I can’t make this stuff up.
May 1st, 2009 by kilwag
Tarantula Trucks. Errrr… A solution in search of a problem or pure genius? Better make up you mind before you buy, because these babies will set you back $115 a set. On the off chance these guys aren’t around in a year, I’ve archived some images after the jump. I’d actually like to try these things out, just, you know, not in front of anyone. I salute you Tarantula Trucks, for the sheer audacity of conceiving and actually producing this product.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:01 pm
?
May 2nd, 2009 at 1:04 am
What he said.
May 2nd, 2009 at 2:08 am
That is just a truck flipped upside down with a new hanger meaning that all your weight is on the kingpins… Death in the making I tell you.
May 2nd, 2009 at 6:59 am
grind that!!!!
May 2nd, 2009 at 9:00 am
right now all im trying to do is figure out the point of these. like what exactly would this do.. doesnt seem like it would really increase the turning radius any better than some good bushings and risers would do
May 2nd, 2009 at 9:46 am
I don’t know, guys. He looks pretty serious. His rocket-scientist business partner that took the photos undoubtedly towed him there on a fixed-gear bike. This is cutting-edge stuff that a closed-minded skater on traditional trucks could never comprehend.
Being one of those… one of the many things that I can’t comprehend about these is the first shot where he’s apparently cranking a rad turn. Problem is, the “trucks” don’t appear to be turning much, if at all. They, and the wheels, seem to still be going straight, while the board looks like it’s scraping on the pavement, presumably initiating maximum turning radius. There’s a toe-side shot on their site that looks pretty much the same way. Intriguing! Screw wind-power. This is the kind of good old American ingenuity that will get our economy going again.
“A solution looking for a problem.” One of my favorite expressions of all time…
May 2nd, 2009 at 9:55 am
I don’t think you even need your bottom bushing with these…and someone should tell them about Shorty’s
May 2nd, 2009 at 9:58 am
Wait! darkslide grinds
May 2nd, 2009 at 10:06 am
ok, i’ll bite, how do you grind with these trucks?
May 2nd, 2009 at 11:11 am
A skateboard truck you can’t mall-grab? They just lost over half of their Concrete Wave contingent.
May 2nd, 2009 at 12:36 pm
it looks like you can do “mall grab airs” with that thing. No smith or five-O grinds though.
May 2nd, 2009 at 12:48 pm
the mounting hardware isn’t long enough
May 2nd, 2009 at 3:58 pm
I told you that upside-down mounting hardware was coming back.
May 2nd, 2009 at 6:41 pm
this is ridiculous. that can’t be true 115….
May 2nd, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Tarantula Trucks ™ are the answer to the age old question, what happens when you combine rocket science and MUSHROOMS ?
May 2nd, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Now that is what I call thinking outside of the bun.
My first thought too was to see what happens when you “grind”, would be some kind of weird board slide. How would you even do it though if you cant stand over the back truck? Carve out of it?
I think the best use of these things might on those dirt boards with the fat wheels – more ground clearance.
$115 though!? Must be crazy.
May 3rd, 2009 at 1:12 am
can’t be real…
May 3rd, 2009 at 8:53 am
dude’s wrinkled forehead makes me think it’s not working too good
he could put an axle wheel to wheel, that would make a cool carrying handle too
May 3rd, 2009 at 12:53 pm
looking at the website tells me the “problem” they are trying to slove is speed wobbels. and what Mac points out about how they don’t look like they are turning, tells me the problem is solved. no turning, no speed wobbles!
I like your idea Marvin, but if it were my goofy company I’d make one wide wheel for each truck. and I’d bend the tarantula legs at an angle where they could double as sky hooks
May 3rd, 2009 at 1:24 pm
I’m online at a coffee shop right now and I’m trying to keep myself from bursting out with laughter with these comments.
May 3rd, 2009 at 1:26 pm
can’t.
stop.
laughing.
fb’d…
May 3rd, 2009 at 1:43 pm
I met this guy at ASR and saw it firsthand. He was a cool guy, but it sure did look funky. He was really into it and believed in it totally. Never rode it, so I can’t put it down, but I wished I remembered how he explained to me what it was supposed to do.
May 3rd, 2009 at 2:20 pm
simply add pukka shell necklace and sublime on the ipod for instant 2009 longbrah to add to the hit list.
May 3rd, 2009 at 2:22 pm
I got it, you don’t actually have to push the board to get going, you just carve the board back and forth, it’s minimal turning will translate into a variation on the tic-tac, propelling you forward without pushing. In lay terms, he has created a perpetual motion machine…….;)
May 3rd, 2009 at 4:46 pm
The guy who makes these told me:
“They are designed to be different, but do offer an easier ride, they lower the board and give the ride a different feel. It feels much more like riding a snowboard or wakeboard as opposed to a longboard skateboard”
“The trucks are designed for longboards and more for transportation than bombing hills. I do a lot of hard riding with these trucks, I have bombed big hills but I am not going to win any races on them or set any records with them.”
The weird angles are there to keep the hanger from flexing too much. He said they have a slight almost unnoticeable flex.
” I worked with an aerospace engineering student who helped me develope these trucks. They are designed to hold 300 pounds each, the angle’s of the bends in the hangers have been engineered to give them maximum strength.”
He also said they turn well, the photo is just an optical illusion.
May 3rd, 2009 at 4:52 pm
I need to get Grover to dress up in a spider costume and ride a setup with these trucks down MT. Tabor., but at $115, that’s an expensive GVK episode. I’m going to have to deny that budget expense.
May 3rd, 2009 at 5:15 pm
maybe you can work a deal, trade him some cold war ‘long boards’ for a set
May 3rd, 2009 at 7:06 pm
let’s have a new story already, these things are getting more attention than they deserve
how about pointing the axles inward for something different?
May 3rd, 2009 at 7:23 pm
A while back, it seems that Kilwag asked for contributers. because he has a life or something. so Marvin, what’s your story?
May 3rd, 2009 at 9:53 pm
curtis – kilwag got too cool for sleestak, now he’s highlighting this crap
May 4th, 2009 at 8:49 am
You stubborn heathen bastards need to open your minds to Jesus Christ, Danny Bearer and Tarantula Trucks before its too late! Trust me, life will look a lot better, when you do.
May 4th, 2009 at 8:53 am
crap yes, but the story is not over till we hear from Danny. cos these trucks are trashing skatings image. not only do they take away grinding, and ollie based manuvers, but almost all of the 60’s tricks are impossible on this board. even for just transportation, it’s nice to have a tail so you can kick you board into your hand before you enter the store.
May 4th, 2009 at 10:25 am
Bobcat, more like too busy. And I’ve always highlighted this stuff.
May 4th, 2009 at 11:16 am
gayest
thing
ever.
it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.