Words + Photos By: Mark Jayson Remot
It was about four years ago when my friends introduced me to longboarding. It was love at first sight from then on; every time I hop on to my longboard, I get a whiff of the fresh breeze as it touches my skin. There’s a lot that I have experienced being a longboarder here in Dubai – I’ve seen the places I never even though existed and it gave me a way to relax especially after a long day in the office. It makes me feel good; longboarding gives me a taste of freedom combined with summertime beach lifestyle. I consider myself a sailor on the asphalt when I cruise the streets or spend some time travelling down the shore with my stand up paddle in hand. Longboarding is not just a way of travel or a sports gadget it is both a lifestyle and a fashion statement.
As a lover of board sports both on land and sea, I’m always in the pursuit for the hottest brands with the coolest products. Recently, I got the chance to try the Landyachtz Switch 35, which according to my knowledge is a very formidable and interesting longboard. As I got my hands on it, I knew I was in love; and we were both going to have fun over the weekend “knowing each other”.
Staying true to its name – Landyachtz, it’s a fairly large board standing at 35″ long and 9.5″ wide. Keeping this Canadian Maple board rolling is its huge wheelbase (26.80”). An interesting thing to note about the Switch 35 is its drop-down design that kept my feet closer to the ground as I pushed the board onwards. The wide wheels provide a stable ride even if I was carrying my big SUP board. Even if I would be bringing in groceries or bringing my office bag, the Switch 35 would be my best choice – it’s more than just a longboard, it’s a mode of transportation that puts convenience and versatility on the forefront. Another aspect that I noticed is its amazing freeriding capabilities thanks to the short wheelbase.
As I continued the day with the Switch 35, I tried to do something all skaters do – some tricks. So I got some friends and went to Jebel Hafeet to really put the Switch 35 to its paces. After several runs along the swirling mountain roads, I discovered the Switch 35’s superb sliding capabilities – it does its job infinitely well as I found myself throwing 180 slides on it with minimum effort. What’s more, the Switch 35 is also the ideal board to use when going for downhill runs at high speed because of its unique drop-down design that keeps it stable no matter how fast you are. And for skaters like me stability is always synonymous to safety.
Overall the Landyachtz is what it says it is – it’s a land yacht. Easily comparable to a Cadillac from the 50’s which exudes large bodies with majestic styling, the same could be held true for the Switch 35. It’s a show-stopping longboard with the looks and the skills to prove it.
The Landyachtz Switch 35 is readily available at GO Sport stores across the UAE and Qatar for 1,299 AED/QAR.
This is my personal rating to the amazing Landyachtz Switch 35
Cruising – 5 stars
Freeride – 4 stars
Downhill – 4 stars
Push – 5 stars
