You Need Nubs

This article started out to be a pros and cons piece about nubs. Like the great fin debate, it seemed there had to be someone out there who didn’t like nubs.  We were going to talk to some riders who love them, and some who don’t. But after several phone calls to riders who aren’t known for their lock in tricks, we realized something. Everyone agrees that nubs are changing wakeskating for the better.

“I think they are pretty cool,” Matt Manzari said. So why haven’t we seen Matt use them? “I am somewhat lazy when it comes to doing stuff on my wakeskate,” he explained. “If someone came up to me and said do you mind if I put awesome nubs on your board, I would be into it. We’ve been having fun on rails for the last 150 years but I am sure I would have more fun if I could do noseslides I would have more fun.”

His partner in crime, Reed Hansen, agreed. “I like the lock in stuff, I like the fact you can turn in and being able to snap out of stuff.”

But George Daniels really summed up why nubs are one of the best things to happen to wakeskating since the winch. “It brings more to the table of wakeskating. There’s more tricks to be done and a variety of styles to be had.”

With that, we didn’t even need to talk to the Ben Horan’s or Russell Brightwell’s of the world. It was settled, if you haven’t tried out any of the lock in devices out there, you should. You can even start today by fashioning your own ghetto nubs using ping pong balls and epoxy, ala Aron Gore.

To make them:

1. Cut the ping pong balls about 2/3 of the way down.

2. Fill the bigger half with epoxy and put it on the board, spreading epoxy all around it so it’ll stick really well. This will take pretty much a whole tube of epoxy to fill the ping pong balls then you want another tube to do the outside to attach the balls to the board.

But be warned, you can use all the epoxy in the world and they’ll probably still break off. At that point though, we know you’ll be hooked, so check out many of the professionally made nubs on the market.

Oak Udders
MSRP $29.95
The pitch:  structurally reinforced with steel inserts, constructed with the same materials as bowling balls, harder skate wheels. Designed for noseblunts,crooks or whatever you can throw at them

Devotid Skate Bumps
MSRP $15
The pitch: Molded tough plastic, 1/4-20 Hardwear

Signature Skate Nubs
MSRP $20
The Pitch: The signature skate nub is 100% HDPE and is great for nose slides and lock in tricks.

Integrity Lipsticks
MSRP: $15
The pitch: 08 A Durometer urethane, low drag hydro dynamic shape for easy and predictable approach. Can be used for every aspect of riding (wake to wake, flats, etc.) Can be mounted either way 45 degree in front or back depending on your rail riding style…

Now get out there and lock into some rails!