Very recently, on May 1st to be exact, Loaded Boards added another deck to its offerings. The new board is called the Poke, which is pronounced "Pokē," and is a reincarnation of the Ceviche which was a reincarnation of its predecessor the fish. I believe this newest version blows the older ones out of the water, but we will get into that later... The Poke was designed to be a conqueror of cities in a tight, light, compact, and functional package.
Let's get into the nitty gritty of what makes the Poke the board it is today, with its technical specifications:
Alright, well now we know a little about what the Poke was designed for and what its specs are, but how does all information stack up against real world situations?
I think that the folks over at Loaded would be some of the first people to tell you that the Poke is not intended for downhill use. However, since I always review things in a variety of riding styles, I took the Poke kind of fast. Now I'm not a silly, so I didn't try and break any records on it, but I cruised down some of my favorite runs on the Poke a few times.
When I took the Poke to "downhill" it was rocking Paris 150mm trucks and Orangatang FatFree 80a wheels. Not exactly the best setup to haul ass with but the sketchyness certainly made for an interesting ride. I have to admit that despite its teeny-tiny wheelbase the Poke was not as unstable as I thought it would be. The subtle wheel flares and tiny bit of rocker allow you to feel pretty locked in for such a little deck. One of the biggest ways in which the Poke is awesomer than the Ceviche is the larger platform, which is definitely a bonus when going down a hill.
Freeride
The Poke is a really fun thrasher to hit some lower speed freeride with. I like playing with slides on this deck a lot because the small size of the board paired with its sizable kicktail really lets you play with the terrain, like all those sidewalks on your local hills.
I don't think you're really going to want to hit slides while going like 40mph on the Poke, however, spinning with 180 slides and some quick technical slides are just a treat on this deck. The blunt slide has become one of my favorite "go to" tricks lately and they are oh so fun on the Poke. The kicktail really cradles your foot at all times which makes it very easy to pump from your tail, drop a curb, manual, and then hit nice little wheely slide without ever having to re-position you foot.
The kicks on the Poke are a very obvious feature with clear benefits without ever having stepped foot on the board. Something a little less obvious, but that I found to be nearly as crucial, are the wheels flares on this deck. Generally when I think of wheel flares I think of something that commands your attention (like those on the Loaded Kanthaka) but the flares on the Poke are tiny and almost easy to look over; that is, until you actually step on the deck. They are very subtle but you can definitely feel them under your feet and they help lock you in a surprising amount when carving hard or hitting a slide.
Commute
While Mr. Poke can be sketchy-fun on the hills and thrasher-fun while freeriding; commuting is actually one of the Poke's strongest disciplines. I generally don't find many top mount boards to be super strong in the commuting category because pushing a top mount for a long time gets tiring. That would be true of the Poke too... If you ever had to put your feet on the ground.
I have been testing the Poke on a variety of setups and on all of them I can pump for freaking days without laying so much as a toe on the ground. I'll get more into setups later, but on my Carver Trucks I can pump from the platform so hard that I can literally pump up and over small hills. When I rockParis trucks I just hop on the tail and tick-tack my way around town, again, never ever having to put my feetsies on the earth. I have to admit it is a ton of fun to skate this way.
In addition to be able to pump around via tick-tack the tail on the Poke is good for something else when commuting; getting airborne. You can use the tail to hop over cracks in the side walk and drop curbs all day. The Poke's tail is more functional than the one of its predecessor the Ceviche because it is much easier to ollie. I'm not great at it but I have been able to ollie up a few curbs on the Poke which is an awesome feeling (especially is someone random is watching, haha).
I will admit that the Poke is not my favorite board to actually push for a long time. Again, because top mounts just ride higher than most pushing boards; which are either a drop platform or a drop through board. Something that does help is the little bit of rocker on the Poke. This lowers the platform a wee bit and puts you closer to the ground.
I don't want to say that the Poke's best trait is freestyle skating, because it is so fun for commuting too, but boy do I like to hit tricks on this board. I mentioned that the kicktail on this deck is functional enough to ollie up a curb which means that it is also nice for lots of "street" style tricks. I started skating with longboarding so I never learned a lot of the more traditional street tricks, but I am pretty freaking close to kickflipping my Poke, which I am stoked about.
Now the Poke doesn't just have a kicked tail, obviously, it also has a nice kick in the nose too. The nose kick is great for tricks like pivots, shoves, and nose manuals (which I suck at right now, haha). I can ollie a little bit off the nose kick, but not nearly as well as I can with the more robust kick in the tail.
I was a little bummed that Loaded didn't add a carbon fiber layer to tail of this board like they did with the Fattail and the Kanthaka. I feel like that would be a great way to add a little more durability to the board. However, that being said I always treat board I am reviewing terribly and intentionally try to beat them up and the Poke really isn't showing much wear in the tail.
Setups
There are a couple recommended setups for Poke. I ended up receiving one of the most unique truck combinations I have ever ridden when the Poke landed on my doorstep.
Carver Trucks
The aforementioned setup is a Carver CX.4 and C2.4 truck combination. Which is a traditional kingpin truck in the back and a reverse kingpin truck in the front. This setup is really trippy at first, but after you get used to it you won't want to try anything else (at least for pumping and carving). This is the setup for pumping. I have never been able to pump a board so easily or been so freaking agile. You can turn in a complete circle in less than the space of an average parking spot. This truck combination is super fun, but really weird to ride in reverse, so if you hit a 180 slide or a shove it your ride is going to feel wonky.
For pumpy goodness I had my Carvers paired with some nice Orangatang 80a 4President wheels to get as much return possible from each carve/pump.
Paris 150mm
If you are someone, like myself, who really likes to hit 180 slides and tricks then you might want to consider going with a good ol' fashion set of Paris 150's. They are light and narrow which makes them great for flip tricks and spinning your board around in every direction possible. In addition you can still acutally pump the board really well with Paris trucks and some nice high rebound bushings, like Orangatang Nipples.
When rocking Paris 150's I went with a set of Orangatang 80a Fatfree wheel which are super light and easy to break into a slide.
180mm Reverse Kingpin Trucks
Slapping on a set of 180mm trucks gave Mr. Poke quite a different feel. You sacrifice a little bit of its agility for a more stable base. I really liked riding a set of Paris 180mm trucks with Orangatang Morongas on the Poke. This setup, I think, really lent itself to doing a little bit of freeride and gave me a more stable platform to stop down bigger tricks.
The Bottom Line
Would I recommend the Loaded Poke to a Friend?
I think that the Poke is a gnarly little thrasher that a ton of people would really enjoy, so yes I would. I think if you are looking for fast freeride or downhill you need to look elsewhere. Buuuut if you are looking for a fun little thrasher that can handle a variety of situations well then I would look at the Poke.
I think the Poke excels the most in both freestyle and commuting, but I don't think you need to separate the two disciplines while riding the poke. When I take the Poke to work, I'm not just pushing there, I am tricking and pumping and having a great time the whole way. My every day commute becomes an obstacle course of shred. The Poke gives you a nice marriage between freestyle and commute, I would say it is a "Free-muting" board, haha.
Thanks for Reading!!!
Have any questions, comments, concerns, hatemail, recipes, suggestions, portraits??
Send them my way!
Stay Awesome,
Wayne
how is compared to the kanthaka for carving and commuting goodness? I like the versatility of the kanthaka, but I'd need to be able to carve on it too... RKP Kanthaka vs Poke?
ReplyDeleteHey Davis,
DeleteI would say that either would be a great choice for carving and commuting. You are definitely right, the kanthaka is more versatile, but I think that the Poke is pretty awesome. If you are looking to do some fast freeride then I would consider the Kanthaka a little more, but if you are looking mostly for carving and commuting then go with the Poke!
Also check out my thoughts on the Kanthaka
http://www.longboard-life.com/2013/01/kicking-it-on-kanthaka-loaded-kanthaka.html?q=kanthaka
Hey! Thanks for the great review. I'm interested in buying the Poke with the Carver trucks for some great pumping. I'll be buying each part separately, so I wanted to know if the Carver CX trucks were the 5.0" or 6.5" size? Thanks man!
ReplyDeleteHey Carolocaaa,
DeleteI am not 100% sure but I believe that they are the 6.5" trucks
Thanks for reading!!!
Hi awesome review! I live in Amsterdam and looking for a smooth longboard to city commute, carve and pump. It would be nice if it could ollie up a curb too. I've read both of you're reviews of the Poke and the Fattail. Which one would you recommend?
ReplyDeleteHey Tjuna,
DeleteI think that either choice would suit your needs just fine.
The fattail give you a lot of return on each carve, with all its flexiness which is nice for cruising through town. It's tails are a little more suited to tiger claw than ollies (although you can ollie it)
The Poke is nice because it is so compact. It is definitely a little more ollie-able and I like the stiffness for dropping down stairs and stuff.
I think it all comes down to preference, think about whether you want something along the lines of a flexy carver or a compact thrasher
Hope this helped!!
Wayne
Hey Wayne, first off I would just like to say how much I appreciate your dope reviews, considering how much they help. Keep up the good work! I'm majorly interested in the Poke as it is going to be my go-to longboard in college. I'm looking for a killer commuting freestyle board that I can have fun with & thrash around San Francisco and i feel that the Poke offers that, but I was worried that the big hills would be a little too harsh (if you haven't been to SF there is usually crazy traffic and cars that randomly pop up outta no where.) So all in all would you recommend this board for going down super steep areas if needed be and if so how does my set up look? Paris 150s Bone Red Bearings and Purple O.Tang Morongas
ReplyDeleteHey Ace!
DeleteThanks!!! I'm glad you're stoked on the reviews, more coming!!!
I haven't personally been to SF but I have heard about the hills. I think if you are interested in a Poke you have remember that it wasn't meant for downhill. However, I think if you aren't trying to go too fast then it should suit you just fine. I really like taking it to the hills around here!
You may want to consider a board that was built to go a little faster if you plan on hitting the steeps regularly. The Loaded Kanthaka is still pretty sick for commuting and freestyle, but a little more manageable at speed.
As far as recommendations go, I think if I were you I would definitely go with a paris 180mm truck and not a 150, it will add a little more stability to the setup for all those gnarly hills. Morongas are super fun and slidey so if you're into slides they would be a good way to go. I would also consider Orangatang fatfrees because they are a little lighter, which is great for freestyley goodness
Hope this helps!!!
Wayne
awesome review. you really gave me a feel for the board. my question is, as someone whos civiche was stolen a few years back, would you recommend this OVER a civiche? i REAAAAALLLY loved my civiche before it got stolen, and im debating finding one on ebay or craigslist, instead of just buying a new poke. what do you think? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHey Doug,
DeleteI have ridden both and I think that the Poke is an improvement on the ceviche in pretty much every way. You will love this deck if you liked the older model
ok man, ill take your word for it! thanks for the review and the response!
DeleteIf want a board for cruising around town and riding freestyle, would this be the board for me?
ReplyDeleteI think that this would be a great choice. If you are interested in board dancing at all maybe look at something a little bigger like a Dervish Sama
Deletehttp://www.longboard-life.com/2012/05/whirling-twirling-dervishsama-loaded.html?q=Dervish
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletehave you ridden it with carver c7's?
ReplyDeleteGreat review, thank you. I have it with Paris 180mm right now, as the stock 150mm got bent when the Poke was ran over by a bus. The board is in perfect condition though. I want to buy a set of Carvers, but I'd like to go for the CV top mount instead of the CX, more specific the 7.5" width, seeing as they'll fit on my other boards too. and my question is: would it be a fair assumption that the CV is to the CX like the Paris 180 is to the 150? Meaning a bit less agile but nevertheless a fun ride that retains all the Carver truck characteristics? Thank you for your time and keep up the good work!
ReplyDeletethat trucks are using pictures to orange and purple wheels are?
ReplyDeleteI have a poke with 180 trucks and orangatang the kilmer 83a, it's a good setup for fast download and do some slide?
Greetings from Buenos Aires, Argentina
Hey Fernando!
DeleteThe orange wheels are 70mm 80a Orangatang 4Presidents and the purple wheels are 72.5mm 83a Orangatang Morongas
The poke wasn't really designed for fast downhill, but 83a kilmers are a great wheel for sliding on this deck :)
Wayne
I dont know if I should choose paris 150's or 180's? I will certainly cruise around, but I still want to have the opportunity to do some nice slides in quite some speed and freeriding.
ReplyDeleteAlso you can slide with the hands just as easy right? e.g pendy/coleman variations.
Hey either would work just fine, but i think i would go with 180mm trucks if I were looking to some sliding on this deck
DeleteHi Wayne, I love your reviews. I was looking at the poke for awhile now. I have been longboarding for about a year now and I'm still kind of a noob at it. I was wondering if you would recommend the Poke for basic commuting and cruising, but also for learning how to do ollies for getting on and off sidewalks. Or if would there would be a better board that fitted my style? I live in a small town but plan on going to college in the city next year. If there was a board, what set up would you recommend? You're expertise would be greatly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteHey JJ,
DeleteSorry for the late response, but I think the poke is a super fun board for getting through town. It's light and nimble for sure.
If you are super serious about doing a ton of ollies I might recommend the Loaded Kanthaka (there is a review of it on this site) or the Bustin YoFace series (there is a YoFace 39 review on here too), both are slightly more ollie-able but still fun for commuting
Again, the Poke is a great choice for commuting, but those are just a couple other options I might recommend
Hope this helps!!
Do you think that Durians will fit together with Bear 852?
ReplyDeleteHey Wayne, I'm wondering what size wheels would you recommend with Paris 150s on the Poke. I'm looking to do light freeriding, commuting and some freestyle. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYvonne
Hey Wayne, I was wondering if the paris 150's or the 180's would be better for doing some carving, light sliding, commuting, and tricks. I only have enough money saved up to buy either the 150's or the 180's so which one would be better?
ReplyDeleteHey Wayne, I was wondering if the paris 150's or the 180's would be better for doing some carving, light sliding, commuting, and tricks. I only have enough money saved up to buy either the 150's or the 180's so which one would be better?
ReplyDeleteHey man! I have a poke and was wondering if you could help me with something. I find the board a little hard to steer sometimes. What's your opinion about this? Would you recommend raisers to make this easier? I'm rocking the 150mm setup you described above. Hope you can help me man :) thanks!
ReplyDelete