Team Geared Up

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND (Team Geared Up) - Longboarding is the granddaddy of skateboarding and in recent years has been regarded as a retro pastime for nostalgics. However longboarding is making a big comeback with big name high end snowboard companies like Never Summer (NS) starting to produce boards to help drive the revolution. Released just this summer is NS’s high end line of longboards with something for everyone. The prize of the pack being the Eclipse.

Although using the classic 70’s pintail design there is nothing old school about this board. It uses a multi-layered system of hard rock maple, carbon, exclusive wood core and two layers of advanced pretensioned fiberglass to make for the sturdiest and most reliable ride you can find. Its got a sick wave graphic on the bottom also sporting a stylized NS logo and custom grip tape with camo style NS initials. Not to mention their see-thru custom wheels have the NS logo in them which just gives it that extra bit of style.

It also features P-Tex front and back bumpers that help protect the board from high speed impacts and ensure a longer life. These are a life saver for novices who may fall off or need to jump off because they are going to fast. The P-Tex ensures that the wood board doesn’t sustain any damage at the front and back the two likely places of impact and therefore is a great board for beginners.

It uses Randel II trucks which are one of the best in the industry and allow for very smooth turning. Get some longboard gloves on and loosen the trucks a tad and you’ve got yourself a carving machine. People may be worried about deck bite from the wide base while carving but from my experience you’ll probably be riding on two wheels or fall off the board before that happens. Although without a concave to keep your feet locked in, best leave that to the experts. The ultra durable 64mm Aend Urethane wheels ensure the best grip and are great for high speeds and smooth rides.

This is the ultimate super cruiser with the ability for some real downhill fun and ability to ride in big bowls, but not too great for races or power sliding. At 47 inches this board is pretty long so you’ll need about one and a half lanes maybe two to do a complete U-turn. Its great in busy cities in areas less populated or crowded. However due to its size its not that easy to weave through pedestrians. With that said this is a top class board and if you are looking to scratch that summer snowboarding itch and don’t live near a coast, or just want to take a break from skateboarding to kick it old school this is the board for you!

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-Alx-
(Image Credit: Never Summer Longboards)