When the Covid pandemic started, Mike Sinclair found himself at a crossroads. Was he going to occupy his time during lockdown by learning Japanese or by starting a truck company? As we all know, he opted for the latter and began research and development for Slappy Trucks! Slappy began with the goal of creating a skateboard truck that had an uncompromised turning ability alongside unrivalled grind clearance. Over the course of the past 2 years, Mike is confident he has achieved what he set out to do.
Mike didn’t mess around when it came down to working on the designs, stating, “I went through so many different versions of hangers and baseplates, experimenting with different bushings, bushing heights, hardnesses, turning radius, kingpins, polishes, and the list goes on for over two years”. I’m not sure there is anything else he could have experimented with when it comes down to truck components, but it does prove that he really has put the time and effort into this.
Not only has Slappy released a range of truck widths starting from 8” going all the way up to 9”, but there are also three different constructions too! There is of course the ST1 Standard, consisting of a solid axle, kingpin and hanger. As strong as you can get, but with that comes a slightly heavier truck. However, if you do want a lighter alternative, there is the ST1 Hollow, which is constructed with the exact same dimensions as the Standard, just with a hollowed-out kingpin and hanger. Last but definitely not least, there is the ST1 Hollow Inverted. Same dimensions and weight as the Hollow, but with even more grind clearance due to the hollow kingpin being inverted. The premium choice with all the whistles and bells! Regardless of your preference, you will find a truck in the Slappy range that will suit you.
Lockdown sucked, but many of us found solace in investing our time into creative projects. A lot of people got really into painting, others wrote poetry and a few made rad fingerboard edits. There was at least a freedom in how some of us filled our time, and luckily for the skateboarding world, Mike Sinclair took it upon himself to try and create the perfect truck. We love nerding out over skate hardware here at Supereight, so when we heard about Slappy Trucks, we knew we had to pick the brains of the mastermind behind it. So here it is! Supereight’s interview with Team Manager extraordinaire and Slappy Trucks founder, Mike Sinclair, where we talk about himself, Slappy Trucks, being TM and much much more. Definitely worth checking this one out.
Read the full interview with Mike Sinclair HERE
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