Is it a longboard? Is it a surfskate? The Loaded Fathom Surfskate Edition is both!
Loaded Longboards answer to no one. Forging their own path, that so often becomes the path others follow, and they've done so again with this awesome new board.
Blurring the boundaries between longboard and surfskate - they're calling it a distance surfskate. It's super low and has big wheels (like a good distance board) and it's got Carver CX trucks on (like a good surfskate).
There really are no other boards in this category. The closest up until this point have been the Bing Continental and the Lush Minnow Surfskate which are both essentially longboards with surfskate trucks.
Those two have been favourites since they were released - offering, to many, exactly what they've always wanted from a longboard. Lots of foot platform, nice smooth rolling wheels, and able to turn like mad and pump up to speed.
Along with it's ergonomic and well-designed platform, the Fathom surfskate adds further to this equation with a super low ride height.
That means more stability, easier to push, easier to footbrake, less effort all round, with no disadvantages to speak of. Unless you wanted to ollie your board... in which case you probably weren't looking for a surfskate anyway. (If you were, you'll want one with a C5 truck on.)
G-Bomb designed "Zee Brackets" hold the trucks in place and lower the deck by around 4cm (!) and are what set this board truly apart. It also allows the nice big Orangatang Kegel wheels to go under here - you won't find many other surfskates that roll as smoothly as this.
If you're familiar with the Loaded Bolsa - their first collaboration with Carver - you'll know that the standard Carver bushings get replaced in the Loaded setups. This changes the ride a lot - in a great way!
With the Fathom they've gone even further with this bushing customisation. It comes with:
That's almost £50s worth of bushing upgrade built into the complete - beginners and experts alike notice the difference instantly.
According to Loaded themselves:
IT’S RIGHT FOR YOU IF…
- You have been “surfskate-curious” but are drawn to a more stable, roomy platform that instills greater confidence than a typical surfskate setup.
- You love surfskating and want to be able to use large wheels to skate longer distances with ease and to not worry about cracks or road debris.
- You want to try distance surfskating on a board that is compact, nimble, and low with quick acceleration.
- You want an easy-to-ride board that strikes a beginner-friendly balance between stability and maneuverability for an accessible surfskate experience.
- Designed for riders up to 250 lb/113 kg under normal use. Riders 250-300 lb/113-136 kg should minimize aggressive pumping.
For those of you with access to a 3D printer, there's also a file to print out your own tail nub here! It'll allow you to pop the board up into your hands with ease.
And if you think this one looks good but is a few inches too short... don't forget there is the Loaded Tangent CX Surfskate as well.
The Tangent and this Fathom surfskate may have just taken the top spot of boards in the shop that we can refer to as Magic Carpets. An absolute treat.
