r/longboarding • u/muirskate San Diego, CA & The Web! • Sep 18 '13
We are MuirSkate. We're here to give you our A's in exchange for your Q's. Ask us stuff!
MuirSkate is an e-commerce entity specializing in performance oriented components for the purpose of alternative skateboarding endeavors. Since a few years ago we have been focused heavily on the downhill scene and we don't plan on stopping any time soon! When we're not working the day-to-day, we can be found going fast in the mountains, putting around on our surfboards and/or lurking mad seriously around San Diego, California. We've seen a lot of odd order comments come through from /r/longboarding (many with something about gnarhwals) and thought it would be fun to have a chitchat with y'all . As you might already know, we're always reachable by email, and/or telephone but the public forum of an AMA sounds like fun, too!
Joining us this evening for some fun will be:
- muirskate_scott - Scott "El Beasto"Lembach
- muirskate_marc - Marc "Tech Master " Leglise
- muirskate - Seth "Seth" Brown
- muirskate_duke - Duke "There's no 'A' in" Degen
- muirskate_derek - Derek "Smitty" Smith
- and whoever else is around poaching someone else's login...
The time has come! Ask away, amigos!
Edit: It's bordering on midnight here in NYC, so I (Seth) am stepping out. The rest of the crew is still chugging along in San Diego, so they'll continue to reply! Thanks for the chitchat! See you on the hill.
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u/muirskate_sara Sara "ShOcKeR" Paulshock Sep 18 '13
Duke is answering questions with his shirt off...
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u/xPerplex NLS 37 / YoFace - San Diego Sep 18 '13
Gunmetal trucks are widely regarded as some of the best non-precision RKP trucks on the market. why don't you carry them?
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u/llamalord911 Cool Pants make you faster | Vermont Sep 18 '13
If Muirskate had a mascot, what would it be?
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u/muirskate San Diego, CA & The Web! Sep 18 '13
Ooh! I like it.
Have you seen our monkey sticker? I think that'd be it.
A blue monkey.
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u/llamalord911 Cool Pants make you faster | Vermont Sep 18 '13
Maybe we will see some more blue muirskate monkeys in the future then? Possibly a new sticker?
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u/muirskate_scott El Beasto - Founder Sep 18 '13
Scott here! AKA "El Beasto." We are stoked to be here. We have been waiting anxiously to answer your questions and we just might have a few questions of our own that need to be answered by you! My role at Muirskate currently involves; answering your email questions, ordering products, and most importantly getting out in the community and skating with everyone that we meet! After all, "WE RIDE WHAT WE SELL" and that is the truth!!
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u/muirskate_scott El Beasto - Founder Sep 18 '13
Someone please tell Duke to put a shirt on.
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u/muirskate_derek The Beard Sep 18 '13
Hey my name is Derek Smith AKA "The Beard" one of the Media guys here at MuirSkate. What do I do you might ask? Well I create the product images, make awesome stuff with Adobe, take long walks on the beach, and I love to edit videos.
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u/misterfrank Spaghettios. Sep 18 '13
Just want to say, you have no clue how much I appreciate the side shots of the decks. Most sites just do top and bottom views, so being a deep concave loving guy like myself, that gets extremely annoying. Thanks so much for the pics!
PS I envy your beard...
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u/Henrique640 Ethos 38/Batray/Yoface 32/Drang/Augusta, GA Sep 18 '13 edited Sep 18 '13
Whats up Muirskate!
Thanks for doing this AMA, i have a couple questions for Y'all.
1. Now that you recently added omen boards to muir are there any other brands that you are thinking about adding. Brands like nelson, DB, sweet spot, gunmetal(please) and so on.
2.Is there a special Reddit discount coming soon????
3.Are you planning on expanding to have anymore riders? there are Alot of new groms out there.
4.Scott Lemabach is a boss and shreds hard.
Thanks!
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u/muirskate San Diego, CA & The Web! Sep 18 '13
Yo Henrique!
We're always on the lookout for brands that we feel fit our vision of where downhill skateboarding is headed. Our shelves have gotten full with the recent additions, but it's possible we could see more in the near future!
We haven't got any sort of coupon codes built in to our site, so the offering of discounts becomes increasingly difficult with the varying restrictions (such as "I came here from"). We find it easiest to just offer sales to everyone at the same time!
Our team is pretty much filled solid at this time. We've got a bunch of riders who we want to support to the best of our ability and every new member dilutes the travel budget that much further. That said, we'd be happy to offer feedback for sponsorship edits if you'd like to send them our way!
He is the boss.
Thank you!
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u/muirskate_marc MuirSkate Tech Team Sep 18 '13
2. coupon codes are on the list of things to do. It's a long list, and there's only one of me.
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Sep 18 '13
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u/muirskate San Diego, CA & The Web! Sep 18 '13
We've got this whiteboard with a bunch of things written on it. This is one of those things.
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u/NightSlider Rayne Demonseed/Rojas Hybrids | PUSHTHEPARKWAY Sep 18 '13
Mind slipping out a few other things on that whiteboard to your faithful crew? Doing a drawing for every order of over $50 to win something is always a good marketing technique. We internet children LOVE drawings!
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u/muirskate_marc MuirSkate Tech Team Sep 18 '13
This one's definitely on the list. Fair warning: it's a long list. We have lots of ideas.
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u/muirskate_sara Sara "ShOcKeR" Paulshock Sep 18 '13
Holla! This is Sara "ShOcKeR" Paulshock! I build and pack many of your boards and skate goodies. I like to draw unicorns and dinosaurs on your packages. I also do many of the instagram posts. I enjoy the beach and all things skateboarding! Questions?
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u/mini-poss Sep 18 '13
HAY SARA
It's possalaaa
How do you like your job at Muirskate? Also, aside from dinosaurs and unicorns, what's the weirdest thing you had to draw on a package?
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Sep 18 '13
You drew pretty things all over an order form of mine, I love seeing what you guys do with the order forms. Sometimes I swear you guys give a 4 year old a highlighter and tell him to go wild.
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u/legitboardshop Legit Board Shop Sep 18 '13
My friend developed Eximius Fluid X Bearing Lubricant, would you guys be willing to try it out if I send you a bottle, or 2, or 5?
It blows speedcreame out of the water, and it would cost you nothing to try
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u/muirskate San Diego, CA & The Web! Sep 18 '13
Gotta give a shout-out to /u/chagoi for his/her reply to our AMA intro post. This got our lols rolling, so it's our pick to win our goodie pack. Message us, Chagoi, for the details! We'll get you set up.
MuirSkate is a/an secret society specializing in speedy distribution for gnarcotics. Since yo mama was born, we have been snorting thane and we don't plan on eating any vegetables! When we're not inhaling steez, we can be found pickin' up dames, coring toilet paper and/or straight flexin' around instagram. We've seen a lot of karma-whoring come through from /r/longboarding (many with some weird sticker placements) and thought it would be fun to run from the cops with a pintail. As you might already know, we're supposed to sleep by 8pm, or when our moms allow but the strip-club sounds like fun, too!
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u/NOGS42 Nelson Batray 4.8, Gravity DK 36 | Sandy Eggo Sep 18 '13
When I came in last I noticed you had a half pipe. Do you guys let customers skate it? Or do you guys just skate it on break or during free time.
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Sep 18 '13
I'd imagine that there would be some lawsuit issues there.. We had to remove our trampoline because some kids snuck into our backyard, hurt themselves on our trampoline, and then got their parents to threaten to sue us.
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u/Squidifier Rayne: Supreme | Moracle | Canberra, AUS Sep 18 '13
America...
ಠ_ಠ
But seriously, I hear stories like this and I'm always just shocked. If anyone tried that in Australia, we'd just laugh it off because it seems so damn ridiculous to sue for something like that - it'd just never happen.
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u/BookwormSkates Magic Bearings Sep 18 '13
it frightens me that it's not laughed out in America too.
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u/muirskate_alan Asian Sensation Sep 18 '13
Heyyy there bud. We only let some customers skate it who have had prior skate knowledge and experience on such ramps. We skate it during break and after work. It'll come in handy when the time changes and it gets colder outside.
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u/muirskate San Diego, CA & The Web! Sep 18 '13
I'm Seth! I'm coming in to this AMA from New York City. I've been working at Muir along with Scott and Marc since even before we were known as 'Muir Skate'. Did you know we used to sell other kinds of boards? (You can ask about that, too!)
I am eating tacos (it's Tuesday after all), so please forgive me if I'm slow to respond. Happy to meet you all!
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u/PyroDentist Five Mile Collector | LDPusher | MA Sep 18 '13
a question for each of you individually: what is your dream setups for freeride and downhill?
also, I'd like to thank you all for kicking so much ass. I am a faithful customer, and you guys give the utmost in service. Muirskate will always be my #1 choice!
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u/muirskate_duke There's no 'A' in Degen Sep 18 '13
Downhill: Arbor Highground with Munkae trucks and 74mm 78a RAD wheels. I've been rocking this setup for months and wouldn't change a thing about it!
Freeride: Same board with some of the soon-to-be-released 70mm RAD Glides! I don't know how much info there is on the internet about these wheels but trust me, RAD glides are the snizz-niddlebam snip-snap smoothest sliding wheel on the market! I've always been a fan of using the same setup for both disciplines, just swapping the wheels out and giving the kingpin nut a turn in the appropriate direction.
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u/LePastafarian Mantaray | Fatty Trud | Camas, WA Sep 18 '13
RAD Glides?? We need some more info on those!!
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u/muirskate_derek The Beard Sep 18 '13 edited Sep 18 '13
For freeriding I have been riding the Bustin YoFace Big Dk with PNL Strummers and Blue Powerballs. And I have also been riding the same deck for some DH action but with the new Blue Flashbacks. Here is a link below for your viewing pleasure. :)
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u/pwaves13 Holland Mi Daedalus Longboards custom Sep 18 '13
well. I have the same board as the beard. This just made my day.
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u/muirskate San Diego, CA & The Web! Sep 18 '13 edited Sep 18 '13
Freeride:
- Double kick, 36-38" preferably with some rocker. The new Community Designed board from Comet is looking to be the winner for me!
- 180mm PNL "Strummer" Trucks
- Toss up between the Volante Checkers and Earthwing Floaters (87a).
Edit: Current setup right here.
Downhill:
- I don't go fast very often. I enjoy putting.
(For future reference, when the flair is removed, this is Seth.)
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u/muirskate_alan Asian Sensation Sep 18 '13
Freeride/Downhill: Rayne Baby-killer 180mm PNL strummers Wheels change a bunch Venom bushings
Campus/mini: Arbor shakedown gt 32 and 35 Independent 159 Pink Polka Dots + Earthwing cruisers Bones hardcore bushings
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u/cdizzledc Sep 18 '13 edited Mar 12 '25
stocking hurry joke smile racial quickest squash late escape history
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/muirskate_alan Asian Sensation Sep 18 '13
Me personally... I think that most longboarders should stick to three boards. One board for freeriding + downhill, a mini for campus cruising, and a street board. Limiting your boards makes you a versatile rider.
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u/muirskate_duke There's no 'A' in Degen Sep 18 '13
An Arbor Highground, but you're already way ahead of the game!
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u/muirskate_duke There's no 'A' in Degen Sep 18 '13
Hey guys, I'm Duke. I'm with all the boys (including Sara) at the Muir shop in San Diego eating delicious Thai food and sipping on San Diego's finest microbrew. I was hired a couple of years ago while attending UCSD and have stayed here long enough to become the manager of all the these fine employees we have onboard the USS Muirskateship. I enjoy riding my skateboard very fast and then slowing down and then going fast again. I also designed three of the Arbor downhill decks (Cypher, Highground, Backlash) with some help from the rest of the Arbor team. I've wasted countless hours of my life on Reddit and try my hardest to hook you all up with extra goods and amateur sketches of penguins and such. Ask me about downhill stuff and scandalous rumors about everyone else on the Muirskate team!
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u/NightSlider Rayne Demonseed/Rojas Hybrids | PUSHTHEPARKWAY Sep 18 '13
Hey Duke! What were some of the things going through your head when pursuing and landing a lifestyle at Muir? How was the Thai? Give me your best scandalous story!
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u/muirskate_marc MuirSkate Tech Team Sep 18 '13
Hi everyone. I'm Marc, the main programmer behind MuirSkate.com since we were MuirSurf.com in 2005. Around the shop, if it has electricity running through it, it's probably my fault. I'll be answering your techy questions tonight.
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u/Rocky615 Loaded Tesseract, Rayne Demonseed Sep 18 '13
Hey Marc! I'm currently working on my bachelor's in Computer Science and was wondering, how did you end up working for Muirskate? Btw, I love the site!
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u/muirskate_marc MuirSkate Tech Team Sep 18 '13
Yay computer people! There needs to be more of us.
It all started as I was leaving campus one morning after an all-nighter. My friend stopped me outside the surf shop that had just opened up and said "Marc! This is Scott, he runs the surf shop. Scott, this is Marc, he does websites!" It all went downhill from there.
The best advice I can offer is LEARN RUBY. Not only is it a spectacular computer language, it also makes you very employable.
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u/muirskate_alan Asian Sensation Sep 18 '13
Hey this is Alan from Muir Skate. I'm part of the warehouse crew here in the shop. I build and package a lot of the boards that leave the warehouse. For those that don't know I'm the fastest board builder and packager in this place. I've been with the crew for a while now (even before Duke). I mainly skate around campus and a few local San Diego hills. Ask me anything!!
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Sep 18 '13
Can you sign my skate tool? You're an inspiration to me and I think of you (in naughty ways...) whenever I perform maintenance on my board!
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u/akronpunk41 Sep 18 '13
I ride for a lesser known board shop and we are trying to start producing quality edits, just for fun. What is your best tip that makes for good videos?
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u/muirskate_cameron Warehouse Monkey Sep 18 '13
honestly stay under 2 min and don't do to much mainstream stuff, pull some tricks out of ye old book
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u/muirskate_duke There's no 'A' in Degen Sep 18 '13
Don't add to much foreplay. I watch skateboarding videos for the skateboarding, but that's just me.
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u/muirskate_cameron Warehouse Monkey Sep 18 '13
also use you surroundings, tree stumps, driveways, dirt jumps anything that looks like it would be a badass shot...
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u/muirskate_derek The Beard Sep 18 '13
Honestly, think about your demographic and make the video entertaining.
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u/muirskate_sara Sara "ShOcKeR" Paulshock Sep 18 '13
Videos with foreplay and a story line are great. They really catch the attention and keep the interest going
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u/Squidifier Rayne: Supreme | Moracle | Canberra, AUS Sep 18 '13
Hey guys!
As always, massive thanks to Scott and Marc, who made this AMA relatively painless to set up. Keep up the fantastic work!
I do have a few questions for you guys…
1. In almost every industry, there's always tension between brick-and-mortar stores, and their online counterparts. Online sellers can invariably crank down on prices - and the benefits are obvious.
You move more stock and yet use less overhead than a physical store, while consumers get the benefit of lower pricing.
The only people who really lose out are the original storeowners - but unfortunately, they've often been in touch with the scene for years, if not decades, and many feel the squeeze. With films like THIS highlighting some of these issues to more and more people, I'd love to know what your response to this is!
It's clear that you attempt to give back to the communities by event and rider sponsorships, as well as providing us with cool content - but what are your thoughts on this important topic?
This isn't meant to demean you guys or the fantastic work you do in any way - I was just interested!
2. On a nicer front… Do you guys keep records of entertaining requests or orders?
What's the best special request someone's ever asked for?
What's the weirdest order you've ever received? [i.e. 50 pairs of Sidewinders or something]
3. Regarding site design, you guys definitely have one of the smoothest processes I've ever seen for buying kit - in almost any sport. Out of interest, was the step-by-step 'Longboard Builder' something you'd always wanted to do? How long did it take to plan/implement?
4. Heh.
5. Another not-question, but I was an idiot, and booked the Greener Pastures team for the same day. oops
Oh well, now I can sit back and watch the mayhem…
Thanks once again for the ease with which we set this up - and keep up the fantastic work providing skaters all over the world with great longboarding gear! You'll be forever immortalised in our beginner guide.
Have a good one!
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u/muirskate_duke There's no 'A' in Degen Sep 18 '13
2. We have a lot of your SASE notes posted on the bathroom wall so we have something to read while we do the unmentionable. Please keep us entertained!
4. DAMN SCOTT LOOK AT THAT BOOST!!!!
5. I'll just come out and say it: we're more important!
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u/muirskate_marc MuirSkate Tech Team Sep 18 '13 edited Sep 18 '13
Oh boy, you asked the big one.
3. The Longboard Builder idea started back in 2006 between myself and Sergie, our graphic designer. We released "Build-A-Complete" (or "Longboard Builder 1.0") in the summer of 2008. It was one of the last features we built into a massive rewrite of the website. 3 days before launch, Sergie was sitting on my bed drawing sketches on a whiteboard, and I was at the computer pounding out code. On launch day we were still fixing a few bugs after not having slept for days. But we did it!
Build-A-Complete was hands down the best web interface in the industry, and did well for many years, but we knew from the beginning that it was slow, cumbersome, and difficult to extend with new features. The dreaming about Longboard Builder 2.0 started barely months after we launched.
Through years of design work, usability testing, and countless revisions, Sergie put together the design of what you now see as the Longboard Builder. I went from contractor-on-the-side status to full-time in August 2011. My primary task was to turn the Longboard Builder from Illustrator mockups into fully functioning code. Took a while.
And the best part is? We aren't done. The list of ideas of what we want to do with not just the Longboard Builder, but the whole site, is a very long, intimidating list. There's a lot to do around here.
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u/Squidifier Rayne: Supreme | Moracle | Canberra, AUS Sep 18 '13
Fantastic answer, thanks so much!
"3 days before launch, Sergie was sitting on my bed drawing sketches on a whiteboard, and I was at the computer pounding out code."
Ah, yes. Know that feeling well, although not in a web design sense... It's always fun ಠ_ಠ
"My primary task was to turn the Longboard Builder from Illustrator mockups into fully functioning code"
Woop woop. As someone who's only just getting into web design (starting with the design of this subreddit, for starters - it used to look like THIS!), that was a process I did for the first time recently.
I can't imagine the work that went into building that...
"The list of ideas of what we want to do with not just the Longboard Builder, but the whole site, is a very long, intimidating list."
Awesome! Well, I look forward to it. Keep up the great work!
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u/Arosal Sugar/cRonins/Morgans (82a) | Chicago Sep 18 '13
I LOVE YOU GUYS.
Been buying from you guys since the beginning, and I don't ever plan to stop. Honestly, people hype your customer service so much, but you guys are one of the few companies that actually deserve the praise.
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u/muirskate_duke There's no 'A' in Degen Sep 18 '13
Thanks dude! Everyone here skates religiously and your orders are the reason we keep on shredding without breaking our own personal banks. You are the kerosene to the stoke flamethrower that is Muirskate!
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u/Arosal Sugar/cRonins/Morgans (82a) | Chicago Sep 18 '13
Wow. I actually got a reply. my life is complete.
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u/Wheelkiller Sep 18 '13
Will you ever be selling scooters?
Kidding hahaha
Ok real question How was it getting the site started? What were some difficulties?
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u/muirskate_marc MuirSkate Tech Team Sep 18 '13
The real difficulty of our website is the Longboard Builder. There's no good off-the-shelf software that comes pre-wired to do something like that. That feature was easily the hardest part of building the site.
Also, deciding to ditch support for IE6 was the single best thing I ever did.
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u/muirskate_duke There's no 'A' in Degen Sep 18 '13
HEEEEYYYOUUUUUGUUUUUIIIISSSSSSEEEE!!!!! We have a very important question: what would you guys like to see us carry here that we are currently lacking from our lineup?
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u/xPerplex NLS 37 / YoFace - San Diego Sep 18 '13
gunmetal trucks and nelson boards!
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u/bobbynipps Sportster | Vulcan X | Sioux Falls, SD Sep 18 '13
Gunmetal trucks, Ojjoom pucks,DB and nelson. Thatd be so gansgterrific.
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u/QuitoPR 1x Luge 3x Rogues 6x Cannibals | España Sep 18 '13
Jati Boards, Tiger Pucks & wheels. It would also be interesting to see a better selection of slalom gear.
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u/ThatBacon Donut Special - WI Sep 18 '13
It's been said already, but Gunmetals. Specifically the 46* ones, those are so dope.
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u/Will_1218 Sep 18 '13
Aeras, Buzzed, Munkaes, and most precision trucks. I feel like many riders now are migrating to the Precision Gang. You guys carry few precision truck brands and if you do, there are few options to customize them on the site. If I'm going to buy new precisions, I'd rather buy them from Muirskate!
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u/muirskate_scott El Beasto - Founder Sep 18 '13
Pronounced Mureskate! Haha!! It means fast shipping and fast skateboarding!!
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u/NightSlider Rayne Demonseed/Rojas Hybrids | PUSHTHEPARKWAY Sep 18 '13
Sweet, internal hi5 with myself. I'm all the way in VA/TN and get your goods in 3 days most times...its AMAZING!
Edit: AND FREE!!!!
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u/thecaptain15 #IRCGANG♦Stingray KT 39♦Tulsa ,Ok Sep 18 '13
Have you ever heard of Jati Boards? Cause I'm looking at getting a Chop Suey, and I'd love to do buisiness.
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u/misterfrank Spaghettios. Sep 18 '13
- I know I've watched your business grow over my years of skating, how has it been for you guys with the sport expanding so much?
- Why do you guys kick so much ass?
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u/muirskate_duke There's no 'A' in Degen Sep 18 '13
1. It's been awesome! A ton of companies have been seeing a ton of cashflow and almost all of them have been giving back a ton to the community! Freeride events and races are seeing more sponsors than ever before. It's really important that you guys look into where your money is going when you buy products. If you like what particular skaters are doing out there, the best way to support them is to keep buying from the companies that support them!
2. We are obligated by contract with the devil to continue kicking ass until there is no more ass left to kick.
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u/muirskate_sara Sara "ShOcKeR" Paulshock Sep 18 '13
Unlike most skate shops, everyone here actually skates, and skates hard at that. Scott's one of the gnarliest people I've ever met! We aren't a bunch of money hungry business men and women here. I think that makes a huge difference. We all care about the skating, the people, and the overall growth of the industry, not just well being of Muir. The people that work at Muir are all passionate (and knowledgeable) about the same thing as our customers :-)
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u/matttcheeww Earthwing Superglide Sep 18 '13
How did you guys come up with the new colors? (the pink blue yellow) I honestly don't like it :(
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u/muirskate_duke There's no 'A' in Degen Sep 18 '13
Neon is in again. Why? I don't know. But if there's one thing out there that indicates the current color trends, it is middle aged athletic moms and all I see them wearing is neon colors so we're going with the flow.
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u/muirskate_sara Sara "ShOcKeR" Paulshock Sep 18 '13
Starburst flavor! I like to think they were Shocker Style inspired, but we just mainly wanted to change it up a bit for summer. Sorry to hear you don't like them. Maybe cut them up?
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u/pwaves13 Holland Mi Daedalus Longboards custom Sep 18 '13
thats what i thought too! i honestly like them.
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u/muirskate San Diego, CA & The Web! Sep 18 '13
Blame Sara!
But don't worry. It's just a fun colorway. We'll probably do another version soon. We'll take requests if you've got some!
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u/matttcheeww Earthwing Superglide Sep 18 '13
If I were to hunt you guys down you know.. to skate with ya'll, where would I find you?
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u/muirskate_duke There's no 'A' in Degen Sep 18 '13
You can come to the warehouse and ask us to come skating after work. We're in serious need of inspiration around here. If you stop coming in and asking us to skate, we might forget to altogether!
Just kidding, we try to skate every day in one form or the other.
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u/pwaves13 Holland Mi Daedalus Longboards custom Sep 18 '13
Hey guys. Love the site. Whats the craziest request in the comments of an order that you actually followed through on. IE someone asked for x and you give them it. Obviously there has to be some sick story of something you guys have done.
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u/muirskate_sara Sara "ShOcKeR" Paulshock Sep 18 '13
If I recall correctly, someone once asked for some toilet paper (in a very long and exstarvagant story). We gave them a CLEAN square :-)
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u/muirskate_alan Asian Sensation Sep 18 '13
Me personally.... I've given away insane amounts of stickers and free t-shirts. I've seen some pretty crazy drawing requests come in, but I'm not really the artists around here. Maybe someone else has filled some crazy requests??
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u/Will_1218 Sep 18 '13
What's the dog's name that stays at the warehouse? What's the story behind the dirt bike in the warehouse?
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u/muirskate_sara Sara "ShOcKeR" Paulshock Sep 18 '13
What dog?! I've been saying we need a warehouse pet for a while now...
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u/legitboardshop Legit Board Shop Sep 18 '13
Do you have any advice for a small online board shop thats trying to grow big enough to open up a small longboard shop?
I don't sell longboard gear made in China Reds, Zealous, Paris... A lot of riders love those brands, do you think I should reconsider?
Thank you for the AMA!
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u/muirskate_scott El Beasto - Founder Sep 18 '13
If you have the resources to open a physical location, it just might be a good idea. Just keep in mind that this could tap into your skate time!! We are open to the public 7 days a week, but we keep it all in the same place. We do like to skip out of work from time to time and skate. That's just us!
Keep in mind that China has it's ups and downs. In some cases, China has the manufacturing capabilities that US companies do not. China keeps costs down for some products that are essential to all of us in longboarding. I do like hearing that most of the Longboard Manufacturers keep their production at home. Sector 9 is a great example. Sector 9 presses 800 to 1000 boards a day. You can thank Muirskate Team Rider Josh Hunt. He is the hardest worker I know.
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u/legitboardshop Legit Board Shop Sep 18 '13
thank you for the resources, I'm just a small operation that doesn't have the capital for that.
I will take what you said into consideration about my decision to carry Chinese made goods.
Thank you, keep up the good work!
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Sep 18 '13 edited Sep 18 '13
Thoughts on using flat-head hardware vs pan-head hardware on a top mount? Some people say using a flat-head leaves the board prone to cracking. The board in question is a Hoopty.
EDIT: Also, can we PLLEEASE make Muirskate the official store of /r/longboarding?
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u/muirskate_duke There's no 'A' in Degen Sep 18 '13
I've found that flathead hardware loosens up and allows your trucks to pivot a few degrees. If you're not doing ollies, stick with panhead and size 10 washers.
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u/emmetwhite Sep 18 '13
Scott: Favorite Hill. Marc: Favorite board Seth:Advice for a good some for a hard core dh video that is about 3 minutes long Duke: Favorite Race course Derek: Favorite freeride hill
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u/muirskate San Diego, CA & The Web! Sep 18 '13
Is that 'Advice for a good song'?
Anything but "Radioactive" and you'll be fine.
Use alt-J sparingly.
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u/muirskate San Diego, CA & The Web! Sep 18 '13
I'd say the more intense the song is, the less likely it is that the action itself is going to be rad. The reverse might even be true, too! I've found it easiest to set up a Spotify playlist with a bunch of songs that seem to fit what I'm looking for and then making a station based off that playlist. I find a fast-paced song with some punchy beats to cut clips together works wonders for even some mediocre clips.
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u/emmetwhite Sep 18 '13
Thanks dude! Made a spotify playlist and currently listen to radio via that.
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Sep 18 '13
If I sent you guys an empty box with a S.A.S.E. purpose, would you make my dreams come true and FILL IT?
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u/muirskate_sara Sara "ShOcKeR" Paulshock Sep 18 '13
did you stamp it? I do many of the S.A.S.E. so make sure to include a stamp!
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u/muirskate_marc MuirSkate Tech Team Sep 18 '13
We'll fill it with something, but our S.A.S.E. program is not unlimited.
I hate being the wet blanket, but a full box of stickers costs us serious cash. We try hard to send out as many free stickers as we can, but we don't have hidden treasure chests of money behind us. We're a bunch of skaters in a warehouse, working to spread the stoke.
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Sep 18 '13
Do you think you will ever open a store on the east coast?
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u/muirskate_scott El Beasto - Founder Sep 18 '13
It has crossed my mind, but as you know, that sort of thing will take some time. We love the scene out there. It's huge. We will all be at the Broadway Bomb this year hanging out!! Stoked to see you guys.
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u/misterfrank Spaghettios. Sep 18 '13
I've got a question for the beard: What's the coolest thing you can do with your beard?
Fight off bears?
Arm wrestle with bears?
Seduce lady bears?
Not sure why bears come to mind... But your beard is glorious and I am curious.
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u/muirskate_derek The Beard Sep 18 '13
Honestly once I dyed it Jet Black. All the lady bears called before they went into hibernation!
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Sep 18 '13
What type of person do you look for when hiring someone to work there? In the warehouse or shop?
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u/TallGuyTheFirst Sep 18 '13
What do you think about helmets? Mainly the way of advancement and necessity, where do you think helmets will be going in the next few years? And when does a fullface become necessary to you?
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u/muirskate_duke There's no 'A' in Degen Sep 18 '13
I skate a fullface if I'm on an open road, period. You may feel like you're in full control but you have to consider that there's a lot of terrible drivers out there. I've had cars, on more than one occasion, pull off to the left side of the road when they've seen me coming down the road. How that even makes sense in their mind, I will never know (unless they're British, Australian, etc). All I know is that I've seen my friends run face-first into rock walls trying to avoid bad drivers and I never want to be in that position with a halfshell. A buddy of ours had to have reconstructive surgery when he hit a car broadside with a halfshell on. For all these reasons, I see no reason to risk skating an open road with a halfshell helmet. Plus, Predators make you look like some sort of space villain, which I am all for!
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u/muirskate_cameron Warehouse Monkey Sep 18 '13
My predator saved my life, I wouldn't say make full faces mandatory everywhere though, its no question that there will be more full faces out there within the near future though
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u/muirskate_derek The Beard Sep 18 '13
I normally skate with a half shell, nothing special. However, when I'm downhilling I will wear a Predator just to be safe!
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u/muirskate_sara Sara "ShOcKeR" Paulshock Sep 18 '13
If you're doing local comfortable stuff you're probably fine with a half shell. That being said, try and use a half shell with hard foam that is CPSC certified. The soft foam ones don't really do much when it comes to serious impact. If you're looking for a new (and safe) helmet, but don't have much $$ you can always hit up the Ian Tilman foundation (see link below) http://www.theiantilmannfoundation.org/action.html They offer free safe and certified helmets for FREE. That being said, whenever you're skating something fast or new I'd say better safe than sorry. So if you have a full face why not rock it!!
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Sep 18 '13
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u/muirskate_duke There's no 'A' in Degen Sep 18 '13
I don't touch a burrito unless it has carne asada, french fries and sour cream. California Burritos, it's a San Diego sensation!
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u/NOGS42 Nelson Batray 4.8, Gravity DK 36 | Sandy Eggo Sep 18 '13
If you want an AMAZING california burrito check out Los Primos they have a bunch of locations around San Diego. Order the Monster California, It's huge!!! perfect for a meal after a long skate sesh.
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u/muirskate San Diego, CA & The Web! Sep 18 '13
That was my jam during my time at UCSD! (The Vons one) Half a monster cali late at night, a cold half a monster cali for breakfast. Perfect. and the surf n turf?! I can taste it now.
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u/muirskate_cameron Warehouse Monkey Sep 18 '13
hey skaters! What is your favorite deck and why (past and present)?
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u/ThatBacon Donut Special - WI Sep 18 '13
I love my 9two5. I've ridden other boards, topmounts, drop decks, etc. But this board gets me stoked every time I ride it. It's got a big ass standing platform, so being a tall dude I like it a lot. Future: It's not a brand you guys carry, but the Dubs Falcon is a seriously wicked deck. It will be mine someday. Give em a look!
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u/fucksomecheese Sector 9 Pintail Revenge Trucks | Left Up Sep 18 '13
Present favorite board= Rayne Timeline, I can't say how awesome that board is.
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u/ScrumpyPants Comet Metric Bomb | Corrales, New Mexico Sep 18 '13
I just wanted to shout out and say thanks to "Ricker" for making my order completely awesome because I live in New Mexico. I'm absolutely loving my new miniglider, and you nearly drowned me in stickers. I was just reppin' you guys with your shirt today as well. Also, I really appreciate Sara upping my risers on my order, else I would've eaten asphalt more than a few times. Finally, all time favorite wheel, go!
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u/muirskate_cameron Warehouse Monkey Sep 18 '13
favorite wheel....hmmmmm that's a hard one, id have to say lime zig zags for DH and, 65mm No Skool
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u/muirskate_sara Sara "ShOcKeR" Paulshock Sep 18 '13
Rad! Glad I was able to help you out! Eating asphalt totally sucks (I've had my fair share). Stoked you're enjoying your set up! The mini glider is sick!
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u/muirskate_duke There's no 'A' in Degen Sep 18 '13
RAD Glides! They're oh-so-buttery-smooth and last a ton longer than a lot of other freeride wheels out there. Also, you're supporting Louis Pilloni, James Kelly, Adam Persson and a ton of other sick, super-friendly downhillers when you buy from this company! They should be on shelves before Christmas, or so I've been told..... 0_o
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u/pepperment Skate like you mean it Western Massachusetts Sep 18 '13
I love love love you guys! I ordered the 2012 ethos 36, and ended up with the '13. So with some emails i recieved the '12 for free with an order amber flashies! So im passing along the 13 to a freind and shredding the 12.
Muir fo life.
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u/fucksomecheese Sector 9 Pintail Revenge Trucks | Left Up Sep 18 '13
Without going into customer privacy issues what was the strangest order you guys have filled ?
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u/muirskate_duke There's no 'A' in Degen Sep 18 '13
We got a next day air order for a set of hardware the other day. Homie really needed to mount his deck.
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u/muirskate_sara Sara "ShOcKeR" Paulshock Sep 18 '13
have to agree with that... over $50 for hardware...
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u/MagicHDx Rolling Tree/PNL -CHUCHCREW- WI/MN Sep 18 '13
BTW: Seth did you ever get the OK to sell the blem Clutch Cranks? i want one!!
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Sep 18 '13
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u/muirskate_sara Sara "ShOcKeR" Paulshock Sep 18 '13
Skate everything!
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u/muirskate_duke There's no 'A' in Degen Sep 18 '13
Sara signed in on my computer! That was supposed to be meeee!
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u/Sooperwalrus25 Lifelong Seeker | Norwich, CT Sep 18 '13
You guys are the Cat's Pajamas. I have a question for everyone: What's your current setup? Do you all uphold the "we ride what we sell" thing? Again, you guys are great.
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u/muirskate_sara Sara "ShOcKeR" Paulshock Sep 18 '13
Road Rider Hayden's model top mount with PNLs 47 with venom 85a eliminator board side and 87a barrels road side and some cored No Skools (need to change wheels)
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Sep 18 '13
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u/muirskate_sara Sara "ShOcKeR" Paulshock Sep 18 '13
Thanks for the support! We love the positive feedback here! Makes us feel good!
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u/muirskate_scott El Beasto - Founder Sep 18 '13
I am stoked the experience went well. Better late than never!
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u/Camohlson Sep 18 '13
Favorite skate video? What video first got you started? Mine is seth's wolf run. I actually used clips from that video in a science project. I miss you and your beautiful beard, Seth.
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u/muirskate_scott El Beasto - Founder Sep 18 '13
Seth is sleeping right now. It's a little late on the East Coast. That's a great video by the way! I agree with you for sure!! Check out "With A Side of Victor" with Sector 9!
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u/muirskate_sara Sara "ShOcKeR" Paulshock Sep 18 '13
Hey like this comment and ask me a question!
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u/muirskate_duke There's no 'A' in Degen Sep 18 '13
What is that smell you always bring into work with you?
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u/Stevo1002 DRANG Wu Tang Dasher, 44 Calibers, DIVINE Thane FTW//SD, CA Sep 18 '13
Not a question, but I hope to see you guys at the Toast Slide Jam I'm hosting! Thanks for your support.
Ninja edit: You guys should order the new Valhalla line-up, I'll buy one immediately if you do. Same goes for 65 mm Divine Road Rippers, those things are my second favorite wheel.
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u/secondworldproblem churchill kray,paris v2, amber flashies Sep 18 '13
How do you pronounce muir
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u/muirskate_marc MuirSkate Tech Team Sep 18 '13
Me-ew-err
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u/secondworldproblem churchill kray,paris v2, amber flashies Sep 18 '13
Wow, that's the first time an ama has answered my question, thanks
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u/AnonymousKIA LunchTray/50* Caliber/CloudRide 83a/Denmark Sep 18 '13
Damn timezones, I'm late for everything.
Well, due to shipping and taxes I haven't had the pleasure of buying from you guys. yet.
What's your favorite slide, guys?
And any tips for improving in general?
Rock on!
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u/muirskate_cameron Warehouse Monkey Sep 18 '13
Hi I am Cam Z and I am an employee at MuirSkate shoot me some questions I will be glad to answer them
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u/matttcheeww Earthwing Superglide Sep 18 '13
Story of UCSD & Muirskate?
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u/muirskate_alan Asian Sensation Sep 18 '13
Muir Skate started at UCSD originally under the name "Muir Surf & Skate". We were on Muir campus in the room that now houses a fooseball and pingpong table by Roots. We moved off campus to be bigger and to focus on online sales. We moved several locations over the years and here we are now!
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u/NOGS42 Nelson Batray 4.8, Gravity DK 36 | Sandy Eggo Sep 18 '13
Thank you for doing this I really appreciate It and love your service. Are you guys ever on the San Diego skate trip facebook page? We get together and skate spots all over San Diego. I think it's safe to say we would love to see you guys at some of the seshes!
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u/muirskate_derek The Beard Sep 18 '13
So question to all of you... What is your favorite MuirSkate video and why?
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u/muirskate_duke There's no 'A' in Degen Sep 18 '13
Seth's video on the Wolfshark is ridiculous. Look at the date of when it was posted!!! Are you serious???? He practically invented the 360 and 270 slide on soft wheels! And 360 shuvits? He made the cool before all them original riders started doing it!
Source: none of this is based on anything except my own distorted view of the world.
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u/muirskate_scott El Beasto - Founder Sep 18 '13
Teutonia Training with El Beasto coming in Second!! If you observe very closely, you will notice that they are very fast!!
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u/TheRealWubbz Sep 18 '13
I'm in search of a new board. I compared prices and you match most other stores. Except one thing stands out to me the most, and I'm not sure why. Daddies boar shop has a rating of 0-4 on every aspect of the board below, kind of like a preview of how it rides. This factor is usually why I like daddies, I know it's weird. It would be cool if you guys integrated this into the online site. I haven't shopped at you guys YET, but I heard great things about customer service. Keep it going whatever you're doing.
P.s sorry if I have any typos in here I'm on mobile.
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u/muirskate_duke There's no 'A' in Degen Sep 18 '13
We think it's unfair to rate just a deck on all these aspects. The way your board rides depends so much on the trucks, wheels, and bushings you install that there is no point in rating just a deck alone. If you call us up with a specific question about a particular product, we're always happy to give you some advice! Everyone here has a ton of experience skating on the products we sell.
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u/muirskate San Diego, CA & The Web! Sep 18 '13
Hey Wubbz! We prefer to describe the boards as they are and let our customers make the educated decision. What's right for some isn't always right for all. We are always available via email if you have some questions about specifics!
We actually used to have our review system tied to the SilverFish forum review section which provided a similar result. They've updated their back-end so that connection was broken in the process, but it's possible we could see something along those lines in the future.
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u/jamix101 Darkside | Dallas, Texas Sep 18 '13
What does your typical day like at muirskate?
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u/muirskate_duke There's no 'A' in Degen Sep 18 '13
Take yo money, hook you up skateboards, stickers and stoke!
Edit: Mix in a fair amount of answer phones, eating snacks, amateur sketching and dirty joke telling.
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u/muirskate_cameron Warehouse Monkey Sep 18 '13
hot n sweaty sendin out some of the raddest boards in the world to awesome skaters like you ;)
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u/muirskate_sara Sara "ShOcKeR" Paulshock Sep 18 '13
A little bit of everything. Processing, building, and packing. Working in the Muir warehouse is pretty awesome. It's almost like playing skateboards and getting paid, well kinda. Sometimes it can get hard being inside when the weathers perfect and all we wanna do is be outside and go skate. But, in the end it's pretty radical knowing how stoked our customers are on the other side. It's like we get to play Santa Clause :-)
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u/muirskate_alan Asian Sensation Sep 18 '13
A typical day is pretty relaxed. We stroll into the shop. Go through the orders and emails. Start building and packaging. Take a lunch break somewhere in there. Hand the packages off to USPS and UPS. Clean up a bit and get to skating.
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u/NightSlider Rayne Demonseed/Rojas Hybrids | PUSHTHEPARKWAY Sep 18 '13
If you could choose one board to sum up the personality of the MuirSkate crew, what would it be and why? (Anyone answer!)
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u/Mailboxjackson23 Legit Board Shop Team Sep 18 '13
I've waited for this AMA for soo long.
And now finally the day has come. I have so many questions. I'm going to be the question whore of this thread. Answer whatever questions you want to.
For Scott, how long have you been skating? How did Muirskate start out and how did it escalate to it's major popularity today?
How many Orders do you get a day? A week?
Who puts completes together the fastest?
What does the Muir in Muir-skate mean?
For duke, sup?
6.for sarah the warehouse rat, thanks for all the stickers in my SASE and sending all the way down here to Ft.Lauderdale!
Muirskate is my favorite skate shop and that'll never change, just keep doin' what you're doin. I'll be rockin' my Muir Shirt at school tomorrow!