I brought a SmoothStar Toledo #77 just over 7 weeks ago. It’s my first surf skateboard, so I am only doing basic stuff. Living in Sydney Australia, their office is near by and I found the staff great.
Due to very high demand, getting any surf skateboard is hard and will require to be on a long waiting list. SmoothStar told me which local shop will receive a shipment. Advised me to put my name on that shop’s waiting list rather than order directly from SmoothStar. I waited less than a week. 😀😃
That shop also had a YOW Medina on display but it was sold within a day. I have seen many SmoothStars, some Carvers but I haven’t seen many YOW. Maybe I should look harder??? It’s probably the opposite in Europe.
@@pokeypickle3 hey man i live in sydney too. What store did you sign up for the wait list? I’ve been waiting months on the smoothstar website and there’s still nothing!
I have the SS hole Toledo and the yow Medina. Both are similar board in terms of wheel base and concave. The major difference is the bushing on the yow is stronger resulting more reflex bouncing back when finishing a turn. Thats why I found the yow is more forgiving making me less worried about folding the front wheels. On the other hand, the SS is more responsive due to the looseness. Pumping requires less effort though.
Update after another 6 months: The difference is the length of the arm. SS has more swing than the yow, resulting a more surfy feel, but less stable at high speed. so if you prefer to surfing style - SS, if you like skate style, go with short swing arm or no swing arm like the Carver CX
@@alexlin9357 i dont quite get it. What do you mean by swing arm? I thought on bikes have swing arm. Or do you mean the truck length axle to axle ? Carr to explain?
Today I compared the most similar boards of the companies, the Yow Snappers (V4S5 Trucks) and Smoothstar Toledo 77. They both have the same wheelbase (only with V4, not Meraki System) and the same concave. The real difference is indeed the width of their trucks and wheels. Compared to SS, the Yow trucks including the wheels are half an inch wider. That means your radius with the Yow will just increase because of this physical circumstance. If you put wider wheels on the Smoothstar and tighter wheels on the Yow, the advantage is just gone.
Thanks for your input, I haven't thought about that perspective, we tend to ride factory wheels, but wider vs tighter wheels would surely make a difference when riding both the YOW and Smoothstar. Cheers 🤙
I tried them all and I think that the surfskate that most resembles surfing is swelltech, it has the sharpest tilt angles and the feeling that most resembles the movement on water but it is also the least stable and requires the longest adjustment period
Yep, I have owned the Swelltech and its great a surf simulator and for certain manurers like the cutback its spot-on, but from experience I found it to be too loose for training posture. Which Swelltech do you own?
The premiere And the hybrid camo I also have a yow pipe which is great for crossing. But i find the stance and the movement on the swelltech to better mimic surfing
my only issue is that in Yow for the same deck size you have different wheelbase, so your comparison is not really helpful. I started with the teahupoo and wish to step up my board :p so I have looked into this a lot. I have yet to find data on the exact wheelbase of smoothstar
Have you seen the Surfskate love video on the new white Yow Ura wheels that come with all boards with supply chain them issues? Would you recommend swapping them out since they’re subpar and too soft/rubbery
I have personally not tried the URA white wheels but the durometer is not significantly different to the past Cinetic Yow wheels which I ride. With that said, not having tried the wheels, I would not change them for another set.
@@Aguiii_Rides Thank you! Surfskate Love's recent video on them shows how bad quality they can be.. but hopefully they improve since they're the new default!
For a total beginner would you recommend SmoothStar or Carve? I read Carve is very user friendly specially for beginners but would the SmoothStar trucks a bit more tight also do the trick and when building confidence loosen them up step by step? Thanks in advance.
You may want to read an article on Reddit: "carver vs smoothstar, interesting perspective, would like to hear from other guys, esp others surfers." There is a video explaining why Carver gives the most right surfing experience. Personally I think both tools just tools and you need to have both to mimic surfing aspects. As a beginner you will learn how to ride both. Smoothstar gives more fun on a flat, Carver gives more realistic experience on incline.
Every time I tried a Carver I found it next to impossible to ride. I'm sure it's great if you weight 70kg or more, otherwise it requires an enormous amount of effort. Yow and Smoothstar sooo much easier
Nice video. I think you compared the best two SurfSkates for sure. Yow wheels are junk sadly. Too soft. But Yow makes great trucks. They have a great feel.
SmoothStar staff told me to ride their board bare foot. It feels great and the concave of the board really suits being bare foot. I will need good shoes if/when I eventually start going to skate parks??
SmoothStar had a demo model for me to try. The demo model was so wobbly that I was thinking that I needed a more stable board like a Carver Greenroom. Trouble was I didn’t know when Carvers would arrive in Australia. Thankfully SmoothStar staff selected the correct board for me. When I got my new board, it was more stable and I didn’t want to loosen the spring. I have just recently loosen the spring a bit so that I can turn better.
Also, I really didn’t want to be a skateboard rider, I just couldn’t go in the water due to a back injury. I just wanted to practice some basic surfing stuff on land. That’s why I got a SmoothStar. It’s being great.
Starting out at age 50. So I am learning slowly, bit by bit. I only stood on my board (from my local surfboard shop) and a Landyachtz (at a non surfboard shop). Despite knowing nothing about surf skateboards, the Landyachtz just felt wrong. I didn’t even bother asking for the price.
@@pokeypickle3 That's great thank you for your insights. Here in Spain YOW is probably the most popular brand as they are made in the Basque country (in the north of Spain). Also Smoothstar are very hard to get here in Spain. I have managed to get a Holy Toledo and a #77, and I still ride them from time to time. Now I am riding the YOWs for the most part, I just have the most fun with them.
I am thinking of buying a Yow with the Meraki trucks, currently own a Carver Black Beauty 31.75 inches and 19 inch wheelbase with CX truck. It rides fine but idk feels a bit stiff from time to time. Now I am looking to buy one of the Medina boards of yow but not sure what wheelsbase to go for 17 inch or 19 inch. I am 1.91 (6.3 feet) long and weight around 85kg. What would you recommend? I
I would probably go for the Medina Camo, the size of the board is a 33.5” inch, which although larger than your Carver, should be just right for someone of your size. Consider that for boards of a similar size, the Yows and especially the Smoothstar tend to have a shorter wheelbase. Hope it was helpful 🤟🏻.
@@santiagopeschiera1743 I went with YOW Arica 33 inch. Bit smaller then the Medina, same wheelbase and but had good reviews because it was remade version of the older Arica. It is arriving tomorrow so can’t say yet how it rides.
Très très content de ma Filipe Toledo 77. Je leurs ai déjà demandé un conseil technique, et une surfeuse professionnelle a répondu à mes questions. Wow super service après vente. Merci smoothstar Guy sirois Quebec Canada
Hi, so glad I found this video of yours - the best comparison I’ve found on the different trucks. Thank you! Can I check with you which trucks you prefer on your snappers? I’m trying to decide between the grom snappers with s4 or the regular snappers with s5 meraki. I’m 171cm and 62kg and interested to skate surf after having been an avid longboarder a little over 10 years ago (so generally still comfortable on a skateboard). Generally I’m interested in doing hard carves / slides mostly on flatland or slight slopes/banks, maybe a low bowl if I get proficient enough to try a skatepark. Thanks in advance for your advice! Edit: just saw your meraki review too, really great stuff! Would love to find our what ultimately you prefer on your snappers 😄. Thanks again!!
Hey, thank you for your feedback. From what you have told me, I would go for the Meraki trucks with the Snappers. I been riding this setup for a while now, and it is definitely an improvement from the one with the S4. I hope this was useful, if you have any more doubts please ask us 🤟🏻🤟🏻
Great video! You say smoothstar doesn't sell its trucks separately because not all boards work with it. I wish I'd heard it before... I just bought a Mundaka 32" board to replace my Flying fish board that got under a car and now I find that the holes on the Mundaka make for a much shorter wheelbase. Should I drill new ones at the top (not possible at the very top because the nose curls up quite a bit)? Also, the Mundaka has a much higher concave... Do you think it will work?
Hey Sabina, what a pity that your board got under a car. I have tried the Smoothstar trucks on other boards and they are very sensitive to board changes, and were very hard to ride. I have no experience drilling holes in my boards, so the best I can suggest is to buy yow trucks for your Mundaka. Good luck, Dani 🤟
@@michal4862 Neither have i changed my spring ever for Yow. 🤷♂️ To extend the life of the spring, always make sure to have plenty of grease in it as the spring heats up when it expands and contracts.
Really nice video very helpful for people that are trying to decide what board to get, I have recently buy a Yow Arica and I’m in love with it, I like the feeling of the trucks is a really fun board to ride, with a pretty cool design the only issue I have find with the customer service is that I have try to get in contact with them on email but I have no answers yet y have try several times and even try to contact them on Instagram and neither. Grate job with the video I really like your comparison
Yeah they are pretty busy, from my experience they do respond to emails although they may take time depending on the workload they have, I was answered within a week. Be patient, and good luck with your quest...
Sry, but I think the Snappers has a better concave then the Smoothstar boards… I own the Snappers and the SS Toledo #77 … and what I can say is, that the Toledo has most of its concave right in the middle of the shape, where your foot will never be. The snappers otherwise has its highest Concave on the front truck position, what’s really important for snaps, when your main weight is on the back foot. In this situation the losen front foot needs to stay on your board, and that’s definitely guaranteed with the Snappers concave. Just sayin’.
To me both brands very similar but I order smoothstar manta ray on 13/05 and 77 on 15/05 the product never sent now after 2 month I try to get a refund from smoothstar. I order Yow camo around the end of May 2 day I got it.
I am Taiwanese, Spanish is too hard for me 😂 I am so thankful he do this video with English, hope someday I can understand with out hola and si in Spanish 😂😂
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I brought a SmoothStar Toledo #77 just over 7 weeks ago. It’s my first surf skateboard, so I am only doing basic stuff. Living in Sydney Australia, their office is near by and I found the staff great.
Due to very high demand, getting any surf skateboard is hard and will require to be on a long waiting list. SmoothStar told me which local shop will receive a shipment. Advised me to put my name on that shop’s waiting list rather than order directly from SmoothStar. I waited less than a week. 😀😃
That shop also had a YOW Medina on display but it was sold within a day. I have seen many SmoothStars, some Carvers but I haven’t seen many YOW. Maybe I should look harder??? It’s probably the opposite in Europe.
@@pokeypickle3 Totally here in Spain its mostly Carvers, Yows, Slide and some Smoothstars
@@pokeypickle3 hey man i live in sydney too. What store did you sign up for the wait list? I’ve been waiting months on the smoothstar website and there’s still nothing!
@@mateoOC Rip Curl Narrabeen. There maybe other good surf shops as well.
Great video. You mention things all the other reviews don't. Appreciate the deep dive.
Thanks, I hope we get time soon to film more 🤟🤟.
I have the SS hole Toledo and the yow Medina. Both are similar board in terms of wheel base and concave. The major difference is the bushing on the yow is stronger resulting more reflex bouncing back when finishing a turn. Thats why I found the yow is more forgiving making me less worried about folding the front wheels. On the other hand, the SS is more responsive due to the looseness. Pumping requires less effort though.
100% agree Alex, thanks for sharing 🤙
Tight the spring on your smoothstar for having the same rebond on your yow
Guy sirois
Quebec
Update after another 6 months: The difference is the length of the arm. SS has more swing than the yow, resulting a more surfy feel, but less stable at high speed. so if you prefer to surfing style - SS, if you like skate style, go with short swing arm or no swing arm like the Carver CX
@@alexlin9357 i dont quite get it. What do you mean by swing arm? I thought on bikes have swing arm. Or do you mean the truck length axle to axle ? Carr to explain?
Súper video! Great video quality and useful factacts and insights. Thankyou very much for creating this unique content!
yeww, thanks for watching
One of the best reviews I've seen yet, covered loads of points and a great honest appraisal. Got my subscription 🤙
Keep pushing out this great content! Would love to see tutorials on riding skate parks with YOW / Smoothstars
Thanks 🤟🤟, noted...
Today I compared the most similar boards of the companies, the Yow Snappers (V4S5 Trucks) and Smoothstar Toledo 77.
They both have the same wheelbase (only with V4, not Meraki System) and the same concave.
The real difference is indeed the width of their trucks and wheels. Compared to SS, the Yow trucks including the wheels are half an inch wider. That means your radius with the Yow will just increase because of this physical circumstance. If you put wider wheels on the Smoothstar and tighter wheels on the Yow, the advantage is just gone.
Thanks for your input, I haven't thought about that perspective, we tend to ride factory wheels, but wider vs tighter wheels would surely make a difference when riding both the YOW and Smoothstar. Cheers 🤙
Comparativa perfecta todo super claro. Éstos vídeos ayudan mucho a los que tenemos dudas y nos vamos a gastar la pasta. Gracias y enhorabuena!!
¡Qué bueno que le haya gustado! Un saludoo de parte de los dos 🤟🤟
I tried them all and I think that the surfskate that most resembles surfing is swelltech, it has the sharpest tilt angles and the feeling that most resembles the movement on water but it is also the least stable and requires the longest adjustment period
Yep, I have owned the Swelltech and its great a surf simulator and for certain manurers like the cutback its spot-on, but from experience I found it to be too loose for training posture. Which Swelltech do you own?
The premiere
And the hybrid camo
I also have a yow pipe which is great for crossing. But i find the stance and the movement on the swelltech to better mimic surfing
@@MgCO3rc Nicee, great to see your perspective
Really nice video and comparison. It would be really cool if you could do a follow-up comparison specifically in the pool. Cheers
Great, noted 🤟🤟
My first one was a smoothstar and I loved it! But I got a Swelltech and it took my skills to the next level!
my only issue is that in Yow for the same deck size you have different wheelbase, so your comparison is not really helpful. I started with the teahupoo and wish to step up my board :p so I have looked into this a lot. I have yet to find data on the exact wheelbase of smoothstar
Have you seen the Surfskate love video on the new white Yow Ura wheels that come with all boards with supply chain them issues? Would you recommend swapping them out since they’re subpar and too soft/rubbery
I have personally not tried the URA white wheels but the durometer is not significantly different to the past Cinetic Yow wheels which I ride. With that said, not having tried the wheels, I would not change them for another set.
@@Aguiii_Rides Thank you! Surfskate Love's recent video on them shows how bad quality they can be.. but hopefully they improve since they're the new default!
I have a Cx Carver and it's great. Smoth Star never answered me any questions at social media...
For a total beginner would you recommend SmoothStar or Carve? I read Carve is very user friendly specially for beginners but would the SmoothStar trucks a bit more tight also do the trick and when building confidence loosen them up step by step? Thanks in advance.
You may want to read an article on Reddit:
"carver vs smoothstar, interesting perspective, would like to hear from other guys, esp others surfers."
There is a video explaining why Carver gives the most right surfing experience.
Personally I think both tools just tools and you need to have both to mimic surfing aspects.
As a beginner you will learn how to ride both. Smoothstar gives more fun on a flat, Carver gives more realistic experience on incline.
Every time I tried a Carver I found it next to impossible to ride. I'm sure it's great if you weight 70kg or more, otherwise it requires an enormous amount of effort. Yow and Smoothstar sooo much easier
Nice video. I think you compared the best two SurfSkates for sure. Yow wheels are junk sadly. Too soft. But Yow makes great trucks. They have a great feel.
SmoothStar staff told me to ride their board bare foot. It feels great and the concave of the board really suits being bare foot. I will need good shoes if/when I eventually start going to skate parks??
SmoothStar had a demo model for me to try. The demo model was so wobbly that I was thinking that I needed a more stable board like a Carver Greenroom. Trouble was I didn’t know when Carvers would arrive in Australia. Thankfully SmoothStar staff selected the correct board for me. When I got my new board, it was more stable and I didn’t want to loosen the spring. I have just recently loosen the spring a bit so that I can turn better.
Also, I really didn’t want to be a skateboard rider, I just couldn’t go in the water due to a back injury. I just wanted to practice some basic surfing stuff on land. That’s why I got a SmoothStar. It’s being great.
Starting out at age 50. So I am learning slowly, bit by bit. I only stood on my board (from my local surfboard shop) and a Landyachtz (at a non surfboard shop). Despite knowing nothing about surf skateboards, the Landyachtz just felt wrong. I didn’t even bother asking for the price.
At any surfboard shop (that I have seen), the SmoothStar and YOW racks are always empty because those surf skateboards are always sold out.
@@pokeypickle3 That's great thank you for your insights. Here in Spain YOW is probably the most popular brand as they are made in the Basque country (in the north of Spain). Also Smoothstar are very hard to get here in Spain. I have managed to get a Holy Toledo and a #77, and I still ride them from time to time. Now I am riding the YOWs for the most part, I just have the most fun with them.
I am thinking of buying a Yow with the Meraki trucks, currently own a Carver Black Beauty 31.75 inches and 19 inch wheelbase with CX truck. It rides fine but idk feels a bit stiff from time to time. Now I am looking to buy one of the Medina boards of yow but not sure what wheelsbase to go for 17 inch or 19 inch. I am 1.91 (6.3 feet) long and weight around 85kg. What would you recommend? I
I would probably go for the Medina Camo, the size of the board is a 33.5” inch, which although larger than your Carver, should be just right for someone of your size. Consider that for boards of a similar size, the Yows and especially the Smoothstar tend to have a shorter wheelbase. Hope it was helpful 🤟🏻.
@@Aguiii_Rides thank you my friend, great video’s by the way
@@POLPO_WOOD What did you order in the end?
@@santiagopeschiera1743 I went with YOW Arica 33 inch. Bit smaller then the Medina, same wheelbase and but had good reviews because it was remade version of the older Arica. It is arriving tomorrow so can’t say yet how it rides.
Great, tell us how it rides 🤙
I love this overall stuff !
Thanks for the feedback, we will work on releasing more review soon...
Très très content de ma Filipe Toledo 77. Je leurs ai déjà demandé un conseil technique, et une surfeuse professionnelle a répondu à mes questions. Wow super service après vente.
Merci smoothstar
Guy sirois
Quebec
Canada
Nice to also hear people having good customer experiences, see I have heard mixed opinions, but its great to see that they do respond properly
Ta fait comment pour commander au Quebec? J'ai pas trouver nul part. Merci
Hi, so glad I found this video of yours - the best comparison I’ve found on the different trucks. Thank you!
Can I check with you which trucks you prefer on your snappers? I’m trying to decide between the grom snappers with s4 or the regular snappers with s5 meraki. I’m 171cm and 62kg and interested to skate surf after having been an avid longboarder a little over 10 years ago (so generally still comfortable on a skateboard). Generally I’m interested in doing hard carves / slides mostly on flatland or slight slopes/banks, maybe a low bowl if I get proficient enough to try a skatepark.
Thanks in advance for your advice!
Edit: just saw your meraki review too, really great stuff! Would love to find our what ultimately you prefer on your snappers 😄. Thanks again!!
Hey, thank you for your feedback. From what you have told me, I would go for the Meraki trucks with the Snappers. I been riding this setup for a while now, and it is definitely an improvement from the one with the S4. I hope this was useful, if you have any more doubts please ask us 🤟🏻🤟🏻
@@Aguiii_Rides awesome, thank you for getting back to me! Excited for the snappers! Cheers and keep up the great work on the channel!
@@lazarus213 Great keep us updated on your experience with the Snappers🤟
Bro can you tell which is better to me, I am 178cm 78kg, i play 6’4 40L surfboard
Great video! You say smoothstar doesn't sell its trucks separately because not all boards work with it. I wish I'd heard it before... I just bought a Mundaka 32" board to replace my Flying fish board that got under a car and now I find that the holes on the Mundaka make for a much shorter wheelbase. Should I drill new ones at the top (not possible at the very top because the nose curls up quite a bit)? Also, the Mundaka has a much higher concave... Do you think it will work?
Hey Sabina, what a pity that your board got under a car. I have tried the Smoothstar trucks on other boards and they are very sensitive to board changes, and were very hard to ride. I have no experience drilling holes in my boards, so the best I can suggest is to buy yow trucks for your Mundaka. Good luck, Dani 🤟
my experience with both of them is, Yow you will keep buying springs!!!! Nice board, nice image. that's all folk
I’m shredding Yows for 2 years now, bowls, snapping, sliding. Never had a broken spring.
@@michal4862 Neither have i changed my spring ever for Yow. 🤷♂️ To extend the life of the spring, always make sure to have plenty of grease in it as the spring heats up when it expands and contracts.
Really nice video very helpful for people that are trying to decide what board to get, I have recently buy a Yow Arica and I’m in love with it, I like the feeling of the trucks is a really fun board to ride, with a pretty cool design the only issue I have find with the customer service is that I have try to get in contact with them on email but I have no answers yet y have try several times and even try to contact them on Instagram and neither. Grate job with the video I really like your comparison
Yeah they are pretty busy, from my experience they do respond to emails although they may take time depending on the workload they have, I was answered within a week. Be patient, and good luck with your quest...
Sry, but I think the Snappers has a better concave then the Smoothstar boards… I own the Snappers and the SS Toledo #77 … and what I can say is, that the Toledo has most of its concave right in the middle of the shape, where your foot will never be. The snappers otherwise has its highest Concave on the front truck position, what’s really important for snaps, when your main weight is on the back foot. In this situation the losen front foot needs to stay on your board, and that’s definitely guaranteed with the Snappers concave. Just sayin’.
Yow for me
yow can't go wrong 😉😉😂😂
$70 Boiligon on Amazon is the best surf skate out there
Interesting, we have never heard of them 🤔
Best you can afford but not the best in general lol
🔥🔥
yew 🤟🤟
If u in Australia go for Yow my experience with smooth star is horrible
Could you elaborate on your experience, both brands have great products, nevertheless there are always areas where to improve in.
To me both brands very similar but I order smoothstar manta ray on 13/05 and 77 on 15/05 the product never sent now after 2 month I try to get a refund from smoothstar. I order Yow camo around the end of May 2 day I got it.
@@sydnan74 oufff thats really a pity, it is true that with Covid everything has slowed down, but a response is due...
Hola buenas, porq los haces en inglés? Imagino q para llegar a mas gente pero …. Una pena 😔😔😔😔
Casi toda nuestra audiencia es de habla inglesa. Intentaremos subtitular los siguientes. Un saludo 🤙🤙
I am Taiwanese, Spanish is too hard for me 😂 I am so thankful he do this video with English, hope someday I can understand with out hola and si in Spanish 😂😂