Chris Joslin - Consumer Report

Good on ya for supporting your son's interests. I wish more parents would. As for the board, the Wal-Mart decks are... I'll let the pros say it: [VIDEO] [VIDEO] That said, it depends on the type of riding he wants to do. The best way to get him rocking is to take him down to the locally-owned skate shop; not a Zumiez. The guys there will get him a full setup, and from there it's generally just replacing things are re

Yes, there is a really big difference. The types of stuff you get at a place like walmart are made very cheaply. They cut corners on every component so they can have a low price and a large profit margin. They are basically crappy toys that I wish didn't even exist. The decks will easily snap and the trucks will bend. [VIDEO] [VIDEO]

Honestly? It's just EVERYTHING about the Walmart setup that's messing you up! Fragile deck (with horrible shape), plastic trucks that bend under pressure, "bearings", and cheap wheels. Check this video out: [VIDEO] If the pros are having that difficult of a time on them, just imagine how much it's impairing your development (but you seem to understand that already)! If there are no local shops around (do more researc

Only reason it held together that long is because you mostly cruise. It's a known fact that department store boards are made from cheap materials though... [VIDEO] If my friends or I skated your board, it would probably be broken within an hour. Hell, I skated a pair of Thunders for 4 years, grinding a lot of stuff and hanging up numerous times on the same spot your trucks broke, and they're still kicking it on my fr

What you pay is what you get. Compared to a good board this is very cheap. Here is a little consumer review [VIDEO]

Oh my gosh, you need a new set up now. I immediately thought of this vids when I saw your post: [VIDEO]