Endless Longboards R&D

Endless Longboards has come up with a little Research and Development program that we are proud to announce today! Starting about a week ago, EL has began to work on a few products that already exist, but we plan on making them better. Below is a sneak preview!

Rain Wheels
We already know that they make rain wheels, but the water displacement is horrible on those wheels, it virtually does nothing. We will be working on a rain wheel that will truly be able to help you out after a solid rain and make sure that you never side (unless your trying to).

Bearings
You like Bones REDS? Well we are researching bearings and wish to give you better bearings that are cheaper! How is that possible? That will be our secret. You want speed and strength? We will give it to you.

Also there is one more project we are working on but it is a complete secret. We will be taking bearings and wheels to a whole new level with a bearing that is rated 5x stronger than the normal .25" size and will spin faster! This part will be a customize only to the wheel and nothing will be set standard.

More information on all these products will soon to come. For questions, comments, or concerns, contact me at mkosmoski@gmail.com or text me at 713-315-1030

Merry Christmas

We at Endless Longboards would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a very happy holidays to everyone else! Everyone better get some good stuff and get longboarding as soon as presents are done with! Or consume candy then go longboarding! Either way, enjoy your day and stay safe!

Winter Break

School is now officially out and we all know that it's time to party and longboard. We all know (I would atleast assume so, if not then we can have another post about this later) how to longboard but the tricky question is where are we supposed to do it? In Houston, we know that this can be a tricky question and it sadly takes quite a bit of thinking before we can come up with a good spot to longboard; so this winter break we are going to fix this with some How-To's!

First I would like to start with where to get a longboard. If you do not have a longboard currently, need a new one, or want to get someone a board for christmas, you need to think about a few things: how much do you really want to pay for a board, and what style riding will be done on this board? For information on those questions, please look back at my Longboarding In Houston post on December 12, 2010. Once you have figured that out, either goto your nearest Zumiez or check out Carve Skate Shop. Both of these are highly recommended by myself and many people if you were to just go ask around.

Now you have your board, we need to figure out a good place to skate. Depending on your style of riding, you can either just cruise the streets of Houston with a little slalom action, or you can start bombing some hills. Where you might ask? The answer is simple! Look around town, ask some friend, or even go ask the guys at Carve for some of the best parking garages around town. I would share a few on here but for liability reasons I can not. Security has been trying to track down on some places and posting that on the internet just tells them exactly where you will be! One suggestion is however, the beautiful and public place of Terry Hershey Park located south of I-10 on Beltway-8 just before(?) or around Briar Forest. There will be a parking lot on the right hand side if your headed south. From there you can get some really nice casual riding and get some good hills at the same time. It's a place myself and many of my friends go to just talk, board, and have some fun. Highly recommended!

If you have any more question on any issues for this winter break, feel free to contact me! Just remember...
Ride On. Ride Strong. Ride Long. Endless Longboards.

Longboarding In Houston

Endless Longboards is here to support those who take on the challenge of longboarding in Houston, TX. As we all know however, Houston is extremely flat and allows for the most extreme sucky-ness when it comes to us who wish to do a lot more downhill work. There are the few exceptions that help us along in Houston with our lack of hills, and one of those is dancing. However we shall leave dancing for another day's lesson.

Todays lesson is about your deck. When looking to get the right deck for you, there are a decent amount of things you need to take into consideration, because many decks help different styles of riding. When looking into what style deck you wanna get, understand that you can be doing quite a bit with your deck. Think about your riding style; do you want to carve, do downhill, travel longer distances, dance on it, or do other tricks like sliding or jumping around? Those are just a few of the things you need to look into. Once you have figured out your riding style, you need to think about your weight.


Flex is a term used to describe how much the board bends when you are using it. The higher the flex number means the board will bend more, and the lower the number, the less it will bend. When picking flex, you want to think about how much you weigh and what style you will be riding. Some styles are easier with a higher flex, and some with lower. One last thing when thinking about the flex number is really thinking about what feels best with you. Everyone can get technical with the board they want but a big part of your longboard will be how much you actually enjoy riding it. Everyone has a different preference so be sure to always try out a few different boards and seeing exactly which one suits you best.

Basic Deck Types Quick Reference
Pin-Tail - Flat and great for beginners. Good for variety of rolling tricks.
Drop-Thru - Great for longer distance and are lower to the ground. Ideal for high speeds and less turn.
Hybrid - Good for tricks of all kinds. Watch out for shoe-bite.
Cruiser - Similar to skateboards in shape. Good for kick tricks.
Downhill - Stiffer board. Good for downhill (duh) and responsive maneuvering.
Flexer - Slower speeds and smoother rides.

The main point here is to get the best deck that suits you and your riding style. Here in Houston we are extremely limited to what we can really do because we have the consistent need to push and keep us going, however we can still make our way with dancing, tricks, and just having fun. Remember Houston is the only real city!

Ride on. Ride strong. Ride long. Endless Longboards.

Sector 9 Joel Tudor Review

"The Joel Tudor just like almost all of the Sector Nine longboards is great for riding around on the urban terrain or carving up the local park. The  Joel Tudor Sector Nine longboard is fairly long at 8.75 x 38.3 in. The Joel tudor has a super long wheelbase for nice, long, smooth turns. The joel tudor comes in either, a red, blue, or green. Also, I’m not sure if this is true but I hear (keep in mind this could also just be for looks) the groove in the bottom of this longboard is to roll tobbaco so for all you tabbaco rollers out there this one could be for you. Also just like all of the other premium Sector 9 Longboards, this comes with super grippy non-slip griptape

The Joel Tudor comes with san clemente trucks but i recommend getting Sidewinders if you want to carve or go around town, However if you’re looking to bomb hills I suggest getting the bombers. The Joel tudor also comes with stock San clemente wheels but for the best grip I suggest getting Sector Nine wheels or if you feel like getting a really nice pair of wheels I suggest getting the abec 11 gumballs. Unfortunately this isn’t going to come to you racing out of the package, unless you get some quality bearings, I suggest getting Bones Reds, they’re the best bearings for the price but if you feel like spending a little more on some even better bearings i suggest getting the sector 9 ceramics."

Review is directly from Nord Boards and credit is given to the author. View the page here.

Cheap Longboards In Houston

So I had some references coming into Endless Longboards from people looking for the cheaper longboards in Houston. A few things about longboards is that you wont really get them for "cheap" just because its the fact that they are longboards. They can run in price usually from about $150.00 to $400.00.

If your looking for the cheap longboard present for someone else or just for yourself to learn on or what not, one of the best places to go is your local Zumiez. They are a fairly well known skate shop retail that can hook you up with just about whatever you need. One of the brands that they carry a lot of is Sector 9 and Arbor; both of these brands are very affordable ($200.00 or less most of the time) and are actually quite reliable despite a lot of hate that the two companies get from people.

For other riders out there, or for the guys who want a great board and don't mind paying the little extra for it, you can try going to Carve Skateshop at 1043 Studewood St. Houston, TX 77008. They sell a variety of longboads. A few of the brands that you will see there will be the Loaded, Land Yachtz, Gravity, and Bombsquad. These build-you-own decks and parts can add up on price real quick, but all the decks that I've seen come out of that shop have been more than worth the extra money.


You can contact Zumiez at the following:
Store Locator


You can contact Carve at the following:
1043 Studewood St.
Houston, TX 77008
Email: carveskateshop@gmail.com
Shop Phone: 713-868-0028
Business Hours:
Monday - Saturday: 11am - 9pm
Sunday: 11am - 6pm

LED Risers

So I have been thinking lately about LED risers for skateboards and risers. This is because I am currently repainting a Sector 9 Joel Tudor Signature Series. The wood on the deck is amazing, so I thought I would hand paint it (it will be posted once its complete). But for a special feature, I want this board to light up so everyone sees me coming!

xBoard Illuminators have caught my attention thanks to skatesonhaight.com and I have to say I kind of like how these look. They really let the board glow but it's not so much that the world will be like "what the hell?" every time I pass them. Plus I will be able to show off the design in the dark because of the risers.

See them on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaH4uYphwU8&feature=player_embedded

A special feature I thought was cool about these risers were that they only raise you up about 1/8" just like a standard riser does. I was so confused about how an LED riser could be so thin, so I began to look into this. After some good research, I found that they actually wrap around the truck and fall down on the sides. This was a smart move for the xBoard people. Props.

I hope to get my hands on a set of these soon so I can give them a try! Also they only sell for 9.99 per on skatesonhaight.com so they are also a great value! Give them a shot and send me pictures to see you in action!

Ride on. Ride Strong. Ride Long. Endless Longboards.

Its That Time of the Year

December is a time of dread. Why you ask? Because of the cold weather. We all know that Houston doesn't get too much cold weather, and when we do it's scarce, scattered, and lasts forever. With this time of cold, longboarding just sucks because its cold. But that's not why we have this month; we have this month for the presents we receive later on and isn't that just great?

Need to get someone something? Try a longboard! There are lots of cheap longboarding things you can get for people and they will love it!
Sector 9 makes good cheap boards for beginners. They are lower in price than most other companies and actually hold out well. Might I add the designs also look pretty good. Also Arbor is another personal favorite for cheaper priced boards but amazing quality.

Do you friends already longboard or skateboard? Well get them a helmet! We all like to board and some people enjoy trying things that will most likely land them face first in the concrete. As funny as it is, we still need to protect our skull. A carbon fiber helmet of any brand really would work. They will be on average about $50 and can float a little more or less. That will ensure no one dies and can longboard another day.

Happy December to all and remember: Ride on. Ride Strong. Ride Long. Endless Longboards.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone here at Endless Longboards! We thank everyone who comes and views the blog and supports us! Also for all longboarders in Houston, ride strong.

Where are the good hills in Houston? Well the one place I would like to mention today (and I strongly encourage everyone to go there because it can be loads of fun) is Terry Hershey Park. If you haven't been there before, go. It can be located at 15200 Memorial Dr, Houston, TX and it a blast. Everyone go try it out and have a Thanksgiving ride for me.

How To Clean Your Bearings

So looking at today's weather, it's hot, humid, rainy, humid, nasty, and a little more humid. Needless to say, is sucks outside. Yay for Houston weather, right? Well with the rainfall we had earlier today, longboarding or skateboarding can actually be a bad idea! I told myself I would never say that, but it is necessary. All the water on the ground can hurt your bearings and cause them to go bad rather quickly. I would like to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone; so today we will make sure you know how to properly maintain your bearings.

Here are a few steps to avoid having your bearings to bad on you:
1) AVOID WATER!
Water is usually the number one reason that bearings go bad. They can destroy your bearings instantly. Lubricating your bearings with grease (I personally prefer White Lithium Grease) can help keep your bearings from getting damaged from water exposure but never think it will save them completely. Oiled bearnigs are not protected at all as oil only helps the bearings go faster, not stay cleaner.

2) IF YOU HEAR DIRT OR LOCK UP, STOP!
Dirt inside the bearings can damage the bearings physically, and trying to force a locked up bearing to rotate will cause similar damage and even possibly warp your bearing. You need to asses and clean your bearings always if either of these two situations comes up.

3) AVOID DAMAGING BEARING SEALS!
The only thing protecting your bearing from the outside world is that dirt seal. If warped or damaged it will allow dirt, water, and anything else to easily make its way inside your bearing and can cause serious damage. Good tips to avoid hurting this seal is to carefully remove it with a paperclip when cleaning your bearings and avoid pressing on it with your wrench when your screwing your wheels back on your board.

A few tips for when you are cleaning your bearings to help make your job easier!

• Never use water to clean your bearings. It will rust them over. Use a good solvent such as acetone or alcohol to clean them, and then a good grease such as white lithium grease to finish the job.
• You usually never need to take a bearing fully apart. Just taking the dirt shield off and keeping it "open" is about all you need to do.
• Ensure your bearings are placed on your wheels with dirt shield facing out. Duh.
• Clean your bearings regularly so you avoid the chance of ever having issues with them. Silverfish Longboards says about every 50 hours, I like to clean them once a week or maybe once every two weeks depending on how much I use the board.

Long Distance in Houston

As we all know, Endless Longboards is based out of Houston, TX. The best city in the country, except for longboarding. As many Houstonians know, we live in a very flat city and the few places we have to longboard, such as garages and the occasional hill, are loaded with cops because that's just our luck. One good thing we have in Houston however is the fact that we can do a good amount of long distance travel sense we are on a flat plain and never have to worry about going up the hill, so tonight I would like to make sure we all know what a good board is to go these long distances.

A good cruising board is one that overall you are comfortable on all the time and won't tire you out quickly (obviously), so one recommendation I have is a drop-thru deck so you are lower to the ground. Two decks I highly recommend are the Arbor Axis Bamboo and the Loaded Dervish. Reason being is because they low to the ground, have amazing stability at almost all speeds, aren't limited to their turn because the wheel well is cut out, and they just look spiffy.

Today's lesson however is on your wheels.

One factor you must look into is the wheels you get. Sense you will be on sidewalks a lot (most likely) you will need something that can catch the concrete and hold it well. For this you need to look at two factors on the wheel: the shape to have a corner edge on the wheel to hold concrete rather than a rounded edge to slide, and the "A" number that's an indication of how soft or hard the wheel is, labeled "78A" or "86A". These tell exactly what kind of wheel you are looking at. Slaloming on a longboard is just dodging people, poles, holes, or hot women chasing you because longboarding is sexy. To ensure that your board won't slide on you, you want to make sure you have a solid wheel that can grip the concrete. So to do this you need to look into having a softer wheel; they will wear out on you a bit faster (but if you're only casually riding don't worry about that as much) but they grip the a lot concrete better. Soft wheels are lower "A" numbers, such as a 72A, 76A, or somewhere around that. I wouldn't go much past 80A if you want solid grip on the concrete.

So all in all, a softer wheel will give you the best grip on concrete and will ensure you can take the tight turns on the sidewalks and the cornered edge will ensure you don't slide and die. Ok not die but you could bust your &#$ and then those hot women will catch you (however that might not be such a bad thing.. minus your gonna hurt from that fall). So get out there and enjoy Houston.

Bearings

What defines a longboard? It's deck? It's wheels? It's trucks? Personally, I believe its the bearings that define the board. They give you the power to roll however fast you want, and with bad, old, rusted, or warped bearings you will never be able to do anything that you want. However I have the solution for your problems. Whether you are new to longboarding, just bought a new stock complete board, or are as broke as me, bearings seem like an expensive fix; however this couldn't be any more wrong.

Bone REDS

The bearings that I personally use on most of my boards (because I haven't put them on the rest yet) are a very reliable style called Bone REDS. These are more than just your generic bearings and are the most valued bearings for the price you can get them at. Made by Bones, a well known company for their bearings being of top quality, you know for sure that you will get only the best out of these guys.

Why buy these? That is simple. They work. Need I say more? But why do they work so well? Thats because of their simple design. With the standard seven ball design inside the bearings, and easy to clean design, I wouldn't want to ask for more. Being skate rated by Bones, these bearings are proven to be able to take the beating that skate board and longboard wheels and bearings take. This includes the strain from sliding, hard landings, and dirt!

My favorite part about these bearings however is that they come pre-lubricated and ready to use, but if you want to lube them up or clean them at a later date, it couldn't be any easier than 1, 2, 3!

Bone REDS Ceramics

For the more advanced users, try Bone REDS Ceramic bearings, unique to their white dirt cover instead of the red. Have any questions about ceramic bearings, comment and I will be sure to answer you.

If only..

If only I could get someone to make me a custom longboard deck with my design on it, that would be lovely.. (hint hint wink wink?) because I came up with a nifty 'Phantom' deck that could begin a Endless Longboards series.

Its a rough concept idea that I put together at.. 2:43am so yea! But what would be cooler is a Texas Tour to promote the board, the company who makes the board, this website, and longboarding! Who doesnt want to promote longboarding? Anyways, here is the Endless Longboards Phantom deck.

Woah...

Its been almost a month sense I've posted on here last. Sorry about that! I got busy with life and school and its been a major mess but I promise I am still here!

Quick post for me tonight though! For those riding in Houston, TX, I have been trying to find new sick garages to post up and bomb! So far there is little luck! But I have found a few!

The first is in Bunker Hill Village. Take I-10 to Bunkerhill, go south on bunkerhill then at the light, take a right on gay lord. The garage is most of the way down the street to your right! Its a smaller but easy and SMOOTH garage! Bomb it! Just watch out for mall cops! Some let you longboard and others dont!

The next garage is on I-10 and Barker-Cypress. Its just north on barker-cypress just right of a 24-Hour Fitness (or balle total?).. one of them. Its called Woodgroup and it says it on the garage! Its a fun one! Go late night and its empty! Smooth and has few speed bumps that are easy to get around. Lights turn off at 11pm so go boarding in the dark! Be careful you can get hurt! (Theres my disclaimer so you cant get mad at me if you do. Just know where the car stops are...)

Also there is a tall garage on I-10 and Dairy Ashford that I need to look into, so once I get a chance to do that I will post about it for sure!

Bomb it! Have fun. Longboarding for life!

Tip of the Month

So we are halfway through the month and I thought that after my many falls and fun this month, stopping and breaking would be a good tip to go with. Here is a long article I found (I didn't want to type it all!) on braking, credited to Maeve Rich at life123.com. Enjoy.

Here are some longboard skateboarding tips for beginners. Longboarding is a mode of transportation chosen by many people because of its freedom, cost-effectiveness and physical fitness appeal. Longboarding can also be seen as a lifestyle, with some skateboarders relying heavily on their longboard not only to get around but also as a recreational activity. Longboarding is much easier than standard skateboarding; still, it requires a certain amount of balance as well as a few other techniques.

Always wear a skateboarding helmet, even if you think the chances of getting hurt are minimal. When you're moving quickly on a longboard, it can be difficult to stop. You are also at risk of being hit by cars, especially if you're using your longboard to get around. Since an accident could lead to head injury or death, it's best to be protected.

When choosing your longboard, make sure it can handle your weight. Choose a longboard whose size reflects what you plan on using it for. If you're going to be cruising, select a longer longboard. These are the best for getting around, though they don't turn easily. If you plan on doing a lot of quick turns or need to maneuver your board quickly, you should opt for a shorter board.

Wear flat-bottomed shoes. Skateboarding shoes are ideal because of the traction and protection they provide, but any flat-bottomed shoe will do. Avoid sandals, especially when you're learning how to ride, since it's easy to lose your balance.

The first thing you should do when learning how to ride a longboard is determine whether you're regular or goofy-footed. If you're regular, you'll ride with your left foot forward. Goofy-footers put their right foot forward. One easy way to figure out what you are is to stand at a line and fall forward. Whichever foot you put forward is most likely going to be the foot you put in back.

You'll also need to be able to stop quickly on a longboard. You can try breaking, which involves you dragging your back foot on the ground. Make sure you're wearing skateboarding sneakers before you attempt this, as you could hurt your foot in other shoes.

Once you have mastered the basic longboarding techniques, you'll want to become comfortable with some more advanced longboarding maneuvers. These include carving, pumping and sliding. Carving can help you control your speed if you're moving too quickly down a hill. It is also fun to do. To carve, all you have to do is lean your body in the direction you want your skateboard to go.

Pumping is a longboarding trick that can help you to increase momentum without having to push off the ground. To pump, shift your weight from your front foot to your back foot, swiveling your hips and turning your longboard as though you're carving.

Sliding can help you stop quickly if you're out of control on a hill or an obstacle suddenly appears. To execute a slide, crouch down and act as though you're going to grab the front side of your board. Then, lean back and place your hands on the pavement behind you. The direction in which you place your hands will determine which way you slide. Make sure you're wearing longboarding gloves before you slide.

Downhill Run - Arbor Axis Bamboo

So I got to try out the Arbor Axis Bamboo down some hills last night, as it was stated in my last post. I have to say that it was an amazing board to go down hill with. Me and some buddies found some mediocre hills in Memorial Park so we decided to his those up as best we could.

Standing up and going downhill, I had quick speed, control, and I knew I wasn't going to die. However it was either the narrowness of the path or the 75a wheels that come on the board that decided to stick to the pavement really well and sliding turned into epic falling. It was fun none the less.

Being our stupid selves, my buddy and I decided we would sit on our boards and try the hills. Well that didn't quite go as well. He was riding a Sector 9 board (bamboo as well, can't remember which one) but he almost made it to the bottom. Myself however, did not. Sitting I learned was not my strong area but it was still fun, so I would tell everyone to try it just for fun! Just bring sliding gloves or any gloves to catch your skin for when you fall because that was painful!

Test Run - Arbor Axis Bamboo

So as a I was searching the internet last night, I came across a very nice board by Arbor... the Axis Bamboo. It was a beautiful deck and I've heard quite a few good things about the board so I decided I would keep my eye out for it. Come to be, I was at my local Zumiez and what do I behold but an Arbor Axis Bamboo! I couldn't help myself so I bought the board.

I took the board out for a few hours today, probably a good 10 miles on the board already and I have to say it rides great. First thing I noticed when I got on the board was its feel. It has a medium flex that feels good to just roll but bends perfect even on the fasted carving. With the through trucks that's on the deck make carving easy, clean, and so quick. I can't say I have been on a board that turns so well in quite a while. With Gullwing 10" Charger Trucks you can't go wrong. The wheels on it are a 72/75a sounds beautiful against the pavement. As I was rolling, I could just hear the wheels grip the concrete and ensure that the ride was smooth and great.

The only thing I can think to upgrade at this time is the bearings from stock Abec 5 bearings to Bone REDS to ensure a longevity your ride and a great bearing to ride on for just about anything.

As we all know though, Houston has little to no hills at all so I will be trying out the boards real ability tonight in a parking garage. Lets see just how well we can slide this board.