This here is the Factory Rider, finally brought to fawk-ing fruition after a couple of failed attempts. This is the board that I built my first actual concrete mold/steel frame press for. The idea for the shape is that it is a seven ply long board that one could cover a bunch of different terrain on. It's my hope that it is suited for ditch, mid speed downhill and park (for them that don't mind a little extra length). It's funny though. I made a board for a springtime trip to Arizona, that was patterned around being able to fit in a bag while having the wherewithal for some downhill/cruising through the desert, and certainly a ditch if I encountered one, but not a whole lot of other expectations. It was pressed on a little Caveman style form that I Frankenstein-ed to get a bit more length out of and then had to glue a little wedge at the rear truck to accommodate another inch of wheelbase out of. It was all a very hasty project, but honestly, it is the board that I've ridden all summer. It is perfect for the style of skating I've grown to love most: mid to fast hills where I standee slide some of the steep sections and purely set out to enjoy all of it. I love a full downhill setup, don't get me wrong. But that is next level commitment that I don't get into every day. My first rule of skateboarding is: have fun. Next desire: is to push the boundaries where comfortable. Think: less North Shore/Haines, Alaska, and more replication of an enjoyable point wave/powder day in the Alpental Slackcountry. I'm currently working on a mold that will hopefully replicate this fun little board I dubbed the Polychrome (after the ceramics of the Hohokam culture that thrived in the Tucson area in 300 bc to ad 1450). But the comparison of these two board approaches brought to the fore for me, how we sometimes land on the gold when we're looking least for it. Expectations and intentions can sometime foul the ultimate success of a thing. I've not yet ridden the Factory Rider. The first one, I gave to my friend Curt. The next one will go to my friend Steve. They're factory riders, they'll tell me if it works or if it was just folly. Hopefully someday soon, I'll feel the liveliness of it underfoot.
And it has a tail! Ride on!