ISSA - International Slalom Skateboarding Association

Hey all,

I’ve never setup a slalom board before, and never even ridden one either, so I'm looking for some advice to get me going.

I have been riding an LDP (Long Distance Pump) setup for a couple years now, so I should have plenty of parts to get me going. My LDP deck is a Subsonic Pulse v3.0 with a wheelbase of 29.5” I believe. Now, the slalom deck that looks to be heading my way in the next few weeks is a Skaterbuilt Mike Maysey Hybrid. I believe the vital statistics for the Maysey Hybrid are: 33” long 8.8” wide, a few sets of holes front and back with wheelbase dimensions 19”, 19.5” 20”, 20.5”.

I have the following parts: and, in brackets is the angle I run the trucks at for LDP:
Front Trucks:
Bennett 5.0 (+16DEG)
Tracker RTX 129mm (Around +11DEG? not used it much)

Rear Trucks:
Tracker RTS 129mm (-13DEG)
Virage LDP (0, -1 or -2DEG)
Seismic 130mm wide (-7DEG)

Wheels:
62mm 3dm Cambrias
75mm Big Zig lemon/limes
77mm Seismic Speed Vents Purple/Blue

I'm quite a high speed LDPer, so my front truck angles are probably less steep than most LDPers. Most run their Bennetts around +18, +19DEG.

I'm looking for kind of a GS/Hybrid setup, just something to get me rolling to begin with, on the right sort of lines. Bennett front I’ll be trying first, I'm sure.
I’ve picked up that I should have less wedging on the front for slalom than for LDP, but how much? And will I need a lot of flat risers to avoid wheel bite?
I think the rear truck angles will be similar from slalom to LDP? But added risers also.
Is it important to try and get the heights similar front and back?
The other thing is rear truck placement. Is it right that a number of people nowadays fit their trucks really far back on the kicktail? I'm pretty sure the Maysey decks aren’t like that and it’s further forward. I can always add some extra holes and mount it on the kick. What are the pros/cons? Just a different feeling? I don’t want to put too much pressure on the kick and do a manual or keep going and fall off the back. (I guess trying it, is the best answer!)

Hi Tim,

You have all the right pieces and you're assuming correctly that moving the rear truck back is the current trend with a kicktailed board.

I've started new slalomers on 16-18in. wheelbases and had good luck getting them accelerating through cones with very "dead"
rear steering angles and bushing settings and very aggressive front angles and soft bushings on front...
I know the difference for me between LDP setups vs slalom is my long wheelbase decks require a little more rear steering
help then my slalom setups...so figuratively, I'd describe riding "my" LDP setup as having your feet on the back of a fish as it swims.... my slalom
setups feel more like my front foot is on the business end of a windshield wiper with the front doing most of the work as
the rear just follows inside the line being scribed by the front. Hope that makes sense?

Later, Tod

Hi Tim,

I'm just setting up a HS as well, coming from a pulse ( dnjrboy on pavedwave). I'm going to be running an IndeeSZ 100 mm in the front with like 5-7 degrees wedge. That seemed pretty turny on my pulse. I assume I'll need as much riser as required to avoid wheelbite. I was going to run an rts 106 in the back with my normal ldp yellow/red Khiro setup.

Hey!

I got a second hand Mike Maysey Hybrid deck at the weekend and popped my LDP trucks on.

I normally ride them Bennett 5.0 17*, Seismic 130mm -7*
Slalom I went 14*, Seismic -7*.

I've only been for one tiny run so far, but darn! this thing turns like a nutter!

I've already extended the wheelbase so I think it's around 20" or 21"? need to measure. it just seemed to turn to quick for me to handle, at the moment, as I'm not unfamiliar with pumping. I also changed down to 13* at the front. Also, the Bennett dives quite a lot which seems ok with a steep front angle, less good with less angle, so, are there any other good cheap slalom front trucks out there as alternatives to Bennetts that i could give a try?