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Introducing the NEW Bustin
Mekanik35"The Mekanik is the little brother of the Ratmobile race deck. It is built off of the same progressive radial concave as the Ratmobile with the same quarter-inch rockered platform, but with an even wider range of wheelbase options, especially on the short end. The Mekanik will be the deck of choice for top mount riders who want to stick tight corners, freeriders who prefer shorter wheelbases, garage bombers, riders with smaller stances, and women downhillers. The slightly smaller width and more uniform shape from front to back make it easier to dig into the rails when switching from heelside to toeside slides, in regular and switch, and also benefits riders with smaller feet and setups with shorter width trucks when you really want to stick that corner. The highly adjustable platform allows you to put your feet directly over the trucks, providing maximum control in turns and when sliding. 
IDEA The idea for this deck came in the Spring of 2012 when someone left a broken deck at our Longboard Loft store. Someone at the shop ended up chopping the deck and after a couple months of sitting in the corner, we set it up and took it for a ride on the Williamsburg bridge. Needless to say, we had a blast, and since the Ratmobile platform was already being developed, we decided we would take that mold and recreate that ride, only this time with our ideal concave, a wider nose so we can stand right over the trucks, and more wheelbase options. 
DESIGN The Mekanik is 35 inches long, sporting a gentle, comforting quarter-inch rocker throughout the deck. Concave is designed to be perfectly comfortable at speed while locking in the feet hard when sideways in freeride stance. Technically speaking, it's a progressive radial concave, being very mild near the center with a tightening radius as it gets nearer to the edges. The deck is 9.5 inches wide up front and 9.25 at the first set of holes in the back, making the board feel very similar riding backwards as when regular. Rails on the Mekanik are razor sharp and will provide ample grip when freeriding and drifting around corners. Massive wheel wells are large enough to provide clearance on most any setup and have been tested with 124mm up to 180mm trucks with equally awesome results. Wheelbases range from 22.25 up to 26.5 inches, making this board ideal for gripping corners and medium to high speeds, depending on your comfort level. Garage bombers will be especially pleased with the Mekanik! Hey Miami, we were thinking of you guys! CONSTRUCTION
The construction of the Mekanik is 8 plies of stiff Great Lakes maple, differing slightly from our typical Canadian Maple on our other decks. The end result is more stiffness with less wood. This was ultimately at the request of our top racers, who wanted a light weight deck that was race ready. The ever so slight torsional flex keeps all 4 wheels on the ground with very little loss in leverage from the front to the rear of the deck. A custom-cut router bit run along the bottom edge of the deck reduces unnecessary wood from the board, further reducing weight and giving this deck an ultra sharp, speedy look. 
SETUPS Set this deck up with whatever feels good. Top mount decks are more prone to wheel bite, and though the Mekanik sports some monstrous wheel wells, you'll want to set it up with whatever gives you peace as far as bite is concerned. Quarter inch risers and most 50 degree trucks will be bite free with 70mm wheels. Careful bushing and washer selection will always play a large role in deck performance. Our racers prefer 75mm Royce wheels and skate anything from Caliber 44s and 50s to Ronins and Aera trucks. Our favorite setup on this deck was Caliber 50 trucks and white 75a Swift wheels. The soft slide wheels can still grip tight corners and the restrictive Caliber bushing seats make setting up the deck extremely easy to guard against wheel bite, even when switching over to 75mm wheels for racing. Even when running exceptionally soft bushings, we felt extremely stable and in control. POSSIBILITIES
For riders who prefer short wheelbase top mounts, stepping on this deck will be immediately comfortable for virtually all styles of riding, from downhill and freeride, to giant slalom and garage bombing. The small size overall and short wheelbase options make the deck super fun and lively on your daily commute, especially if your commute includes slanted earth. The board is exceptionally manageable in every way and will stash nicely under your desk and in most lockers, and its adjustability will keep things fresh for the life of the deck. Some riders will even find way to ollie and pop other tricks on this board. The Mekanik is not the most revolutionary skateboard to ever hit the streets. It's just simple, done right, and it feels really friggin' good. 
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