Has there never been a re-release of PVC copers, or has it all been new old stock that you can sometimes find on the internet? Snap N Grind to the rescue I guess. These are 3D printed though. These copers have printed in place hinges that act like the locks that Tracker copers had, without requiring removing the wheels to put them on. They make them for Independent, Ace, Royal, Slappy, and inexplicably, Carver. The best thing about these is the option to get a version embedded with flint for making sparks.
At this point it is obligatory to point out that Tracker called them copers, and the Indy versions were called Grindmasters. I’m going to counter that with Xerox, Kleenex, Band-Aid, Frisbee, Q-tip, Vaseline, Velcro and, wait for it… Coper.
There are 4 color choices per truck option, and it’s curious that they omitted a traditional white option. Also, you get one width no matter what your truck is. The inclusion of Carver trucks is an odd decision, considering the motivation of the typical Carver truck buyer. 3D printing allows for these types of “we’ll see” decisions without fear of financial burden.
Do they work? 3D printing can be strong, but with what kind of filament are they using? It is possible to print with PVC but it produces chlorine gas that can’t be filtered by the usual maker-level HEPA filter. Nylon maybe? It’s possible the “revolutionary hinged technology” is necessary to prevent them from being pulled off in chunky situations.
The web site gives the impression that most of the testing was done at an asphalt pump track, which is… odd, but if something is going to grab your coper and pull it off, asphalt is a good candidate. It is an amusing that most of the videos don’t feature a lot of actual grinding, except on the lip of the pump track and a short bit on metal coping.
Why exactly is the use case for copers these days. Originally it was Tracker that conceived them, although it’s not clear what percentage of the motivation was a perceived actual need vs another way to wring money out of the skating public. Kevin Thatcher came up with the Grindmaster, allegedly as a joke, but the skating public was impressionable, so they bought them. The two biggest truck companies are making this thing, we must need them. Of course, if you skated at the Turf in the 80’s, copers were required. Management didn’t want to have to replace the pool coping. Still, eventually their popularity faded. The best part of grinding is that feel of metal on concrete, or even metal. Otherwise, we’d all be riding Z-Rollers. Yes, Z-rollers.
The Best Use Case
Here’s a fun use case, in my opinion. Sparky trucks! Like Torch Trucks, but they appear to actually work better, and you get to retain your favorite truck geometry, as well as remove them when the dork session is over. I can get behind this.
Some Videos
Brace yourself for some horrible soundtracks, with the exception of The Circle Jerks, who probably weren’t consulted.
I take back what I said about the soundtracks, Surf Punks!
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