Tesseract from Loaded Boards. Laminated to the bottom of the board is a layer of cork which provides vibration damping and (as we learned to our surprise during testing) a significant level of durability. The granular, non-directional structure of the cork helps prevent abrasive damage from propagating (in contrast to a traditional wood or bamboo veneer with long, oriented fibers). I’ve got cork floors in my kitchen, which ended up being a very poor choice. It’s just not durable to abrasion or water. I can’t imagine why Loaded added cork in the first place, and how they quantify the accidentally discovery of damage resistant properties, but I am highly skeptical. (Big surprise, right?) It seems like the first curb you bottom out on is going to shred the bottom of that thing. There’s also going to be a lot of tear and pinch potential where the trucks mount. I hope Loaded did more thorough testing with cork than Powell did with Bonite™ construction. Aesthetically though, it looks sharp, like something out of Metropolis magazine.

This is goofy and fun to watch. If you can’t have fun with skateboarding that falls out of your own personal style then.. oh I give up. I don’t actually, because I’m still posting this. Some interesting cinematography. Bookmarked inside the wacky costumes and tomfoolery is some amazingly technical skating. At times, essentially masterful freestyle moves done on giant oversized boards. I hope you enjoy it, and if not, choke on it. From Loaded Longboards: Of Troglodytes and Men.

Well… not all press is good press. From the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission web site: Loaded Boards Recalls Orangatang Skateboard Wheels; Blow-outs Pose Risk of Injury to Riders WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. Hazard: The recalled skateboard wheel’s core can shear and blow-out causing the wheel to separate from the skateboard truck’s axle and bearings. This poses a risk of serious injury to riders. It looks like about 1200 sets were affected. Loaded Boards has received 10 reports of wheels separating, but somehow (luckily) no injuries have been reported. If you’ve got a set affected by the recall, you’ll get a replacement for free. Visit the Orangatang Wheels web site for more information on the recall. Alternately, contact Loaded Boards Inc. toll-free at (877) 855-0708 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, e-mail the firm at coreissue@loadedboards.com. – Thanks to Mrs GVK for the tip.