Rocket Rhino Racetail downhill race longboard

Rocket Rhino Racetail downhill race longboard

The one true mantra for Rocket is Innovation. Everything that Danny does, this is a core belief. I like to think that he is in his factory, making a board, laying up the plies and always thinking...how can I improve this? 

The Racetail is a perfect example of what goes on inside Danny's head. For years he has been watching skaters wedge their decks with foam, plastic and wood. There are two ways to wedge a deck for the rear foot. Either you use a torque block or you ride a board with a wedge pressed into the back. The torque block is difficult to attach and you stand on a soft foam. In addition, it generates a kink at the transition between the board and the foam. Boards with a pressed wedge have a smoother transition and you have direct contact with the board. But you need wedges to bring the rear truck back to 0° and longer hardware is also necessary. That makes things a bit complicated again.

To solve all these problems Rocket developed the Rhino Racetail. The largest part of the board consists of 7 layers of maple and is reinforced with fibers. In the rearmost part, another 6 layers are additionally pressed in between. This results in a very natural feeling wedge in the board. And don’t worry, Rocket kept the thick part to a minimum. So you hardly feel any additional weight.

All this results in the perfect racing machine. No foam, just direct board contact. Plastic wedges are no longer necessary. And because the holes are drilled wider at the top, longer bolt hardware is not needed. This is the most direct and effortless connection between board and truck. And the transition to the racetail is also absolutely fluid.

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