Downhill: Speed is king

A young man in black clothing, slide gloves, and a full face helmet is standing on the top of a hill in The Alpes. He takes a determined look down the mountain and puts his foot on the board. From up here, the roads look like serpentines. He takes a deep breath and pushes off to gain speed. In a matter of minutes, he's racing down the steep slope, sliding through hairpin curves at more than 80km/h.

His name is Jens Verner Nielsen and he is among the top downhill riders in the competitive downhill world. As a pro rider, he travels all over Europe to conquer the steepest and curviest roads.

“Downhill gives a rush that's out of this world. Your head is empty. The focus is on the road and the rush in your head as you race down the mountain and through the hairpin turns is intense. The feeling is indescribable. You have to try it for yourself”, says Jens.

Jens uses a bamboo deck from Rayne. To ensure maximum stability and the best possible response, the deck is very stiff. Furthermore, the concave of the board “locks” Jens’ feet onto the deck, making him more stable when hitting high speeds.

The grip tape on Jens’ setup is the “Lokton” from Seismic. It’s a 36-grit super coarse grip tape for longboards and provides the rider with a superior grip. Furthermore, the roughness of the tape makes it extremely durable.

Jens uses a whole variety of wheels from RAD. The choice of the wheels depends on the roads he’s riding. He likes the range because they are durable and have a big and solid core.