wheel for longboarding and skateboard racing alike. The Orangatang wheel (which comes in two different sizes 70mm and 75mm and two different duros 80a and 83a) has grown to be the most popular wheel on the market today. The Hopkin Racing online store has all these in stock and constantly has stock ordered to keep up with the demands of customers. These wheels sell like hot cakes!
Loaded is also proud to announce that Jackson Shapiera has been invited to join the Orangatang Team along side riders such as Adam Colton, Louis Piloni, James Kelly, Kevin Reimer, Patrick Switzer, Douglas Silva and Mike Zeistman.
Jackson wrote a blog post for the Loaded website about the wheels and how they have grown to be a popular choice in the Australian skateboarding community.
O-Tangs In Oz, By Jackson Shapiera.
I first laid my eyes on these wheels in Europe when K-rimes pulled them out at Peyragudes. I asked him how they were for racing because i had seen them on the internet videos and he said they felt incredible, so i had to get myself a set. Unfortunately i couldn’t get my hands on them until after the Europe World Cup tour and I was back at home. Hopkin Racing had a big box of o-tangs so i scored a set of 4 Presidents for myself and put them on my dervish, and it was like love at first sight. Ive never felt so much speed, grip and rebound all in the one package. It really felt like i had a top-of-the-line wheel under my feet and really wanted to test them out in the racing scene.
A few weeks later we had the 2nd round of the ASRA Cone Head Cup (slalom racing series in Oz www.skateboardracing.org.au and thought this was the perfect time to give them a go. The race was at Long Reef on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and the road surface wasn’t that smooth, but is wasn’t too rough either, but the course was long fast and kinda technical. It required strong pumps and precision to get the best times. I did a few practice runs on the good old Big Zigs and then tried out the In Heats, and instantly it felt like i dropped a few seconds in my time.
I felt a lot more traction and speed and the amount of energy i got out of each pump was incredible. By this time everyone had heard of them through videos and publicity on the internet and i could have counted at least 10 other riders on them. I asked everyone I saw riding them how they liked them and they all agreed they were high-class slalom wheels.
These wheels ended up being extremely popular in the Australian Skateboard Racing scene and Hopkin Racing has always been struggling to keep enough stock in due to the high demand. They also went on to get podium finishes at every Cone Head Cup race for the rest of the year, and also saw me placing first overall on them, Steve Daddow placing 2nd overall on them and Paul Carey placing 3rd overall (I saw him use them a few times too).
I also rode them at Maryhill and placed 10th, and was blown away by how many people there were riding them. I would say at least half the people racing at maryhill were riding O-Tangs or at least took one run on them.
So all in all i have got to say these are the best wheels ive ridden for Longboarding, cruising, downhill and slalom alike. The speed, grip and rebound combined makes these really good for all sorts of skateboarding weather it be racing or just cruising around on, and once you try them its hard to ride anything else. Ive got In Heats on my downhill board, In Heats and 4 Presidents on my slalom boards and 4 Presidents on my carving/freeride boards and i dont think im going to change the wheels on them until theres nothing left on them.
Jackson Shapiera, Sydney Australia Hopkin Racing Team, Rayne Longboards.
Photos are by Bill Fonseca, Dave Robertson and John Huey
Loaded have proven to be one of the leading companies in the Longboarding industry at the moment and this can be proven by not only the quality of their products, but their popularity to riders all over the world.
What started off as a company making a cruiser/carver with influences from snowboarding has grown into a world-wide industry that caters to all forms of longboarding, be it cruising to the shops, to bombing and carving big steep hills, getting your footwork happening with dancers, and even to the racing scene. Loaded has a board for it all. Not only do they produce quality products, Loaded are also trying to look out for the environment by using Eco-Friendly products such as bamboo for their boards which in turn gives alot of strength to their boards and works alot better when trying to add ‘flex’ to a board. Hopkin Racing is proud to stock these boards as they provide quality to the riders and are also one of the best selling longboards brands in Australia. The Hopkin Racing online store is fully stocked with all of the Loaded boards and is also happy to announce the Dancer is finally hitting Australian shores and will be available from the Hopkin Racing website.
Loaded’s original flagship board was the Vanguard, which is a ‘top-mount’ longboard that came in 5 different flex patterns and two different lengths to cater for people of different size and weight. It was perfect for cruising/carving and had the right length and flex for ‘dancing’. Adam Squared also released a video called Get Loose to promote the Vanguard and show what was possible on a longboard. This video captivated audiences world wide and thus was born the ‘dancing addiction’.
Loaded then upgraded the design to come up with the Dervish. It was the first fully functional drop-thru board with an ample amount of flex that was also made from Bamboo. The Dervish has a lower center of gravity which allowed it to be more controllable at higher speeds and feels a lot more comfortable to carve the steeper slopes. ‘Adam Squared’ also proved this board to be the ‘ultimate cruiser’ when they released their video Whirling Dervish, as it shows this board was more than capable for footwork while still being quite nimble for general carving.
After loaded noticed a growing popularity in ‘dancing’ they decided to make a specialty deck suited just for that. Earlier this year Loaded announced the release of the Dancer. The boards length and shape made it perfect for walking up and down on while still being under control of the rider, and was still fully functional when carving and bombing hills. The deck also included nose/tail kicks for manual and shovit tricks and was constructed with the right amount of flex and weight to suit ‘dancing’ moves perfectly. This board became an instant hit when Adam Squared released their video to go with it: Dancer Video.
Loaded have also realsed two other boards: The Pintail and the Fish.
These boards are both unique in their own way. The Pintail is a small and compact ride with enough flex for pumping around town but still enough length to handle itself on a hill. It was designed more as a commuter and was meant to be small enough to carry around comfortably.
The Fish was designed as a manouverable and pumpable board with surfing roots. Altough they designed it as a soulful and aggressive commuter it could also hold its own on a hill and is light enough to be carried back up. It also features a kick tail for manual tricks and was considered better off as a pool/bank rider.
Rayne have notified us that they are shutting the factory down October 2008 to prepare the new line up for 2009 and sort out their business processes. There will be limited stock available. Hopkin Racing will do a few shipments during this time. If there is a Rayne board you must have, call James (hop) on 02 8060 1588 and I’ll talk to Rayne to see if we can order it in and add to our shipment.
You are going to see some wild price variations while the Australian Dollar moves around on exchange rates. Please note prices shown for out of stock items will be the new price based on current conditions when our new stock arrives.
Here is the current stock situation. (Remember our prices include shipping)
Demonseeds - no stock - price shown here is the new price when we get stock. Nemesis - 3 boards in stock - the new price will be $329 - buy now at $275 and save 16%. In our opinion the Nemesis better all round board than the Demonseed. It is the board Jackson is racing on. Two wheel base options. More riding platform than the Hellcat. Can use any precision truck. Create an evo style wedge/dewedge with randals and our new baseplates. This board can be set up in so many ways it will make a perfect starter board or a must have board for the race quiver. Avenger - 1 board left in stock - new price will be $320 - buy now at $265 and save 17% Hellcat - 2 boards left in stock - new price will be $320 - buy now at $265 and save 17% Pug longboard - 2 boards left in stock - new price will be $299 - buy now at $245 and save 18% Timeline longboard - 3 boards left in stock - new price will be $289 - buy now at $239 and save 17% Libido cruiser or slalom deck -2 boards left in stock - new price will be $255 - buy now at $239 and save 22% Agent - no stock, yeah I know I’m crying too - if you need one I’ll talke to rayne but it will be $259
But wait there is more - What about the Deelite series I hear you ask?
Third leg of the Conehead Cup in Canberra. It will be a huge weekend of awesome skating. Dont miss out.
Ditch slalom on Saturday. Head to Head slalom at Stromlo Bike track on Sunday.
This is a reminder - Conehead Cup number two is on tomorrow, Saturday night. Practice from 6pm, racing starts at 7pm.
The new ASRA website is up and running, you have all probably found it, if not get on there, sign up, get involved. www.skateboardracing.org.au
There has been lots of questions regarding the different Orangatang wheels. Loaded Longboards has answered some of them, we have copied their answers and expanded on a few.
What sort of skating are the Orangatang’s designed and made for?
These wheels are intended to be grippy, with high rebound lips for energy generation. Loaded have made the wheel they want to longboard on. They are not a sliding wheel, though once broken they will slide. They are going to be easier to get traction with, and pump for speed. Grip through corners. Skaters are finding they suit many applications like slalom and downhill speedboarding. Check out the pictures from Maryhill, there were a lot of orange wheels there.
What is the difference between the Orangatang In Heat & 4President 80a and the 83a versions
The 83a wheels are a harder duro. The wheels will have less grip than the 80a’s, more prone to losing traction and will be faster on most surfaces. The 83a’s should also wear better due to the harder duro.
Which duro should I get?
If you want more grip go with the 80a. If you want more speed and less grip go with the 83a. This all depends on your riding style. In slalom uses the 83a on the front and 80a on the back. Hopkin Racing sell the wheels in sets of two to give skaters this option without having to buy 8 wheels.
So the new Orangatangs are in the house and on the website. There is good news and bad news. What do want first … the good or the bad? Yeah bad news first, it will make the goods news seem better.
Prices have gone up. Why Hop? You’re killing me. Well, the Australian dollar has dropped, the import costs were a bit more this time, and Jackson is spending way too much money overseas. (Only joking about Jackson, he is sleeping under that big tree near the Maryhill finish line to save money!!!).
So that is the bad news, prices are a bit more. $70 for a set of four 70mm and $77 for the 75mm.
The other change you will notice is we are selling in sets of two. And this leads me into the good news.
We now have two duros in Orangatangs! Yes, the purple Orangatangs are in stock. We managed to get a shipment out of the first batch from the factory.
Orange is 80a
Purple is 83a
Sold in sets of two so you can play with dual duros on your setup. Hard 83a on the front, and 80a soft and grippy on the rear for traction.
When we say 83a hard, they are harder but still very grippy. I think these wheels are going to be a sensational slalom wheel. Just in time for Conehead Cup number two!!
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