Boutique cruising carvers – MAH Mendo Boards land paddle review

MAH Mendo Boards are custom made by Bobby Mendo and look the bomb, there’s no question about that – the level of finishing, with varnished top coat allowing wood reveal, is simply stunning. As such these sleds wouldn’t look out of place hanging on a lounge wall, above a fireplace, or in a bedroom (if your missus would let you!).

We got our grubbies on four MAH rides to put through their paces – single drop carver, double drop carver, bullet cruisier and barefoot rider.

Carving style

If you’re after pure carving style from your land paddle board then the single and double drop decks would be the ones. Both bring your centre of gravity closer to the tarmac and deliver a very ‘up close and personal’ riding experience. With terra firma that is.

Cranking turns this low instils a sense of speed and momentum that you don’t normally get from higher riding boards. The heavy duty trucks, bolted firmly to each end, are super durable and will take knocks like you wouldn’t believe – the only downside is the weight.

Wheels and bearings on both the single and double drop carvers are oversized and built for rolling. Longer boards will cover distance more efficiently but these two beauties also chew the miles up if needed. For our money, however, it’s their carving attributes which win out and they’re great for perfecting slides, hard tail squirts and mimicking slashy surf moves.

Warp speed cruising

The MAH bullet cruiser is a svelte looking beast that rides a lot higher than the two carvers. As such its momentum carries a little further and is great for meandering along promenades and redlining it to the beach along tarmacked streets.

Standing further forward yields the best riding position with narrow tapered tail helping to reduce drag and funnel air along the board’s length. Aerodynamic land paddle kit has never looked so sexy!

Trucks and wheels are, as with the carver duo, super high end and designed to roll and roll, which they do. We found it better to ride this stick with a slightly longer cruising paddle. For sure, you can carve and rip it up on the bullet but it’s much better at nailing distance skates or even straight line sprints. If a regular race series ever pops up in the UK then it’s this would be our choice for race comps.

Old school bare footin’

MAH’s bare foot longboard cruiser is a thing of beauty. OK, we’ve said that about all these land paddle boards, but seriously, the big daddy of the bunch almost displays an ‘it’d be criminal to ride her’ attitude.

With smooth deck it’s definitely worth kicking off those shoes as grip is superior with skin on glassed wood. Gaining momentum with this stick requires some effort as it’s a beast. Once moving, however, you can cross step, drop knee and walk the plank all day long.

As with the bullet it’d be worth using a slightly long paddle to give more oomph and get you moving efficiently. Slight inclines in land topography also help keep momentum with the bare footer – hills maybe cheating slightly with land paddling but, hey, it’s all good fun right? Trucks and wheels are top drawer and if you plumped for a board like this you’d be the envy of all your mates!

Conclusion

Superb quality, immaculate finish and a bespoke feel makes MAH boards extremely desirable. Our picks of the bunch is the double drop carver and bullet cruiser – both designed for slightly different jobs. That said, any of these land paddle boards would be welcome in all sweeper collections – we’ve no doubt. You just have to choose your flavour or why not go the whole hog and nab ‘em all…

Price: On request due to fluctuating exchange rate.

Info: Contact Russ Lees for sales enquiries – 01189791231 or 07788210909