With a nickname like “X-Games” and tendancy to focus heavily on hammers, it is easy to see where USD team rider Sam Crofts drew his inspiration from. You don’t have to know he is a huge Aaron Feinberg fan to see the similarities in the way both of them approach blading either.
This “go big or go home” mentality has brought Sam some attention in the past couple of years: through several quality street sections and some memorable contest performances, the stunts he laced have stuck in people’s mind and earned him a handful of well deserved sponsors.
After his recent move to Barcelona, where the UK transplant scored both a job as an English teacher and a section in Dustin Werbeski‘s upcoming THC video, it was just about time we caught up with Sam before he pops up all over your computer screens: this is his Blade Check.
Words: Freddy White
Interview: Kevin Chow
Photography: Dustin Werbeski
Boot: Montre Carbon free (Short back and sides edition.)
Wheels: Undercover Dual Densities.
Bearings: Powerslide ILQ 9
Frames: Kaltik Flat.
Liner: Montre Heat-Moldable.
Cuff: USD Carbon Hightops.
Buckle: USD Plastic.
Soul Plates: Xsjado 2.0
Backslide Plate: Xsjado 2.0
Describe your personal blade set up:
Suede, simple and sturdy.
What parts do you wear through the quickest:
Wheels and buckles, as and when. Also scuffed up toes, I have an annoying habit of kicking every step on the way down if I miss stair rails.
What part do you break most often:
Buckles.
Which parts are you paranoid about breaking:
Wheels. Barca hill bombs kill them.
What spares/tools do you keep in your backpack:
Allen keys, spare buckle, PB frames, wax, standard stuff.
Where do your parts go once you are done with them?
Give what’s left of them to anyone that’s happy to take them.
Flat or Freestyle:
Flat for sure.
Anything you plan to change on you current setup?
Nope, pretty set with the way things are. But anything that rattles is gone in a flash.
Do you skate different setups for different terrain?
Nope, 58mm flat handles business on all terrain. I have an 80mm PB set up for street beers, skitchin, the occasional boozy fishbrain, general night antics etc.
What was your very first skate setup?
Fisher-Price hah, they were pretty badass. Then several pairs of shitty Argos skates for playing hockey and finally got some Salomon St Juniors when I was about 10.
What was the best setup you’ve had to date?
I loved all my UFS Thrones. Simple, slim, sexy, no nonsense boots, they took so much abuse, I never broke a pair! But I guess it’s gotta be one of my pairs of Salomon’s, I skated them religiously for around 6 or 7 years. One pair in particular, my Minton 2’s: White shell, blacked out cuff and soft boot, black Night Hardware souls (low profile), 50/50 Sagona frames, Cozmo wheels, Higgs Bosons, Bones swiss bearings. Damn, those skates were the tits. And that was like 11 years ago!
Could you describe your dream setup?
Those Minton 2’s I just described, but with my current frame/wheel set up.
Follow Sam on Instagram: instagram.com/sam_crafty
Watch him rip on the blades: be-mag.com/?s=sam+crofts
Check out more Blade Checks: be-mag.com/category/article/blade-check
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