Going To The Bank For A Good Racing Board

[Wesley Tucker]

Something just came to me tonight while watching MSNBC. Has anyone really noticed the costs of putting together a top-of-the-line slalom racing board?

Turner Blackbird = $379
Roe/Ick - $225
Pocket Pistol = $195
Fibre Flex - $90
Comet = $90

Radikal Truck = $175
PVD = $200
Various offsets = $100

Wheels = @$35 a set

Bearings = $10 to $75 depending on ABEC Rating or ceramics

Hardware (including Risers) = $10.00


It is conceivable to purchase a board in the $650 range without going out of bounds on some costly custom ordered piece of equipment. That's stereo/yard equipment/major appliance prices.

So the question becomes: is it appropriate to consider FINANCING the purchase of a quality racing board? Is taking out a 12-month personal loan with payments in the $125-a-month range reasonable to get two high-end racing boards today?

Sure, there are those who would argue that paying interest on a skateboard purchase is ridiculous. Then again, think of the millions who pay interest on boats, campers and motorized rec vehicles like ATVs and motorcycles? Or maybe a billiards table or a Bowflex? Is it the resell possibility that makes these items "legitimate" for financing whereas a skateboard that's pretty much depreciated to zero has no such appeal?

This sounds kind of silly to think about, but then it occured to me the number of people who are putting off the purchase of GOOD race equipment until they can pay cash. Very few, though, would hesitate to finance purchasing a new Bose/Bang&Olufsen stereo or a Honda ATV. What's the difference? All are discretionary items that are for purposes solely dedicated to entertainment. The real difference being that riding a skateboard is good for your heart and lungs whereas a stereo tends to lead us to an easy chair where we waste away.

[Chuck Gill]

I was just kind of thinking about this yesterday. I was trying to convince a coworker he should aim higher than the $1500 or so he wanted to spend on a new road bicycle. Like maybe double that for a low-end Merlin or something. Then I caught myself remembering how much heartache it caused me when I first considered laying out just under $300 for a Roe complete last year. That's when I realized we have it easy over, say, cyclists. To get a bike as sweet as one of the best slalom boards out there, you'd have to shell out 10 or 20 times as much. Slalom skating really is the poor man's F-1.

Anyway, whatever it takes to get the goods...credit cards, loans, second mortgage, whatever...

[John Gilmour]

Likely some skaters will be very fast this zeekend in Paris on decks that couldn't fetchmore than 5 bucks at a yard sale

[Patio Mendino]

at last year's Athens GA race, I brought out my old "flea market" Hobie Hotdogger.
acs 430, original(slow) power paws with KOYO bearings, 24" fiberglas deck with no grip tape.
VLAD got on it and flew around and beat me in a slalom duel. (me on "modern" stuff)
then again he is fast and I am slow.
but even on a $1,000 setup I'd be slow.
the front wheel/hub on my mountain bike cost nearly $300...but I balk at $40 for a set of fine skate wheels.
that's messed up.
I need some grits.
p