The Shed: Igneous goes long

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

By Henry Sweets

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-The guys over at Igneous started a new production of longboard decks last month and now have a dozen or so for sale at their factory on Gregory Lane in Jackson. Several shapes, ranging from 32 to 48 inches, are currently available to roll out the door.

And while they are in production mode, now is also a great time to get a custom deck, said creator of Igneous Snowboards, and, incidentally, the factory night watchman, Tom “Mot” Gatehouse.

Igneous has been making longboard decks for about five years, Gatehouse said. Their stock of longboards recently sold out. But the current bout of bad weather triggered a rush of production in the local shop.

The company, which is better known for their handmade wooden skis, is a collective of skiers and boarders that has evolved as much as its products have. There is no telling when their attention will diverge from decks to some other discipline.

The current longboard models, which don’t have names yet, have mostly been developed in the last couple of years. Now Gatehouse, ski-maker Mike Parris and other staff are exploring new ideas, like a new 32-inch carving deck.

Since all of their decks have camber and fiberglass construction, they will be fairly springy, and their concavity gives a nice responsiveness that I noticed in the couple of decks that I rode.

Currently all decks feature 3- to 5-ply, 1.5 millimeter laminated maple sheets sandwiched in between two layers of fiberglass, and a maple, ash, or exotic top and bottom sheet.

Depending on the amount of flex desired, customers may request to add or subtract a piece of wood or to substitute the stiffer ash for a maple sheet. Different thicknesses of fiberglass are available, and since the sheets are hand cut on a band saw before being sanded down to the 1.5 mm thickness, you could also experiment with thicker wood.
Possibilities abound for people who know what they want, especially during a time when Igneous is focused on generating new decks and exploring new ideas. Gatehouse said they can handle tall orders, but the more outrageous the request, the more expensive it will be.

“We do anything custom, except for controlling nuclear waste,” he joked.
Most small custom upgrades, like exotic wood for the top and bottom sheet or a shape you conceive yourself, would be around $20. Exotic woods can be ordered. Requests for different camber or different concavity would be extremely difficult to meet, but if you have a vision it would be worth your while to stop by and talk to someone at the shop.

Decks currently run from $100-$150. Those prices include an optional, but recommended, $20 in-house, grip tape process, which is clear, and provides more grip than traditional grip tape.

To complete the setup, the Boardroom has trucks ranging from $35 to $50 a pair. Sets of wheels run about the same price, and bearings cost from $25 to $30.

Photo by ANDREW WYATT
Carpenter Mike Parris of Igneous.

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The Shed: Igneous goes long | Planet JH News Article: Sports & Recreation

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