2010 Samba - Spotlight

We've been playing with these for a long time now... but here they are, finally available, the next generation of Samba!

The business end.

This time we thought it was time for a bit of a change - this latest version is more focussed on "freeriding" (sliding and carving) than ever. Major changes and tweaks include:

• Refined shape following team input, with a wider tail. This version of the Samba is as happy going backwards as forwards, opening up a huge door of switch and fakie tricks. The shape also gives more back foot control, essential for those monster standups.
• Significantly deeper concave with sharp top rails for extra grip and control during long stand up slides
• Huge foot pockets
• Stiff 8ply construction for better cornering and less chatter whilst locked sideways
• Slightly shorter wheelbase for more response
• Lower ride height for extra sideways control - the trucks are mounted further up the "kicks" than before.

Top down - lots of extra room at the back.

We build them up stock with Sabre X-Types and ultra-fast Cult Gamma Rays for a carvy, grippy ride that looks dialled - we just couldn't resist the Blue Horrotica / Sky colour combo of Adi's "Derelict Piste" graphic. But unlike Sambas of old, the new deck shape works well with a variety of truck and wheel setups, one of the more popular being de-wedged Indy's and Cult Classics for a super-loose slidey ride.

S-s-s-s-sideways!

Available from all our stockists and distributors now. Come and try one out at the Jam after the Charity Skate!

Lush Longboards Fancy Dress Charity Skate 2010 Update - Afterskate!

The buzz is spreading on the Forums and Facebook for this event - it's going to be big!

We are going to be ending the event slightly differently to previous years - this time we'll be pulling everyone off the cycle path just before Bristol Temple Meads for a mammoth slide session at the Lush/Shiner hill! It's steep, short, gnarly and best of all, shut to traffic. Bring your helmet and slide gloves...

Darren, switch drift on the Shiner/Lush hill... did we mention the floodlights?

Also at the end of the event will be the prizes for the raffle, and we'll have the Lush warehouse open selling apparel and factory seconds. It's Lush Open Doors Day, so make sure you stick around after the Charity Skate!

If you plan on coming, make sure you donate something to support Longy's chosen charity, Macmillan Cancer Research to support our cause! You can Donate Here. See you there!

The Gnar Swing

Went to Midsommer Norton and Exeter this Sunday. There was some skateboarding, hunt around on Facebook for that. Possibly more fun (and more gnarly?) was the Rope Swing next to the hill at Exeter.

Airwalk!

If the day's injury count is anything to go on, this is more dangerous than 40mph in a piss pot and kneepads.

Coming into land... this is where the bad stuff happens.

Thanks to Chris and everyone for having us, see you soon!

Ready for the weekend....

Spotted in the back of Mark's van as he was packing for a trip to Brighton/Shoreham...

Some of us are also going out of town to hit Midsommer Norton and Exeter this weekend too, Get out there and make the most of the English Summer while it's still here!!

Holiday snaps

Words by Rich


I went Provence in South East France last week with a prototype Kilima, helmet and Race Gloves in my check in bag. Good job too - the region I was staying in was loaded with epic roads.

Just another random run, many kilometers long, perfect surface, super wide, no traffic, large smile, whoohaaa

Quite a lot of road signs like this around the place... a lot of them have Lush stickers on now!

The highlight was a dawn raid on Mt Ventoux. This is a famous 2000m Tour De France stage, and the road had been resurfaced last year. There are three ways up the mountain, all coming in at 20+km top to bottom. After some asking around, I went for the first 7km of the Beduoin descent down to the ski station.

It goes on like this for quite a while... the Hill Porn Collection is getting bigger.

The top of the mountain is way above the tree line, so falling off the road is not an option with head-sized rocks, snow poles and hundred meter scree slopes into oblivion. Combine that with hell steep gradients and flat out sweeping corners in the dawn light and I had a truly epic run that won't be forgotten for a while.

Leathers might have been a good idea. Check the height drop.

Top section - hell for cyclists, pretty crazy for skateboarders at 11%. Yikes.

Cyclists leave a big draft and can't go round corners very fast.

The Other Side... just after I took this the French Air Force turned up, 50m above the summit upside down, you can even have fun in a fighter plane here.

Stoked and sunburnt.

The proto Kilima was pretty much maxxed out at 40+ - it's a protoype laid up with our new composite glass sandwich construction, so it has a bit of flex. Things got a bit interesting in the corners at speed, but carving and sliding reminded me too much of bombing fresh pistes in the French Alps this last winter. Perfect...

Coming soon - this one's had some pretty heavy miles on it now.




Thanks to Jo Babilot for the local knowledge, and also to Alex and Sam for all the uplifts and photos. This article is dedicated to Xabi, a fellow rider I regretfully never had a chance to meet and now never will. Ride Hard, Stay Safe! - Rich

Belgian Foot Juggling

Andrei hit us up a while ago on our Facebook with a few videos and photos. Here's a bit more from him...

Name: Andrei Churakov

Age: 17

Home: Belgium (Blankenberge)

First board: Old design Lush Kuni



Favorite Board: Love the Lush boards, but enjoy all the other boards too!

Injuries: One broken leg

How did you start? I bought myself a longboard 3 years ago, just to get around the city and show off a little bit.
After one year of just riding and cruising around I 'discovered' sliding thanks to  a few of my classmates.
Together with my friends we started rocking some local mini-hills in the city of 'De Haan'. 5 months after that my friends and me got into the freestyle part of longboarding.
First, longboarding was still something we did one day or an other... But the longer we did it, the more we did it and the more we wanted to get involved in it!
The summer of that year me and my friends kind off started a little 'crew'...
'NoLifeLongboarding' was the name... Why? Well, that's because we did and still do pretty much everything with our longboards. (from going to the store or practice 5 hours at our favo spot...)
The more we did it, the more it became a lifestyle and not a hobby...
Like some people need cigarettes, drugs or something else... We don't need that, we just need our longboards and that's it...

You talk so much about your friends and the 'NLL-crew', why ? Well, the most important thing is to enjoy and have fun! And having friends that share the same thoughts and passions is highly necessary to do that!
You support each other... That's why I would like to thank Philippe Chan, Abdul Saleem and Steve Breesh!
Favo trick?: I don't have one favo trick... I like to have a variation of stuff! But, I am a big fan of 'one-foot stuff'! Like one-foot manuals and shuvits...

Words of Wisdom? Tricks get applause... Style gets respect.

Thanks to Maarten  at our Belgian/Netherlands distro Front Trading for hooking this one up.

Got some cool photos of you riding a Lush board? Send them to us and you might just get to see yerself on the Blog!