You’re on your way to work or school or your friend’s house. Wherever you’re going, you want to get there swiftly and with ease. You want your transport to be easy both during your ride and once you arrive. The Ember mini is the longboard commuter’s deck of choice to make it happen, and if it isn’t, you’re missing out! Other mini cruiser longboards sport anywhere from 55mm to 65mm wheels, leaving riders vulnerable to cracks and rocks. They usually have tiny wheelbases (usually 14 to 16 inches), making them fun at walking speeds but highly unstable once you’re going fast. Our Ember commuter longboard can fit up to 85mm wheels with ease and sports a 25-inch wheelbase. And the dropped platform puts skaters low to the ground, making pushing more energy efficient, increasing stability and helping to make foot braking easier and safer.
The Ember is the skateboarder’s longboard. At 32.75 inches long and 8.5 inches wide, it is nearly the same size as a street deck. It is designed around street trucks, also known as traditional kingpin (TKP) trucks, and fits huge wheels, wheelbite free. This little cruiser will stuff in most lockers or under your desk with ease. It is easily the best mini commuter longboard possible for short to mid-distance rides, from the time to step on it til you’ve stuffed it away and moved on with your day.
Riding the Ember – Mini Commuter Longboard with Giant Wheels
At its core, the Ember is a tightly packaged large wheeled mini longboard. It’s super low to the ground, and the streamline design around 149mm trucks make for more efficient and effective pushing by keeping the center of gravity closer to the body during each push. Riders will experience an enhanced feeling of safety and security, and you will glide on the Ember unlike any board you’ve tried before. As a mini longboard, expect to be faster, more energy efficient, and experience more confidence on the Ember. This isn’t marketing mumbo jumbo. It’s science! Commuter boards should be low and slim for maximum efficiency, and their size should reflect what you are willing to manage.
Because the deck is specifically designed around street trucks, you stand closer to the wheels, where you have the most control and leverage. No other commuter longboard is made this way, because almost any other longboard with similar characteristics will be built to support RKP trucks. The axle placement between these two styles is very different, and it matters for the way your board rides. We designed our Trip double drop longboard with RKPs in mind. The Ember, however, is built to maximize the interface between STREET trucks, your feet, and your board. It fits a ton of ride capability into a truly tiny mini longboard package. For a real idea of the stance and ride, watch this Pantheon Ember Commuter Longboard Video and see it in action!
Setup Advice
The Ember is the street skater’s commuter longboard. It fits perfectly around 149mm street trucks. We prefer this board with Paris Street 149mm, though you are welcome to use any street truck you want. Paris just have THAT FEEL, and this isn’t any favoritism being played here, though we clearly picked one. Paris are the trucks that we can push the hardest with the best balance and turn the best off of one foot, which is imperative for a true commuter longboard. If you can’t steer the thing, you’re going to end up running into someone or something. In that case, a low cost mini longboard that you can actually control is a great investment on many fronts!
Big wheels are key for any commuter board. Every truck we have ridden on this board has worked with stock bushings without bite. We routinely ride 85mm Orangatang Caguamas and Seismic 85mm Speed Vents with great success. While the wheels get very close to the board, this is our intention. It has tight tolerances like a modern sports car. No offense to drivers who prefer to swim on the road, but that’s not what the Ember is for. This is a modern commuter skateboard with tight, reactive suspension and tons of control. Compared to other mini cruisers on the road, the Ember flies by them all.
Specs:
Length – 32.75 inches
Wheelbase – 25 inches
Width – 8.5 inches
Drop – 3/4 inch crescent
Rocker – 1/4 inch