Tan Tien
One of the New Year’s commitments I decided on for 2011 is that sliding is one of the areas I want to concentrate on this year. After much debate with myself (and a few friends) I finally decided to edge into a different style and experiment with something new: Gullwing Sidewinders and Orangatang 70mm 86a (yellow) Stimulus wheels. Now I should probably stress what I mean by “experiment” with something new. In years past I’ve been mainly a downhill kinda guy. Point me to a good hill and I’ll camp it all day right? Well during this past summer I have begun a profound shift in my riding style with a new location: The Park. Riding the concrete wave has become something short of a daily obsession. Carving banks, 50-50 grinds, flatland tricks, and trying to bank slides… These are the techniques I seek to master. However my Loaded Vanguard is beginning to show signs of its age and many of the heinous beatings it has taken over the last year. So this year I am switching it up a bit…
The Tan Tien is essentially the little brother of Loaded’s Dervish, but don’t be fooled: it is a force unto itself. The Dervish is primarily built for downhill carving but can ride just about any terrain and still handle ok. However for the more progressive riders out there who want to utilize it for more than just bombing hills there was a problem: No Tail! Loaded went back to the drawing board and the Tien is what they came up with.
The Tien flex 1 is about 3.5 inches shorter in overall length than the Dervish flex 1 (Dervish length: 41.5 in.; Tien length: 39 in.) and just a bit wider that it’s big brother (Dervish Width: 8.5 in.; Tien Width: 8.75 in.). The wheelbase (from inner-most mount holes) is also about 4.5 inches shorter in length (Dervish Wheelbase: 31.5 in.; Tien Wheelbase: 27 in.) and provides for sharper turns at lower speeds. The most noticeable difference between the two however is the addition of an extra 1 in. to both ‘tails’ and the upturn of each tail that makes them easier to utilize that the Dervish’s tails.
Overall this board rates highly on my list of ‘must haves’. It is not specifically designed as a downhill carver like it’s bigger brother the Dervish, but it’s performance characteristics are similar enough that it can still be ridden as one (just at slower speeds). There are three main advantages that I see to the Tien: Shorter Wheelbase for tighter turns, extra inches in the ‘tails’ for tricks, and removable grip tape so you’ll always be able to stay on-board for those difficult slide tricks.
Like all of Loaded’s products, the Tien is built for performance. From materials to overall shape and function this board is built to ride. For those riders out there looking to have the feel of the Dervish in a more “all terrain” friendly package and with the tricking capabilities of more traditional style boards; The Tien is the answer.
Skate to live, Live to skate.
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