November 28, 2011

It has come to our attention that last years BMB’s does not meet our standard of quality and have had to change our blades from carbon steel to stainless.  Unfortunately, due to the high cost of stainless steel, we have had to increase the cost of our blades as well.  Our original goal was to make the Benmore Blades at a cost that would not be dramatically different from the cost of a set of new wheels, however this goal turned out to be more difficult then we could have predicted.  Our priority is to deliver inovative, high quality products that can be counted on to perform when needed and feel that last year was a set back we are not willing to repeat.  To right a wrong, anyone who had purchased a set of carbon steel Benmore Blades will have an opportunity to exchange their old set for a new set of stainless steel blades for the remainder of the difference ($30).  If you have an old set and would like to exchange them, please email me at benmorelongboards@live.com to arrange a time to get your new set.

 

February 17, 2011

It’s been a great winter for Benmore with the first REAL introduction of the Benmore Blades.  On February 15, 2011 we had a live radio interview on CBC’s Ottawa Morning with Kathleen Petty to talk about the BMB’s.  Truthfully, although I’ve done interviews before, I’ve never had a live radio interview and the result made me quit nervous.  Fortunately Kathleen is a great host and that helped with the anxiety, although I couldn’t shake the nervousness entirely, I had a good time.

With the introduction of the Benmore Blades on the worlds longest skating rink, the response has been tremendous.  Overwhelming is another word to use.  Although we wanted to use this season for trial and error, there was very little error to overcome.  With the help of Canal employees and the National Capital Commision, the BMB’s were welcomed onto the ice and there hasn’t been any negative reports.  In fact, I’m already looking forward to next year as this year allowed some cool tricks to happen on the ice and probably some to be invented as longboarding on ice is quickly  starting to catch on and starting to be recognized as a legitimate winter activity.

December 17, 2010

http://www.piepalace.ca/blog/2006/05/life-with-a-longboard.html

November 26, 2010

The time is almost upon us to don our skates and head out to the local rink, frozen lake or Rideau Canal.  There is a question that keeps popping up regarding the Benmore Blades, “What do you put on your push foot so you don’t slip on the ice?”.  Fortunately we have the answer!  There are plenty of stores where you can purchase a rubber slipper you put on your feet with metal spikes on the bottom.  They are specifically designed for traction on ice.  They are sold in pairs leaving you a back up in case the one on your push foot either breaks, or gets lost. 

Unfortunately we haven’t had any luck with suppliers as of yet, so we can’t include them with skates.  However, we will be producing a comprehensive video in the coming weeks and will combine that with a list of the best non-slip shoes along with the stores that carry them.

I hope this helps and if you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them in our “Questions & Comments” page.

Jamie Hahn

Benmore Longboards

October 29, 2010

Gatineau roads are closed and there’s plenty of time to tear it up before the snow falls:!

http://guidegatineau.ca/news/2010/10/12/when-do-parkways-close-for-winter/

Jamie Hahn

Benmore Longboards

October 5, 2010

Fightin’ the good fight.

http://www.canada.com/sports/Downhill+danger+Longboarders+butt+heads+with+Canadian+cities/3622937/story.html

Finally an objective article about longboarding.  My only concern at the moment is, is this issue going to snowball and get out of control?  Longboarding hasn’t really been an issue until recently and only because the media is bringing attention to it.  Another death of a longboarder in B.C, bringing the total number of deaths in Canada to 2 this year so far, and it has become a newsworthy concern.  Let’s not blur the lines here either, the first longboard fatality was a legitimate accident whilst the other longboarder was hit by a DRUNK DRIVER.  There is a good possibility that if it wasn’t a longboarder who was hit and killed, the story would probably never have left the province.  If longboarding is going to get this kind of media attention, will it put pressure on the lawmakers to start working with longboarders and try to come to a compromise?  Or will it put pressure on law enforcers to start cracking down on longboarders?  Probably the latter. 

Therefore I will take this opportunity to briefly explain what longboarding is. 

Like so many other sports out there, there isn’t a single category you can actually place longboarding in.  The word longboard is simply a generic name used such as bikes, motorcycles, cars, ice-skating, snowboards etc.  Each one of those categories can be, and usually is broken down further into other categories (i.e. cross country mountain bike, hybrid, downhill mountain bike, touring, race, track etc.).   Each category has its specific use and intentional purpose.  It is not uncommon to find a longboarder with several different types of longboards either, each board set up for a specific use.  Although downhill longboarding is not uncommon, the majority of longboarders are not downhill race longboarders and in fact, a good portion of the people who longboard, may not even have more then one longboard and use it in the same manner the average person would use a bicycle.

Longboarders have a tendency to adapt to their environment and choose a longboard that better suits that environment.  Someone living in the prairies would have little use for a downhill race board as opposed to someone living in Albert or B.C.  A longboard designed for cruising around would be far more beneficial as it would become a more efficient tool for getting around.  Especially now with a green push for alternative means of transportation, longboarding is a low cost, environmentally friendly, safe and efficient way of getting from point A to point B.  Why wouldn’t lawmakers want to encourage that?

There is confusion out there about longboards not having any brakes.  Well, neither do ice skates, snowboards and skis  yet they are still able to stop.  In Ottawa (I can’t speak for other cities), many of the bike couriers downtown ride single speed bikes without any brakes.

Also we need to keep in mind that a story has yet to surface of a non-downhill longboarding accident where the longboarder is in fact at fault.  Lawmakers need to concentrate on far more pressing matters, not waste law enforcers time and tax payers money for an issue that isn’t.

When lawmakers do take notice, they need to take everything into account and not judge the whole by the actions of a few. 

Jamie Hahn

Benmore Longboards

September 22, 2010

And so as the season begins to wrap up, we’re taking a look at our accomplishments and what we’ve learned.  Not only have we met our goals, but exceeded them.  Now we look forward to the goals we’ve set for next year and the obstacles we need to overcome.  New projects to take up and of course, improve what we already have. 

Although our specialty has been in hardwood longboards with both domestic and exotic species, we feel that as a longboard company we need to continually expand and look into all forms of board building both old and new alike.  We’ve always done extensive research and development and it’s through the lessons we’ve learned that we’ve come up with interesting and new designs.  So for next year, we will be introducing a couple of new hardwood longboards to add to our family, and we will also be introducing a new line of plywood boards that will keep up with the Benmore tradition of quality.

As for now, winter is unfortunately approaching and soon it’ll be time to take off the wheels,  lubricate the bearings, put them away in a closet and grab a set of Benmore Blades because longboarding season in Canada just got a little longer.

Jamie Hahn

Benmore Longboards

August 12, 2010

Posing a question,

And so the debate continues.  It’s apparent to me, having read the article on the girl who died longboarding in B.C. in the recent weeks, that people who have never longboarded before seem to be the experts in our sport.  I can honestly say that some of the comments following the article are more than anything, frustrating.  We, as longboarders need to educate the public if we ever want to make any kind of difference in getting our activity legalized.  The worst suggestion of all,  and it was repeated more than once by different people, was that longboards don’t have brakes.  It’s true, we don’t actually have breaks mounted on our boards or in our wheels, however I don’t know about the rest of you but I can stop just fine on my longboard.   Whether it’s a slide or a footdrag of all the years I’ve been longboarding, I ‘ve never hit anyone.  Actually it’s the opposite.  I’ve had several close calls by drivers who refuse to pay attention because they’re distracted by a cell phone, and there is always a Tour de France wanna be who is overly aggressive because he has to share the road with someone else.  In fact, the day we were in the Gatineau filming for the CBC a cyclist actually pulled over to yell and swear at us.  The videographer who had already put his camera away had just enough time to take the camera back out to film the cyclist aggressively approach him and handle his camera.  The best part is we weren’t even riding, we were standing on the side of the road.  My response?  Patience. 

The general public doesn’t differentiate between a longboard and a skateboard and the skateboard community has taken a rebellious role in society, or at least perceived that way.  All of the longboarders I know and ride with are out to enjoy the weather, the feel of the road, the camaraderie or the meditation longboarding provides.  Or they’re just trying to get from point A to point B and don’t like walking or biking and driving doesn’t make sense.  Yet, there will always be the few who make the rest of us look bad.  And unfortunately it’s those guys who people look for when a label is ready to be placed.

The reality is, we won’t change everyone’s mind and that’s fine.  There will always be the nay sayers and those who have nothing else better to do then to try and stop progress.  It’s a fact and it happens with everything.  

So my question is, what can we do to advance our hobby?

Think about it for a moment, regardless of safety procedures accidents will continue to happen.  If you want to validate this point, just ask the survivor of any motorcycle accident.  Or what about the acceptable level of risk of permanent injury to teenagers who play hockey or football.  It is not only acceptable but encouraged by parents and governing bodies such as the  Canadian Interuniversity Sport (www.cis-sic.ca) or the Canadian Junior Hockey League (www.cjhlhockey.com). 

The reality is, there is an acceptable level of risk in anything we do.  So the real issue is, that it’s not about the sport or activity one decides to participate in, it’s about the judgment of the individual.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/07/09/bc-longboarding-skateboarding-fatal.html

Jamie Hahn

Benmore Longboards

August 9, 2010

Here is a link to the World Skate Map showing various locations to skate for different levels.  A great way to explore and continue to make a tight nit community even tighter.

http://www.local124.com/portal/index.php?option=com_gmroute

For some reason every time I’ve opened the map, I always end up somewhere in the middle of China.  However, simply enter your postal code and voila!  You will then be transported to the nearest skating location in your area.  All routes have been entered in and tried out, and if it’s not on the map, be the first to enter and comment on it.

Jamie Hahn

Benmore Longboards

August 2, 2010

The CBC has contacted us to do a story on longboarding in Ottawa and Gatineau.  This was filmed on Friday July 31, 2010. 

http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Sports/ID=1557792188

Just remember, it’s not always what it seems.  We had made plans to do a longboard session on the bike path that runs parallel to the road.  However, CBC requested us to ride on the road so they can film from their van.  To provide them with what they needed, we selected a section of road that was straight and long so we could keep an eye on traffic.  The only other times we’ve ridden that road is in the spring and fall when it is closed to vehicles but open to all other activities.  Our goal was to promote the safe and fun aspect of the sport, not the extreme.  The one thing I mentioned to them when they asked, is that longboarding is just like any other sport or activity, it’s only as extreme as you make it.  That part was edited out.

In Ottawa/Gatineau longboarding IS illegal on public streets but so is rollerblading, scooters, children’s wagons, sleds and toboggans.  Because there are no laws for longboarding like there are for cyclists, longboarders generally follow a hybrid un-written law that is a cross between that of a pedestrian and a cyclist.  We are not unruly, anti-social anarchists out to create chaos, seeking adrenaline rushes, and you definitely don’t often hear of a longboarder being killed in a car accident.  I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, I’m just saying it’s not a daily occurence.  The few isolated incidents (1 in B.C. and 1 in New Zealand) should not condemn the whole.  It’s hypocritical to go after a minority sport when you have hundreds of cyclist dying annually.

My goal as a longboard enthusiast and business owner is to change the present law to accommodate our sport the same way they did for cyclist.  To put it in perspective, it is nearly impossible to inforce that law.  If you’re going to stop one of us you need stop every rollerblader, every parent who is accommodated by pulling their children in a wagon, and every scooterist, etc.  Realistically, it’s a waste of resources to seek out and fine longboarders when there are far more pressing matters to be concerned about. 

It’s going to happen anyway, why try and stop the inevitable.

Jamie Hahn

Benmore Longboards