Carver quiver (Or other surf trainers)

Ok, so i have been following this thread for a while with curiousity. I used to skate street and parks in Louisiana so all my boards are short. I've never owned a longboard skateboard. Usually when things go flat and I cant surf I'll take a paddleboard out just to be out on the water. Anyway, after a few beers the other night I broke out the shortboard to run to the corner store. The roads suck here in NYC for the most park but it re lit some stoke. After reading this thread and doing research I'm gonna buy a carver. I'm looking at either the 34" Green Room, the 36" Venice or the 38" Facetime. I can't decide on the length I want. I know you guys love the Green Room but I'm unsure if I want a little extra length for a more longboard feel since I own shortboards. Obviously the C7 trucks are the gamechangers. Any thoughts or advice on choosing the right length? It's been 5 or 6 years since I have skated on a semi regular basis. Much appreciated!

 

First thing, a Carver is not a "longboard" in the sense of what you know a LB to be. It's not even a "skateboard" as we know it.

If you're looking to preserve your surf stance on the Carver and really work on your surfing out of water, you're definitely talking about the right 3 boards. Not sure how tall you are but if you're 5'9 to 6'3 or so, those sticks will offer you surf stance width.

Green Room is the chronic. It's a straight up surfboard. Great width, wheelbase, and length to crush pave and power moves.

Facetime is a pintail so despite the tail kick, you may not dig it if you like full coverage of the back foot (at least from heel through laces). I do, and while I've had a ton of fun on my 36" Spaceman pintail, I don't get the same power and push as I do on the Green Room. That's just my style though, not necessarily yours. Facetime has a HUGE wheelbase bro. That would be interesting to feel. I rode one around inside a shop in SD months back and wasn't the most stoked. Felt too long. One thing you can enjoy on the 36+ sticks is ability to walk freely on the board. Then again, that's less shortboard-like. Last thing - this board has low concave while the Spaceman has medium. If concave matters to you that's a factor.

Venice - Don't have one yet, (yet...) but based on what I see from the Green Room combined with the 33" traditional deck I threw CX.4 trucks on this week, a 36" double-kick high concave board with gas pedals and high wheel wells is what I eventually will settle on for an all-around stick for the street, ramp, and pool. This stick is listed as low concave but I've been on one in the store and I felt concave and grip way more than the Green Room. Based on your post, this might be the stick for you.

Get stoked bro. Your life's about to change.

 

Very cool, thanks for sharing.
No reason to not enjoy skating over 30 especially when something like a Carver is available. Makes even relaxed cruising super fun. In any case i play it safe an get fully padded up, like Jeff Tatum said: "... one of the reasons I can still skate is I wear pads."

 

A nice kicktail where you can plant your foot is great for shortboard styler Carver riding. I'm 6'2 and ride a 33" Matt Hoy Carver with 17 1/2" wheelbase. My back foot is on the tail 100% of the time.


I'm sure the 36" Venice has plenty of length for a more cruisier feel than your standard park boards especially with 60mm+ soft wheels.

 

This is my quiver. Standard issue Taylor Knox:


1981 Powell & Peralta "Steve Caballero" deck with original set up purchase from 17th Street VA Beach in the early 80s. Indy Trucks and Sims Street Wheels.


Question for the SI brain trust. I am considering selling this one to raise money for a charitable cause. What might I get for this classic? Please PM me with any thoughts (I don't want to get this thread off topic).

 

That Powell & Peralta is sick cdog! No idea on what it's worth though...wish I still had mine kickin' around. Alright sorry you fellers can get back to discussing your carvers.

 

Awwwwhahaha you can get the best carves ever dude.

Just murdered the ramp at the park. My favorite are the runs where you try to throw a maneuver and end up doing something a little different that may or may not exist (yet) as a legitimate move. My last layback attempt of the night ended up being some layback/roundhouse snap/manual tail slide rode out fakie. First time I ever rode a move out fakie on the C7. Thought it was too squirrelly before but the moment presented itself and I said why not bust it. I see footage of cats Ollieing with a 31" Monsta off a bank and that's my next plan. Just gotta groom the pop.

Watched the Christian Hosoi documentary (Rising Son) last night and got so stoked to innovate more on the pave.

 

2 hours after work...ripping the boards...people hooting and hollering....crazy. Could not go any faster with big slides and carves thrown in. I have improved my style and technique 2 fold since starting.

 

Yes coop, this is what we like to hear. It will keep improving exponentially the more you go HAM. Post up some footage! Your first clip was the impetus for me throwing laybacks differently and much better.

And yes, the crowd does love it. I swear bro, they've never seen anything like this but it all makes sense to them. The 8 and under crowd are bewildered, the 65 and over crowd watch and smile, and everyone in between either yells out of love or hate. The best sessions are when no one's anywhere in sight though - just you and the pave.

 

I got the same Taylor Knox as you, and use to have one of those O.G. Powell Peralta's too, but back then I didn't think to keep any of my old decks, I just beat them into the ground and then tossed em. Super cool that you have one these days, that's like an antique now! HAHA

 

Awesome post. Thanks for this discussion.
I've just opened my rider's website. I'm going to use some comments there to inspire my next articles about surf Skates Strainers.
For the moment I just invite you to leave some comments on my first Carver Skates article : http://bit.ly/chooseyourcarver


I can leave more comment about surf Skates, Carver, CX / C7 Truck if it can helps here because I've been riding these boards for years. More articles are coming !!!
Thanks, for the support.
Cheers from south of france.
Olivier

 

Here ya go emass....this one is speed pumping, which I need to do power slides and hard carves, completely flat here...need to make my own speed...hard carves and slides next installment...wheels are really starting to slide with quick hard pumps...May need to try something a tad softer to increase speed.

http://youtu.be/1IIgaFvW86g

Getting together with my family Mother's Day weekend...they live in mountainous/hilly country...me, my bros and nephews gonna skate...looking forward to the trip...flat surf anyway, perfect timing.

 

Nice profile video of the board!

 

Hello surfer's,
I've got one new Article about surf skating : http://bit.ly/surf-skating-worldwide
I'm about to write full reviews in English with videos tutorials about surf Skates, Carver, CX / C7 Truck soon.
Keet ip up : Cheers.
Olivier

 

I've seen most of those vids and the SmoothStar truck is something I want to get a sample of and try out. Looks like it could be similar to the C7 but is less sophisticated (not necessarily a bad thing, so is the CX.4). Ben Collison is ripping in that video and aside from the airs and transitions, it's how I've been focusing my riding on lately at the parks.

Love when he says something like "I just ride this, I don't even like walking anymore".

 

Hey Emass,
as for me I've ridden both CX / C7 / Smoothstar truck. And work in a shop selling CARVERS. I can tell if you want to do SOME AIR Tricks reverts and Hollies / BOWL riding on a Short Board (less then 34") Go for CX or smoothstar. They are defenitely less sophisticated indeed and they handle GRINDS and AIRS like no other !!! (and they work awesome on Short Skateboards)

But If you want a larger deck more than 33"/34" as a real surf powerfull trainer ... if you want to have a real SMOOTH SURF trainer who performs so good on larger and longer boards ... As long as I can tell, nothing beats the C7. In the carver range, the +34 boards : GREENROOM, LOLA, VENICE, Hot Dogger ... are really unbeatable in recreating the Surf motion !

Cheers.
Oli

 

Bro your statements are fairly consistent with mine and the others in this thread. I feel like the main limitation from my Green Room and most other Carvers vs. the others are the weight of the C7 and heavier deck as well as lack of concaves like a traditional popsicle stick. Working on Ollies with the heavier Carvers but it's a chore. Got a CX.4 on a popsicle stick now and that's so, so light.

 

Hey
i am a surfer from germany and looking forward to get a carver skateboard for surf training.
since we are kind of landlocked, i just can go surfing for about 6 weeks a year.
i can ride green waves and go up and down the wave a little bit (no advanced moves like cut backs . In the water i ride a very floaty 7'0'' egg shape (about 45L) and a very big 6'1'' retro fish. Both boards have lots of volume. I want to get a carver for improving my surfing when i am not at the ocean (like most of the time) and to learn that pumping and turning moves. I have never skateboarded before, but lots of people say, the carvers get very close to surfing
In the water i would like to get a very relaxed surfing style with longer turns and smooth floaty rides. I am not interested in radical moves (and will never be good enough for it I am looking for a skateboard to practice this style. I would like to use the board in the flats (no downhill skating) and it should be as close to surfing as possible. It would be great if i could keep the board going just by easy "pumping" without the need to use one of my feed to push it.
i thought about a flying manta, greenroom or USA resin complete board. Am i on the right track there?
Which one would you recommend? I also don't know if i should go for C7 or CX trucks. The people at carver recommended the new CX trucks but for my needs the C7 seems to be better suited. What do you think would suit best for me (5.7 and 155lbs)?

Thanks a lot

 

Love my c7's...never tried the cx. I rode the resin this weekend and was sweet...I have the taylor now and love it...think they are the same length, shape is the only thing different, not sure tho. the 31" deck seems perfect for me but thinking about going longer. IMO, The carver is as close as you are gonna get to surfing. It is great on flats and is excellent for long drawn out turns. You will be hooked! My nephew road mine, next day, bought the resin...he is stoked too and never really skated, mainly surfs and snow boards. Get ONE!

I rode my nephews board (resin) and his board was loose. Absolutely freaking loved it loose. Never thought about loosening mine, never touched it when I bought it...loosened the trucks and man what a difference...got more stoke!

 

Deutsch bro, you'll do guten with a 31" deck at your height but I wouldn't rule out a 34" Green Room either since that is the Carver I find to be the most surfy. You'll be able to pump for days and yes, you want the C7 for your purposes. Why don't you want to get radical though at some point? You should drink some Mountain Dew, that would help. To say you're "not good enough" for mad rad moves simply means you haven't practiced those enough. It's not like you're physically incapable of it. Now, if you simply prefer the more flowy style of surfing rather than aggressive hacks, that's your own choice. To say you can't do it would be incorrect.

You want the C7 for sure if you're all about the pumping and the flow. CX is still a Carver (thus way different from a regular skate) but a lot closer to a regular skate truck than a C7.

Above all else, to improve your surfing, you're gonna want to use at least twice as many smiley faces in your posts and texts and all form of the written word. You'll be pleased with the result Deutsch bro.