ISSA - International Slalom Skateboarding Association

For your viewing/racing pleasure. The folks at Hood River got a peek at this experimental independent rear suspension racing truck, so now it's your turn.

Inspired by the proven Independent Suspension and Radikal truck designs

Now that looks Awesome Coach. Eddy Texas Outlaws. Will talk to you soon.

what kind of benfit gives the suspension to the skater ? Isn't it rather unstable than stable ?

I find it amazing to see what has come out of slalom skateboarding in the last few years. I would think it benefits skateboarding as a whole. Killer trucks like the TTC, PVD, Radikal (above), Airflow, Splitfire, composite decks, wheels, etc. What other skateboarding discipline has generated so much skateboarding innovation in just the last few years?

Both Downhill (Standup) and Streetluge have gone through similar changes, although at a slightly more sedate pace. The reasons for the lesser degree of innovation are many, but basically it's material cost, and Risk to the Racers. We in Slalom can 'tweak' a setup and get it kinda figured out in a few runs, at speeds that usually won't break vital body parts.
Put together a 'new' ride in Downhill, and it'll take a few runs before you should trust it enough to start going Fast. Add an Innovative idea in there, and you'll probably want a few Days on it to sort out how predictable it's going be at speed. So, our evolutionary pace is quicker, Yet, we still have the interesting dichotomy of ICK or Turner decks and Wes E. and Vlad boards. Carbon/Foam/Glass super-tech stuff Vs. slabs of thick Hardwood. And, mind you, I ran a 'vintage' Hobieflex at the last Farm Outlaw to 6th place...
The real thing that's happening, and it's a cool phenom unto itself, is that Racing makes Room for Improvement. That will to win, 'fairly', I might wish to add, means that people who think a bit outside the box will adapt, and usually bring out some pretty amazing advances as they go. I had watched my 'Other' sport, Snowboarding, totally turn it's back on Racing (with Reason, the FIS and IOC are not fun people to work with). Even as it did this, I saw a change in performance in the boards. Within a few years, Fast + Fun boards were hard to get, and the rate of innovation came to a wrenching, smelly-stagnated halt. Only a few small companies kept up the idea that Speed matters. In ten short years, Skiers caught up with Snowboarders in all phases of ability, except riding Powder and being able to Ollie. Embarrassing to say the least.
Hopefully Skateboarding will look more carefully at it's roots, and at the Creative Thinking that's coming to the fore now. If the trends of the Past are used as lessons for the Future, then we'll see yet another whole level of Skateboarding being born right before our eyes. I hope the stoke of Flowing with Gravity takes root again, and I would have to say the Longboarding, Downhill, Luge, Poolriding(ditches,too), and Slalom have been a Huge part in re-shaping the potential of our sport.

With luck, there will be no more 'skateposers' !

Jack, looks sweet. How'd it work for you that day at Pump? Am I correct in assuming that all of the parts are custom, that is, there are no stock Radikal parts in there?

If that truck its CNC an not hand made then it would be killer. I seen differents suspensions setups and i realized that sometimes the arms are not perfectly alligned so the truck tends to turn to one side more than the other/

Eric,
Thanks for the insight.

Inspired by the proven Independent Suspension and Radikal truck designs.

Yes it is CNC.

Every part was custom made.

Looks interesting. Any front protos?

My questions are what material is used to make the suspension spring between the yokes? Will it hold up to abuse or does fatigue set in after a few runs? Is it spring steel or some exotic alloy?

Also, how are the yoke pivots constructed? Is the "hinge" metal-on-metal, or is there some sort of plastic/teflon/nylon insert? Does any of this suspension system require lubrication or is it designed to run dry? Finally, are different gauge suspension rods needed for different riders? Just like flex, does a 150-pound rider pushing around a cone need a lighter suspension than a guy weighing 225?

Just wondering about all the variables.

Does it have bearings in all the same places as a Radikal? The kingpin looks fixed in there, so if there is a bearing between the bushings, how do you swap the bottom bushing?

can you use it as a rollerskate truck
what color is it
what would it cost to send it around the world
will it work with my phone
is it a lefty or a righty
can you smoke it
does it weight more than a phone book
does it smell like chicken
will my scoter wheels work with it
and to end it can you blow it out your ass

hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Can I have it?

That looks like a pretty rad monster....
any fear of the tool steel letting go of the suspension arms in huge, heavy turns....

when does production start?

Looks interesting. Any front protos?
Not yet.

What material is used to make the suspension spring between the yokes?
Currently we are using spring steel, we are also doing some experimenting with other materials. The spring steel is holding up very well, we've only blown out one bar so far.

How are the yoke pivots constructed? Is the "hinge" metal-on-metal, or is there some sort of plastic/teflon/nylon insert?
Metal-on-metal presently. There is a self-lubricating washer between the arm and the hanger.

Finally, are different gauge suspension rods needed for different riders?
Yes. You can also pre-load the suspenison for different amounts of travel.

Does it have bearings in all the same places as a Radikal?
Yes

The kingpin looks fixed in there, so if there is a bearing between the bushings, how do you swap the bottom bushing?
Look at the photo closely. The pivot is an allen screw that un-screws from the hanger. The hanger is removed by un-screwing the pivot and then removing the kingpin locknut. No need to remove the kingpin.

Can you use it as a rollerskate truck?
Why not.

What color is it?
Production models will be pink.

What would it cost to send it around the world?
Not sure, but to St. Louis it would run $19.95.

Will it work with my phone?
Possibly.

Is it a lefty or a righty?
Ambidextrious.

Can you smoke it?
No, but you will smoke others with it.

Does it weigh more than a phone book?
It's lighter than the Morro Bay phone book.

Does it smell like chicken?
More like burnt rubber.

Will my scoter wheels work with it?
Not sure about "scoter" wheels. Scooter wheels might work.

And to end it can you blow it out your ass?
Yes, but would be extremely painful.

Can I have it?
For a price.

Any fear of the tool steel letting go of the suspension arms in huge, heavy turns?
Things can and do break. We have installed hex screws that act as safeties in the event of "torsion bar" failure.

When does production start?
No idea.

And to end it can you blow it out your ass?
Yes, but would be extremely painful.

I was afraid of that.

Thanks Jack!

Now some offtopic questions if you don't mind.

Eric, on the one hand, we have great American cars like Corvettes, Vipers, and Cobras, and on the other hand, we have European cars like Ferraris and <b>Skodas</b>.

When my boards are mentioned together with other boards in the same category, two questions on their internal and external differentiation arise involuntary. First, which ones of my boards? The Belorussian factory slalom boards, that I’ve been using for the past 12 months – the 2002 $25 kicktail model with stiff flex and low camber that paid for itself 40 times with PRO race proceeds, or the 2003 $18 straight slalom model, which, to the best of my knowledge, was the first one to break a 20-second barrier on 100 cones and to post 3.28s on 20? Or is it Roe and Insect that I used throughout the last season with some success in PRO races? Or is it PlankkR 1, 2, and 3, which were build with a goal to win and podium in PRO races two seasons ago and that paid for themselves over 100 times? The other question is: what similarity is there between my and the other boards in the same category besides being made out of wood? You don’t think I or anyone could win or podium in any PRO race on that crap, do you?

You know me - nothing personal. But putting an F2 GTS with a Kessler together in one category based on similarities in their materials, construction and looks…that’s so not you!

Does it also work with a € note ?

Would the way you set up your bushings be different for this truck than a traditional rear offset?

Any updates?

Ben Buckles wrote:Any updates?

Yea, I got one of Jack's off him and I'm just waiting for Alex to build me the perfect Wefunk to attach it to. Once that has arrived I'll let you know how it rides.

Cheers

Adrian