Happy March 1st! Many of us have been waiting for Landyachtz’ new lineup to go public. For the past two weeks, the only place to get any of their new lineup was in select stores in person. There were no online sales, and not every local shop had them in advance. I actually emailed my local shop only to find out that, no, they’re not in stock yet. I was bummed. Patience is a virtue—one I lack—but longboards are their own reward. Today, I placed an order for a new deck from Landyachtz. They’ve got some exciting new downhill decks, new shapes for the Dinghy, new trucks, new decks, new wheels, and there’s so much more.
So, here’s Landyachtz’ new lineup. See anything you like?
Table of Contents
Dinghy
We’re kicking things off with the Dingy. Why? It’s what Landyachtz is most famous for. It’s their most popular complete setup. Why shouldn’t it be? It’s a comfortable and stable, yet compact deck. It’s a fun little board. Plus, it comes in a variety of designs. Today, Landyachtz not only released their new designs, but also new Dinghy shapes. Both new shapes address some criticisms of the Dinghy, but still retain the original’s compact form factor. Don’t worry, the original Dinghy shape is still available.
Blunt Dinghy
The Blunt Dinghy is most like the standard Dinghy. The shape is more like the Tugboat, but with the Dinghy’s dimensions. That is, it’s a little more rounded off at the nose, and wider in the middle of the deck. This should give your feet a little bit of extra space, despite being more narrow than a standard dinghy by the trucks. The new Blunt comes in some cool UV-sensitive graphics, as well as a cute kitty made out of marijuana buds. It’s called the Meowijuana. It’s a blunt. Listen, they weren’t subtle with this one, but just look at the cute sleeping kitty.
The Blunt Dinghy comes with 105mm Polar Bear trucks and 60mm Chubby Hawgs, instead of the larger 63mm Fatty Hawgs. This is due to it being more narrow towards the front and rear of the deck. However, the overall length, width, and wheelbase match that of the standard Dinghy.
Coffin Dinghy
Surely you’ve heard “skate or die” before, right? Shred ’til you’re dead? Well, in any case, if you want a little bit more under your feet and you want a larger nose, the Dinghy Coffin is the shape for you. It’s also the shape for vampire aficionados. This does come in 0.25″ wider than the standard Dinghy. It still has the same 105mm trucks and 63mm Fatty Hawgs though. This is for someone who likes the standard Dinghy, but wishes it had a bit more room up front, including a larger nose for kickflips, nose manuals, and other tricks.
Turbo King Dinghy
Last year, Landyachtz gave us their first Dinghy with 72mm Plow Kings. It was the Hollowtech model. It wasn’t quite right. The fact that it sat so much taller than any normal Dinghy didn’t help. There were 0.5″ risers on top of those 72mm wheels. This time around, Landyachtz tried a slightly different tactic.
The new Turbo King Dinghy combines the Turbo Dinghy and the Hollowtech Dinghy with Plow Kings. It’s the same length and width of a standard Dinghy, and in the same shape as well, just with some wheel arches. The wheelbase is still 14.6″. Those Plow Kings now sit under the board with only a 0.25″ riser. It also features 130mm trucks, instead of the standard 105mm trucks. Finally, it’s Canadian maple and fiberglass, for a stiff and long lasting deck. The end result is Landyachtz’ fastest Dinghy.
New Designs
There are, of course, a variety of new designs from a few artists. No one has ever stated that there weren’t enough Dinghy designs. There are graphics for all tastes. Be sure to check them out!
Obsidian
I first saw a glimpse of this on an Instagram story from one of the shops that got to sell this new setup early. The Obsidian combines 7 plies of Canadian maple with layers of carbon fiber. The carbon fiber’s cool, but I’ve seen that on a deck before. What’s really unique is that the Obsidian has cutouts that haven’t been seen in longboarding for a while: gas pedals.
What are these exactly? Well you’ve likely heard me talking about how I like the leverage you can get over the rails of certain narrow decks, like the Dugout, or pintails. You can really dig your foot in to the rails to apply leverage. Now, a way of doing this while still giving you more standing platform is a ‘W’ concave. This puts a bump in the middle of the deck that you can use for that heel-toe leverage. But you’re always going to be resting your foot on the concave back there when it’s perpendicular to your travel. That’s going to get in the way of your leverage, because you’re not going to be able to take advantage of that bump in the middle of a ‘W’ concave as much.
That’s where gas pedals come in. These are carved out of the concave to create a flatter rail, allowing maximum leverage over the middle of the deck where your ‘W’ concave has its central “peak.” This really maximizes the ‘W’ concave’s potential. Up front, where your steering is done, you can use the gas pedals as a foot stop or reference point. It’s unique, and it’s interesting to see it making a comeback. The Obsidian was designed in conjunction with professional downhiller Kyle Martin.
I really want to get my feet on one of these. Pair it up with some narrow trucks and wide wheels and you’ve got something to really tear up the hills. Plus it looks absolutely stunning. The cutouts in the wood make the layers of Canadian maple really apparent, and the geometric cutouts for the wheel wells look like they were carved out of stone. It’s a really eye-catching geometric effect.
The Obsidian is 30.5″ long, with a 22.75″-23.25″ wheelbase. It’s 8.75″ wide, so it’ll really work well for narrow trucks. Still, that might be a bit too narrow for some riders, but because it has those gas pedal cutouts, you might not need such a wide deck, as you won’t be situating your foot within the concave.
Small Blind
Maybe you want a more traditional ‘W’ concave deck. Maybe you want something that’s wider, but a little shorter for a smaller turning radius. Landyachtz has the downhill deck for that. The Small Blind was developed with Dexter Manning, who also worked with Landyachtz to make their previous downhill board, the Gambler. It features a bit of rocker and a mellow ‘W’ concave, for leverage and comfort. It’s a simple looking design that hides its capabilities. The flashiest design isn’t always the fastest.
This deck also features 7 plies of Canadian maple along with carbon fiber for rigidity. The wheel cutouts are CNC’d, so they’ve also got a unique shape. On the Small Blind, that shape is radial, giving it a very rounded appearance.
The Small Blind might not be as flashy as the Obsidian, but it’s a tried and true downhill deck design. This shows that Landyachtz is finally catching up when it comes to serious downhill. The Evo might have been the “it” board of the early 2010’s, but today’s racers want something that gives them maximum leverage over a set of small trucks for grip and rapid turn in. While the Evo still has its place (it’s great for distance pushing with some downhill mixed in, races like the Broadway Bomb in NYC), the Small Blind and Obsidian better represent what downhill racing is today.
ATV-X
The ATV series is back for your perfect longboard/street deck crossover. The ATV is a classic popsicle shape with a 32″ length and 8.6″ width. Now it comes with 155mm Polar Bear trucks and their new 60mm Lil’ EZs. You guessed it, these are a smaller version of the Easy Hawgs.
The new ATV construction has been updated. It uses thinner layers of wood, epoxy, and fiberglass. This makes them stronger and stiffer, but also lighter, so you’ve got a lot of pop. All new ATV series are using this ATV-X construction, as well as the new Ditchlife and Perfecto boards.
Tweaked: Drop Cat
The Drop Cat is back, and it’s ever so slightly different. To incorporate their new trucks (spoiler! new trucks!), the neck comes in a little bit more right before the standing platform. In the back, the neck is a bit longer. It’s funny, as I write this, I actually just got back from my local shop to buy some 66mm Powell Peralta Snakes because my 69mm ones rub on that exact part of the neck with 165mm trucks and my lower Paris V2 43º baseplates. As it turns out, I may have been able to go full size after all! Oh well, it’s not like I won’t slide through a set of Snakes in no time.
The new designs come from David Hale and feature a hawk flying through the woods against either a golden or red sun, depending on whether or not you go with the 33″ or 38″ model.
The Tony Danza
Not the Tony Danza, but the skateboard known as the Tony Danza. This is a new dancer that comes in at 39.9″ long, and 8.5″ wide. The wheelbase isn’t quite right on Landyachtz’ website, but it’s redesign of the Stratus 40, so my guess is between 22.3″ and 24.5″, adjustable, maybe a little less, as it is slightly smaller, and features large kicktails. Landyachtz’ in-house dancer Carla Javier was involved with the design process. Carla can be seen in Landyachtz videos dancing on everything, even their little cruisers. So it makes sense that she’d want a shorter, lighter, and more narrow dancing platform. Expect a lot of pop and more technical tricks out of this smaller dancer.
It also features rocker, so your trucks will be angled outward a little more. This can make quick pivots easier, but may be trickier for those looking for a flat or less turny platform. It also means you’ll have a little bit more leverage for flip tricks. It comes equipped with 155mm Gen 6 Grizzlies and Easy Hawgs, for lightness and a soft ride.
The Tony Danza is going to be great for all those tiny dancers. Wait, that’s something else. It’s narrow size and shorter length makes it more manageable for shorter riders, and definitely more comfortable for riders with smaller feet.It’s constructed of wood and fiberglass for lightness and durability, with a good amount of flex.
New Designs all Around!
There are also some new designs for some old favorites. The Rally Cat, Ripper, Totem, Super Chief, Dugout, and, of course, Dinghies, have all received new graphics. If you’ve been thinking about getting a Landyachtz deck, but didn’t fall in love with any of the designs, this might be the time to give them a second look.
Bear Grizzly Gen 6 Trucks
Bear has had many complaints about their trucks over the years. Each improvement seems to carry a few new changes to fix those criticisms, while keeping a few from the previous generation. But this generation, Bear’s changing the formula a lot more than usual.
First, the bushing seat on the hangers is less restrictive. It’s more open to give you that looser turn in feel, but still deep enough to reduce slop. Speaking of reducing slop, Landyachtz is now using insert barrel bushings from Venom boardside. These prevent lateral movement of the hanger with a little extra bushing. Oh, and that boardside bushing? It goes into a washer now. No more strange edge of lean turning dynamics as the bushing creeps around the baseplate! Roadside you’ll find a new cone busing instead of the barrel, for a quicker turn-in and more flowy feel.
The new design is based off of their forged Kodiak trucks. It’s a good look. Simplistic and strong. I love the straig edges with subtle curves. It’s a good look, for however long you’ll be looking at them. Landyachtz even engraved serial numbers on them, which might help if your board is ever stolen. Later this year, Landyachtz plans to carve out the middle of the hanger and use titanium hangers, for weight savings.
New Sizes
This is the most exciting part about these new trucks though. For the first time, Bear’s releasing a reverse kingpin truck in 130mm. There will also be a 155mm model. These will be perfect for their new downhill decks. Throw some wide centerset or offset wheels on those, and you’ll be ready to bomb hills. More riders have leaned towards trucks in this size for downhill, as it gives a rider a ton of leverage for rapid turn ins and easy predrift initiation before a turn. They’re definitely more reactive, and therefore take a lot more skill to send down a hill, but that increased grip and turn response makes it worth it.
Landyachtz also has a number of great cruisers. I experimented once with putting RKP trucks on my Dugout, but they were just too wide. I needed something in the 140-150mm range to feel like they were offering me something. Now I have the option to get some 130mm trucks and wider wheels to have some silly freeriding fun on a small platform. Set it up with the 155mm and some Orangatang Skiffs and you have a recipe for some really fun technical sliding. I’ve felt like Landyachtz’ lack of truck size options was holding some of their boards back. After all, the Ditchlife or Tugboat would be great for a RKP setup, but only with smaller trucks. Now you can get Grizzlies in a variety of sizes, which might make them popular again.
Budget Downhill? Baseplate Options Galore!
A common setup for downhill includes a reduced angle in the back and a larger angle up front. This helps the turn in on the front of the deck come in faster, with the back turning in only for harder turns. It’s like four wheel steering in cars. The back wheels don’t go as sharp, because the sudden change in direction can cause it to lose control against the momentum. But, when you steer up front, you can carry that momentum into speed through a turn.
The new Gen 6 Grizzlies have baseplate options from 50º down to 30º. With hangers between 130mm and 180mm, Bear’s got the market covered. Advanced freeride setup? Go with a 50/40 and 155mm trucks. Just getting started or riding a wide deck? Here’s some 180mm trucks with 50º baseplates. Want to go really fast on a budget? 30/40º split with 130mm trucks and wide wheels. And yes, you can mix and match the baseplates, because the lower angles have a higher pivot point, meaning the change of angle doesn’t change the height. If these hangers can offer the improvements Landyachtz says they’ve baked in, then we could be looking at a truck takeover. Move over, Paris and Arsenal, Landy’s getting serious.
Smokies
Landyachtz has a new downhill-focused setup. These trucks come as a pair, both with different hangers and baseplates. The front truck has positive rake, a 40º baseplate, and 120mm hanger width. The rear truck has no rake, a 20º baseplate, and the same 120mm width. These are very narrow trucks. Pairing them with wide wheels and you have a fast carving machine.
The trucks are $399, so I don’t think anyone but the most hardcore downhillers will be using them. That’s expensive, even for precision. Still, the setup is an all-in-one, and many racers may choose it. With a quality downhill deck, some bearings, wide wheels, and hardware, you could be looking at a build that gets close to $1,000! Speed doesn’t always come cheap!
New Wheels!
Lil’ EZ
The Lil’ EZ is simple to describe. This is a 60mm version of the 63mm Easy Hawgs. It’ll come in the same 78A durometer, making a soft, smooth slide. It’ll be great for cruisers and ATV setups, as it’ll give riders a wheel that’s about the size of a standard skate wheel, but a lot softer and a little wider.
70mm Supremes
This wheel is inspired by downhill wheels. It’s 78A, soft, with a square lip, and stoneground surface. Out of the package, it’s ready to tackle a hill with a lot of grip
Cheetah
Landyachtz doesn’t have this on their site yet, but they mentioned it in their introduction video. They’re 77mm, with two different duro options. The first is a single duro 76A, a soft wheel for speed and grip. The dual durometer option allows you to select the durometer of your cores as well as the “tire” part of the wheel. This allows you to adjust for different road conditions. It’ll be a race-focused wheel.
What Did I Get?
The Obsidian is tempting. It really is. ‘W’ concave and gas pedals? Color me intrigued! I’ve got to stand on it. However, that’s not what I went after. The truth is, someone on Reddit had asked about setups for the Drop Cat a while ago. I decided I had to test something in order to give a detailed answer, so I threw 165mm trucks on my Drop Cat and took it for a spin. I loved it. I’ll have a review of that setup once I get to spend more time on it, but I think, for most people, 180mm is the way to go. Still, I wanted both, and I liked the 43º baseplate, so I grabbed another Drop Cat deck so I don’t have to plan ahead when I want to go with the more nimble Drop Cat or the more stable one. Lots of fun to be had though, I’m looking forward to getting that in and doing a full write up of my 165mm, 43º Drop Cat 33 setup. This isn’t even something Landyachtz or other third party retailers offer… yet. The new design is called the Seeker, and it’s by David Hale, who also did the graphic for the Dugout.
Beyond this, the deck that most caught my eye is the new SwitchBlade 40 Chief Night. It is gorgeous. I love night, I actually used to do astronomy as a hobby, and I just love being out at night, laying underneath the stars. That design by Laura Bifano really captures that feeling. I almost want to get it just to hang up on my wall. Oh, you buy paintings for your apartment? Well, is it really art if it’s not painted on a skateboard? Joking aside, if I don’t get the deck, I’m definitely grabbing a print of that.
Finally, the next item I will be buying is the new Gen 6 Grizzlies. Once they release the multiple baseplate angles (they just have the 180mm/50º setup currently), I’m grabbing a set. I’m thinking 165-180mm, 40/30 split for one of my older freeride setups that could use an upgrade.
The new designs are all tempting. But that stupid “money” thing says I can’t have much more right now. Soon!
What We Haven’t Seen… Yet
Landyachtz sent out a catalog to vendors. On it was a new category: surf. I have no further details on it currently, but it’s believed to be a surf skate, like those coming out from Penny using the Waterborne Surf Adapter, or Carver trucks. Landyachtz may have their own surf skate trucks, or they may partner with someone else for them. Landyachtz didn’t announce anything about them today, so we’ll have to keep our eyes peeled for surprise announcements from them in the near future.
