A very critical analysis of Denis Lynn’s current plank.
Welcome to our second instalment of Gear Check, where we break down the setups of your favourite skaters in order to find out what product is powering their present day skateboarding.
Following on from Bear Myles, we present to you the subject of issue 1’s Anecdotes feature, Mr Denis Lynn. It’s no secret that Denis' adventurous feet can’t stay settled in one place for any length of time, so it’ll be no surprise to you to learn that he’s very recently (as in yesterday) relocated to our nation’s capital, a city he’s previously dwelled in for various spells. With that in mind, here’s a critical analysis of the rig he’ll no doubt be using to terrorise London’s plethora of towering concrete monoliths over the coming weeks…
I think it’s fair to say that Denis doesn’t have any set board preference. Over the years he’s been spotted skating on any number of various deck silhouettes, and usually in quick succession to one another. In 2020 alone, he went from skating 8.38” to 8.5” popsicle numbers, to experimenting with shaped boards such as Sam Beckett’s pro board for Madness, and – more recently – an Enjoi cruiser that he somehow came into on his travels. Much to the presumed relief of his board sponsor, Denis’ wandering eye seems to have made its way back to The National Skateboard Co’s Winter 2020 range, as he can be seen here brandishing a well loved woodstain Logo Slant board that comes in at a hefty 8.75” wide.
The extra board width means more space for stickers, which is something that Denis feels very, very strongly about. The board graphic is partially obscured by an exceptionally precise Lost Art sticker job that probably cost Mackey somewhere in the region of about £20, and if you pay close attention to the nose, you can just about make out a handful of Palace Tri-Ferg stickers that were no doubt prised out of Tom Tanner during a recent visit.
Moving on to the undercarriage, those worn trucks you are looking at are unmistakably Independent Stage 11 159s. Independent trucks are a time-honoured mainstay of the industry for good reason; they’re solid, reliable, consistent, and – if you like your plank on the wide side, like Denis currently does – the 159s are perfectly suited to boards that sit between 8.6” and 8.9”. Recently, Denis has enjoyed nothing more than treating the M32 DIY spot’s wave to any number of lengthy grinds, and the combination of Indy 159s and 56mm Spitfire Formula Four wheels seems to be a perfect one when it comes to locking into grinds that are expected to start in Bristol, and end in nearby Bath. Upon his departure from Bristol earlier this week, Denis had not actually managed to successfully grind the whole 33 miles in one go, but he’d given it a good try.
Denis would also like it to be known that, despite the fact he’s currently running Spitfire Wheels, he is technically sponsored by Bones Wheels, and extends his gratitude to Alan Glass and everyone else at Shiner for their decade of support.
At the feet of Denis Lynn is not usually a place that mere mortals should wish to find themselves, but in this instance we can take a quick butchers at his current footwear choice before getting on our merry way.
Denis was first on the receiving end of some free Vans courtesy of Nic Powley back around 2010, and they’ve kept his talented feet protected from the elements for over a decade since. It’s probably correct to assume that, alongside the likes of Daryl Dominguez and Shaun Currie, Denis is one of the longest standing members of the UK Vans family, repeatedly earning shoes like these snazzy black and white Rowan Pros by bombarding the waiting world with his own brand of unpredictable skateboarding.
As the name suggests, these are the pro plimsoll of Baker Skateboards floppy lunatic Rowan Zorilla, featuring Vans’ signature PopCush footbeds, which help absorb some of the impact when you’re freefalling from the top of a nine-foot vert wall. The Rowans also boast of Duracap reinforced rubber underlays and a triple stitched toe piece, meaning that if you do decide to flip your board – as Denis himself occasionally does – then the griptape has an impossible amount of work to do if it’s hoping to expose your toes.
As you’d expect, the Rowans are hard wearing, timeless in appearance, and round off most 2021 ‘fits perfectly; especially if your trousers are Carhartt, like Denis’ are here.
So there you have it; take stock of what you’ve learnt here today and keep your eyes peeled for Denis’ board in action, as he no doubt sets about becoming reacquainted with the once familiar terrain of London over the course of the coming weeks.
Until next time…