Surfskate Weekly: March 8–14, 2026
Smoothstar appears to shut down, Arbor enters surfskate with Carver, and YOW tests 24 boards across 12 locations
The biggest story this week is the apparent closure of Smoothstar, with multiple Reddit users warning against placing orders. On a more positive note, Arbor has entered the surfskate market through a collaboration with Carver, and YOW published their most ambitious board test yet — 24 boards evaluated by 5 riders across 12 locations.
Industry News
Smoothstar appears to have closed operations Multiple r/surfskate members report that Smoothstar is no longer fulfilling orders, with customer service going unresponsive. If confirmed, this marks the loss of one of the original spring-based truck systems that helped define the surfskate category. Riders looking for alternatives may want to consider Swelltech or Carver CX setups with similar geometry.
Arbor enters the surfskate market with Carver collaboration Arbor, known for their longboards and snowboards, has partnered with Carver to launch surfskate-specific models featuring shapes by Ryan Lovelace and Tyler Warren. This is a significant move — Arbor brings strong distribution and brand recognition, which could help introduce surfskate to a wider audience.
Loaded x Kyoto Bags limited edition collaboration Loaded Boards expanded beyond hardware with a limited run of bags designed with Kyoto Bags. Not surfskate-specific, but it reflects the lifestyle branding strategy that surfskate companies are increasingly pursuing.
Reviews & Board Tests
YOW Pit Stop Chapter 3: The Board Test The most comprehensive YOW review to date — 24 boards tested by 5 riders across 12 different locations. This kind of comparative testing is exactly what riders need to understand how different wheelbases and shapes perform in real conditions. Worth reading if you are deciding between YOW models.
Carver CX bushings slipping out of place A rider reports their CX front bushing displacing during bowl sessions. The community suggests upgrading to Riptide bushings (90a) for better retention and a more predictable feel at higher speeds.
Struggling with ollies on Carver C5 trucks A rider on a 9.5” deck with C5 trucks questions whether their surfskate setup is limiting ollie ability. The consensus: C5 trucks are designed for flow and carving, not street tricks — a traditional popsicle deck would be better suited for ollies.
Six months with the YOW Fanning Falcon Performer 33.5” A detailed user review comparing the Fanning Falcon against shorter, stiffer setups. After six months of daily riding, the reviewer highlights how the longer wheelbase suits their style and provides a more surf-like feel.
Community Highlights
YOW rider profile: Marta Davila YOW continues their athlete series with a profile of Marta Davila, covering her move to Los Angeles and her approach to surfskate as a surf cross-training tool.
Loaded ambassador spotlight: Yazper Maldonado Loaded featured ambassador Yazper Maldonado, who has been creating content around the Tesseract II and building community around Loaded’s surfskate lineup.
YOW sessions in Barcelona YOW documented a week of sessions in Barcelona with their team riders, showcasing different urban spots and how terrain shapes riding style.
Loaded Tangent & Fathom giveaway winners Loaded announced the winners of their Tangent and Fathom Surfskate Edition giveaway, wrapping up a promotion for their distance-focused surfskate models.
50” Bigfoot Longboard Surfskate Deck launch event Status Skate Shop hosted a launch party for the 50-inch Bigfoot surfskate deck — an unusually long board aimed at riders who want maximum stability and a more mellow carving feel.
This week we covered 12 items from 4 sources: Reddit r/surfskate, YOW Blog, Loaded Boards Blog, and YouTube.
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