Loaded Vanguard Review

The Loaded Vanguard is an absolute carving machine. This board is hands down one of the most comfortable and energetic rides you can find out there today.

The new Vanguard sports a core full of bamboo goodness. This gives the board a snappy, responsive flex while reducing the overall weight as a bonus. As soon as you step on the Vanguard you’ll realize just how much flex the board has. Carving is awesome on this thing since the bamboo makes the board super snappy and responsive when coming out of turns almost like your snowboarding.

My Setup

Trucks: Randal RIIs 180mm
Wheels: Abec 11 Lime Bigzigs (75mm, 80a durometer)
Riser Pads: None

No riser pads are needed for the deck as the wheel cutouts on either end take care of any chance of wheel bite that you may experience. I’d recommend sticking  in the 66-76mm range for wheels.

For trucks I’d recommend sticking with the Randal 180mm trucks or Paris 180mm trucks.

This thing is super easy and enjoyable to pump along on the flats. Pretty much any longboarding style can be handled by the Vanguard. Whether your commuting to work dodging pedestrians or wrecking havoc pumping and carving that parking garage, the Loaded Vanguard can handle it all.

Now downhill is where the Vanguard starts to struggle. Since the board has so much flex the board simply can’t remain stable at higher speeds (30mph+). Although you might be able to ride the Vanguard at a higher speed, it simply isn’t as energy efficient as using a stiff board.

 Loaded Vanguard Flex

Sliding on the other hand is no problem for the Loaded Vanguard to handle. The board can break into a controlled slide no problem with Abec11 Bigzigs on my setup which means taking on those steep grade hills should not be a problem. Taking on bigger hills for me wasn’t an issue as speed checking and shut down slides were a breeze for the board to handle.

 Sliding On the Loaded Vanguard

Overall the Vanguard is a great freeride board and it should be treated as such. If your looking for a longboard with some flex and an extremely responsive ride, then look no further. The Loaded Vanguard is hands down, the most similar ride to a snowboard I’ve experienced.Carving, pumping and more carving is what this board is all about.

Amazing all around board. Definitely worth the $280-$300 hit to your wallet for the value you get with the Vanguard.

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GoPro Hero HD Camera Review

Want to show your buddies what it looks like to bomb a hill at 40mph? That’s where the GoPro camera comes in. It’s easy to carry, helmet mountable with a waterproof casing and records video in full HD quality.

$299 for the HD version$189 for the standard

This is the best mountable sports camera out there by far. It can be used for pretty much any sport and can be mounted on surfboards, handle bars, helmets and anything else you want via a suction cup. It’s solidly constructed and is enclosed in a hard plastic case that can be submerged to up to 180 feet (100 feet for the standard version). There’s a reason the GoPro has been the best selling sports camera for the past few years and the quality speaks for itself.

You’ll get about 2 hours of battery life out of a single charge which can vary a bit depending on the conditions and how your using it. The new rechargable lithium ion battery is a major plus over the older versions which took AA batteries. Also the GoPro takes SD cards, so toss in a 32GB and you can store 9 hours of footage to get you stoked whenever you want.

The GoPro is ridiculously easy to use even for the most inept at technology. All you do is make sure the battery is charged,  mount the camera on your helmet  and then film away. Mounting is a breeze since theres so many options, if you were trying to film some surfing for example you could just mount it on the nose of your board facing you. Imagine capturing the moment of getting barreled by an overhead wave to show off to your friends. Lets face it, this thing is just cool.

The quality is simply amazing on this camera  thanks to the full 1080p quality the camera records in. The resolution is stunning at 1920×1080 pixels and will be sure to make your buddies drool when you show them video on your big screen TV. Seriously I was just blown away when I first got a peek at how great the quality of video this thing can record.

Included are mounts for attaching the camera to three helmets and two pieces of gear/vehicles, as well as a head strap allowing you to wear the camera like a headlamp. You can also pull this strap over helmets for easy camera sharing between friends. One of the above mentioned helmet mounts is a lace-through strap-mount designed for vented helmets.

If your looking for an affordable high quality sports camera then I highly recommend the GoPro Hero for you. The $299 price tag may seem a little steep to some but for the quality you get its surely worth getting one. I’ve only had the chance of testing one for a few sessions of downhill skateboarding but once I have the cash I plan on buying one right away.

Go get one and Go Pro!

GOPRO HD VIDEOS

GoPro Hero HD Specs:

Camera Optics

• Lens Type: Fixed Focus (2ft/.6m – ∞), glass
• Aperture: f/2.8 (high performance in low-light situations)
• Angle of View: 170º ultra wide angle in WVGA, 720p, or 960p mode
• Angle of View: 127º wide angle in 1080p mode

Video

• HD Video Resolution Modes: (subject to change, pending final firmware release)
  • 1080p = 1920×1080 pixels (16:9), 30 fps, 15 Mbit/s data rate
  • 960p = 1280×960 pixels (4:3), 30 fps, 12 Mbit/s data rate
  • 720p = 1280×720 pixels (16:9), 60 fps, 15 Mbit/s data rate
  • 720p = 1280×720 pixels (16:9), 30 fps, 8 Mbit/s data rate
  • WVGA = 848×480 pixels (16:9), 60 fps, 8 Mbit/s data rate
• Sensor Type: 1/2.5″ HD CMOS, 2.2µm-sized pixels
• Light Sensitivity: Super low-light sensitivity (>1.4 V/lux-sec)
• Video Format: H.264 compression, saved as Windows- & Mac-compatible MPEG4 (.mp4) file
• Exposure Control: Auto with user selectable center weighted average and spot metering settings
• White Balance: Auto

Audio

• Microphone: Built-in, mono with AGC (automatic gain control)
• Audio Format: 48 kHz, AAC audio compression

Photo

• Resolution: 5 megapixel
• Capture Modes: Single shot, photo every 2, 5, 10, 30 or 60 secs.; 3 photo burst; self-timer

Storage

• Memory: SD card, up to 32GB capacity (SDHC)
• Average recording times (using 32GB SD card):
  • 1080p (30 fps): 4h 21m
  • 960p (30 fps): 5h 26m
  • 720p (60 fps): 4h 21
  • 720p (30 fps): 8h 09m
  • WVGA (60 fps): 8h 09m

Camera Connectors & Cables

• PC Connection: USB 2.0 (data connection and battery charging)
• HDTV Out: HD NTSC & PAL (component cable incl.)
• Audio Out: Combo 2.5mm jack with stereo audio and composite video out
• PC Compatibility: Windows® XP (Service Pack 2 or later) or Vista; Mac OS® X 10.4.11 and later

Power & Battery

• Battery Type: Rechargeable 1100 mAh lithium-ion
• Battery Life: Approx. 2.5 hrs
• Charging: via USB to computer or optional power adapter
• Charge Time: 80% capacity after 1 hour with optional power adapter; or 2 hours with a computer’s USB port

Waterproof Camera Housing

• Depth Rating: Up to 180 feet / 60 meters
• Construction: Polycarbonate and stainless steel
• Hardware: Stainless steel

Size & Weight

• Dimensions (H x W x D): 1.6” x 2.4” x 1.2” (42mm x 60mm x 30mm)
• Weight: 3.3oz (94g) incl. battery, 5.9oz (167g) incl. housing

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Bones Reds Bearings

Many people have some trouble deciding which type of bearing to use in their setup. There’s so many choices out there and the prices vary considerably between bearings.

Reds are “Skate Rated” by Bones, a unique system that Bones has developed through years of research and experience in the bearing industry. In addition Bones Reds come pre-lubricated with Speed Cream and are easy to clean. If your looking for a cheap but high quality bearing the Bones Reds are my recommendation for any skater out there.

I’ve personally been using the same pair of Bones Reds bearings in one of my setup’s now for over a year, and with minimal maintenance they still roll beautifully. I put these things through torture too, lots of rain/snow riding during the winter and lots of downhill and big slides.

Cleaning the bearings is extremely simple after you finish that session in the rain, with an easy to remove shield. A simple rinse in alcohol or mineral spirits and few drops of Bones Speed cream or lube and there good to go. The Bones Red bearings are certainly well made and I have yet to have a problem with them so far.

Keep in mind these are NOT the best bearing out there, but for the money ($20 or less usually), you really can’t go wrong with picking a pair up. Of course other bearings like Swiss and Ceramics will outperform the Bones Reds in certain circumstances like downhill racing but for your everyday riding good luck telling a difference.Even if you are a high performance rider these will still be handy to use in rain and other rough conditions where you wouldn’t want to risk those expensive Bones Swiss bearings.

Whether a new skater or a seasoned pro the Bones Reds are a solid budget bearing that can take the punishment and keep on rolling.  Go grab a pair!

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DC Skate To The Promised Land

Marquee Mall right beside Angeles Exit

DC Skate to the Promised Land - advancing the Kingdom
Event Date: October 20-21, 2011


EVENTS:
skateboarding | wall climbing | car show | finger board
Music Concert | grafitti & doodle | RC Drifting | Drift Demo

SCHEDULE:

Day 1 October 20

Skate Freedom run
Music Concert
Wall Climbing
RC Drifting
Doodle andGrafitti
Car Show
Bicycle Display

Day 2 October 21

Skate Competition
Proper Registration 9am-12nn
fingerboard Competition
Proper Registration 91m-12nn

Carshow Proper
Wall climbing
Awarding skateboard
Awarding Carshow

PERFORMERS:
Urban Hope Mishane
Bought by blood France
Fuzion DJ Cholo Anotio
Speak Life Beatboxx Jovani
Justin Callao TOP P&W
Binhi Malachi BMX Crew
Pulse Driven Speed Bump Alley
Army of One

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