The Lander La skateboard is not your average cruiser.
It is functional and light, and the deck is made from recycled fishing nets.
I bought one and built a custom setup. I’ll share everything I tested.
My Riding Style
I mainly carve mellow hills. Occasionally, ride in rougher terrain. Portability is important so I can easily travel or stash it. Maintaining momentum and performing carves is probably the most important factor.
Deck
They have two deck shapes, which are…
- Rio
- Rodeo
Rio Specs
Length: 24.5″ | 62.23cm
Width: 7.75″ | 19.69cm
Wheelbase: 13.25″ | 33.66
Deck Weight: 2.35 lbs | 1.1kg
Rodeo Specs
Length: 30″ | 76.2cm
Width: 8″ | 20.32cm
Wheelbase: 14.5″ | 36.83cm
Deck Weight: 2.9 lbs | 1.3kg
Both have lifted wheel wells, some concave, and a wide kicktail.
The shapes are pretty functional when comparing them to a penny board.
Both have mellow concave, kicktail, and nose, which is comfortable for cruising.
Because the edge of the rails slightly bend upward and thin out, you can get pretty beefy wheels without riser pads.
It probably doesn’t make sense if you’re a beginner just learning the basics. You’ll most likely want something with more deck space. But that’s a personal decision.
It has raised circles for added grip. And honestly, when I first stepped on it, I felt like I would slip, but it has solid traction.
Because the deck material is mixed with glass fibers, it’s sturdy; it barely bends. If you use 55-60mm wheels, your setup will be low enough to the ground to pop the kicktail. But I still wouldn’t use it in a park or for flip tricks since the kick angle is lower. It’s functional enough to throw the occasional ollie whether you need to get up a curb or over rough terrain.
Wheels
The wheels are 61mm x 85A with rounded edges.
I tested a lot of variations and really what I meant by that was different wheel sizes.
For context, I weigh 165lbs (74.8kg) just in case you’re trying to gauge wheelbite scenarios.
I started with the stock 59mm Lander wheels which are solid but for what I was building it for, cruising mellow hills and carving, the top speed felt a little slow. Again, as I mentioned before, the kicktail was the most functional for popping at this wheel size, so there’s a tradeoff.
Then I tested 65mm, 70mm, 75mm, 85mm, and even 100mm, so here are my main takeaways.
One of the things that surprised me the most was that I didn’t need any riser pads for the 65s, 70s or even 75s.
If I went super slow and searched for it, then I could get wheelbite on the 75s, but it wasn’t something I was concerned about, which is pretty wild.
The setup that spoke to my soul was 85s with ⅜” riser pads. The combination of it still being somewhat low to the ground (5” off-ground height). I realize that’s subjective but I’m used to surfskates and being able to maintain a ton of momentum for carving was exactly what I was searching for.
They are clearly beefy boiz and add a good amount of weight, so if I was in a scenario where portability is more important, I’d probably use 70-75s.
Trucks
The trucks are Paris TKPs. 108mm on the Rio and 129mm on the Rodeo.
I decided to swap the Paris TKPs out for Polar Bear 105mms TKPS (for three reasons).
One, I like how they look.
Two, they’re slightly lighter when compared to Paris 105s and since portability is a factor, cutting weight is key.
- Bear = 11oz
- Paris = 12.3oz
And three, they’re slightly lower to the ground.
I didn’t mess with the stock barrel and cone bushings.
But the one thing I am gonna change is the top cup washers. They’re pretty thin and can bend easily.
Comparisons
Lander La compared to the Landyachtz Dinghy Blunt & Classic.
Lander Rio Specs
Length: 24.5
Width: 7.75
Wheelbase: 13.25
Lander Rodeo Specs
Length: 30
Width: 8
Wheelbase: 14.5
Dinghy Blunt Specs
Length: 28.5
Width: 8.6
Wheelbase: 14.5
Dinghy Specs
Length: 28.5
Width: 8
Wheelbase: 14.5
