Tech Deck Skate Crew, Handboards, and S.K.U.M.M.

by X Concepts

wears a helmet. The helmet is removable and due to its size can be lost easily (and is an obvious choking hazard). However, the helmet fits snuggly so it won’t just fall off. The package warns against removing the helmet but do you think a kid’s going to head the warning? No – and besides, it’s the only way to find out what head is under the helmet. The magnets in the feet are a huge attraction – it makes them wildly poseable and opens a slew of play possibilities. I hardly had the review figures out of the package when my son was playing with them on the side of the fridge. If you don’t have a fridge handy, each figure comes with a skateboard or a set of plates – two metal, one plastic fringed with magnets – to assemble a stand. Durability is a huge factor when dealing with action figures that so obviously have playability in mind. S.K.U.M.M. does very well in this area – even after rigorous play testing they didn’t fall to pieces. The outfits might get a bit ragged, but there’s always tape. All this and it fits in a kid’s pocket! (For obvious reasons, S.K.U.M.M. has been banned from the computer room.)
 

Tech Deck Skate Crew
If you’re a hardcore skater, you’ll likely recognize these icons from World Industries and Blind. If you’re not, they come off as cute cuddly little guys that look like distant relatives to the Smurfs. Clearly, Skate Crew is aimed at the younger audience. (The official website has links to movies, bios, and the chance to send email to “their favorite dude.”) At a retail price of $3.99US it also becomes an affordable collectible for the same young audience. Each Skate Crew figure comes with a wheeled skateboard. The figures stay attached to the board by the strong magnets on their feet.

The boards themselves have moveable wheels so expect to find these guys rolling all over the kitchen floor. Because the S.K.U.M.M. figures also have the magnets, mixing and matching is an option and tons of fun if my son’s play testing is anything to go by. Although the boards might break under great strain (i.e. stepping on them) the figures themselves are solid plastic so no matter what you do, they’ll always bounce back.

Handboards
The fingerboard makes the next logical leap to the handboard. The handboard is a smaller skateboard (at 27cm) but authentic in every way to its bigger brother. Trucks, interchangeable 19mm wheels (8 in all), wood deck, bushings, grip tape – it’s like having a shrunken board. To remove and replace the wheels and make other adjustments a gun-like multi-tool is included. An important thing to keep in mind is that the components are easy to break – this is more of a model than an actual board. (It’s got big labels everywhere saying, “Do Not Ride!”) I managed to strip one bolt with hardly any effort. The artwork is very good and what you would expect from a full-size board. Companies such as Alien, DNA, Brigade, and New Deal have some of their designs included and to show them off each Handboard comes with a display stand. Skaters would never display china dolls or their collection of ceramic pigs, but you can bet they’d have no qualms about putting one of these beauts on the mantle. Which is not to say there isn’t any play value with the Handboards (mostly by taking things apart and putting them back together) it’s just that the display value is much stronger and with a price of about $16US it's targeted at an older audience.

- Omni
(May 2, 2002)