Today’s product review is on the Landyachtz El Peligro, Dane Hannas pro model. This board is both eye-catching and controversial – the most narrow slalom DH board option on the market.
Though it hasn’t physically been in the hands of many, many internet detectives, ghost riders, and people who’ve never actually ridden it say it is too narrow. But is that actually true? Check out the review to learn more.
Specs
- Length – 31.6inches
- Width – 8.3(ish)inches
- It’s an optical illusion that the width changes. It stays the same between the flares.
- Wheelbase – 21.5inches
- Construction – 9 plys of maple, sandwiched by two plys of Carbon.
- Where made? Canada Eh!
- Concave features – Wheel flares in front, rocker, mellow W
- Flush mounting – 1/4inch deep
- Price – $265.99
Dane Hanna
Who is Dane Hanna
Dane Hanna is the rider to whom the El Peligro belongs. It was designed around his specifications and to suit him as a rider.
He presently rides for Don’t Trip trucks, Roger Bros. Cuei Wheels, and Landyachtz longboards.
Dane is one of Canadas best downhill skateboarders. A threat at every race he attends, he is a formidable racer on the track and one of the favourites for the IDF/GGA Championship in 2022 (should he choose to race). His races are always enjoyable to watch.
Landyachtz El Peligro Review
Summary
The Landyachtz El Peligro has quickly become a favourite of mine. The board is insanely comfortable and ergonomic. The concave is minimal, with only the wheel flares at the front really being actual concave features – the other features are so mellow that it wouldn’t be right to fully count them as such.
When it comes to the width, yes the El Peligro is narrow, and that may or may not affect you depending on your riding style. For me it did, it had an effect. But with a bit of tweaking to my riding style, I was able to adapt to the board and make it work great for me – but there was a frustrating period of trial and error. And key point, just because I had some issues with it, doesn’t mean that will be the same for you. More on this below.
Altogether I think the El Peligro is a great board that a ton of riders will enjoy. Yes, the width might be a point of contention, but I do not think it will be an issue for most riders.
How I have my El Peligro setup
- Trucks – Bear 2020 Smokies 50/20 (would also run Rogues on it in a similar way)
- Bushings (Venom HPF)
- Front – 73/78a
- Back – 95/97a
- Washers
- Front – Flat RS, No washer BS
- Back – Cupped RS, No washer BS
- Risers – 1/8th
- Wheels – Cheetahs primarily – tested with various (Cueis, Slide Perfect Fluxx)
- Bearings – Bear Spaceball bearings/SMB/Zealous etc.
- Footstop – Netherskate.co Mini i/o knock-off or Roger Bros Daggers rule footstop.
- Griptape – Lokton Solid sheets. 36grit front, 60grit back.
- Concave Mod – Slide Perfect Lever wedge
Is it too narrow?
Let’s kick it off with the most asked question. Is the El Peligro too narrow?
Short answer – it’s complicated … and perhaps I’m being overly pedantic in my ‘analysis’. But here is why.
As far as performance and the results of my riding goes, the width doesn’t affect it that much. I’ve been able to skate very well with the board how it is.
However, I feel the narrowness and the shape of the board isn’t suited to my riding style. In turn, this affects my confidence and I haven’t been able to fully send it on this board and skate with 100% confidence.
In summary, no it doesn’t fully affect performance – I can still ride it well. However, I am not fully confident on board. So yes it does affect it, but not that much.
I want to be clear that though this is an issue that affects me as a rider, it might not necessarily affect you as you might have a different riding style, better lower body mobility, etc. More on this below.
I ride all my boards like this btw
I know some of you are gonna be cheeky and highlight this image of my heel hanging off the El Peligro, but I assure you, I skate all my boards like that …
So is the El Peligro too narrow?
After testing the board with a bunch of trucks, and setting it up similar to other boards I have – Smokies & Rogues on the Landyachtz Small Blind, and then the same setup (+ risers to counter flush) on the El Peligro. I have concluded that the narrowness is an issue (for me) with heelside stuff.
So why is the width an issue? How is it different from other boards?
The board is a consistent 8.3inch width. With most boards, they start narrow where your toes go, but they usually taper to a wider width over where your heels sit. For example, the Small Blind is 7inches at the leading mounting holes at the front, but is 8.5inches over the trailing mounting holes at the front, and gets even wider as you go down the board (to a max width of 9.25inch at the middle). It’s about 9inches wide where your heels go and this gives you a lot of leverage over your trucks for heelside stuff.
The El Peligro has a consistent width of 8.3inches throughout the board. On the same undercarriage setup (trucks, wheels, bushings, etc.), you will have less heelside leverage on the El Peligro than on the Small Blind.
So, what issues did I have with heelside stuff?
I could never get my heelside slides to feel perfect. My front foot would always lift and sometimes I couldn’t get the board to rotate as quickly heelside (or dive as quickly) as I would have liked. I never got those snappy hookups and smooth, controllable break-outs into the slide as I did with the Small Blind.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with the board – I think my riding style is simply not suited for it – I’m too used to riding boards that are a lot wider around that point of the board – I believe my riding style has naturally developed around those types of boards.
Also, I don’t have very good lower body flexibility (never have), so that might play a part in some way.
However, when I did switch around my riding style a bit, I was able to get a lot better performance with heelside stuff. Here is what I did.
Riding style fix
I had to sit into the board and get locked in before kicking it out into the slide or turning heelside. It’s almost like I had to pre-load the board – No more sudden dives and no pre carving. Just sitting into the board.
And through this, I was able to get my foot fully flat and get the board to have those crisp, controlled break outs into the slide, and those smooth, crips hookups. Video example below for an illustration of this.
*The video doesn’t illustrate it as clearly as I want it to. I hope it’s good enough for y’all to understand though …
Though this fix has worked for me, it’s meant being conscious of how I skate. It has been a bit difficult to manage, as my skating is built around fixed habits at this point, but it does work. Though it’s been inconsistent – with me getting some great feeling slides sometimes and sketchy ones the other times. It’s a solution I can use and adapt to with time.
And as I write this review, one solution that I didn’t try that MIGHT have fixed this, would have been going with a 45 plate instead of the 50. I’m broke of rn so I can’t try it, but will be in the near future. This will just make the front lean a bit more, making it easier to sit on it with my front foot and keep it flat … that’s the theory at least anyway.
How much did this heelside thing affect me?
Not that much and quite a bit. I just felt a lack of control going into and coming out of slides. The hookups weren’t sometimes as controlled and as crisp as I would have liked them to be – I’m used to a very specific feel and when my setup doesn’t feel that way I lose confidence.
However, I have put down some of the best laps of my life on some of the gnarliest roads I have ever skated. So maybe it doesn’t matter at all that it doesn’t feel perfect?
But I will say this, that smidge of lack of confidence has prevented me from absolutely sending it and pushing my skating closer to my limits. There are lines I didn’t take, and straights I didn’t tuck because I wasn’t fully confident I would not be able to slow down in a controlled way, the way I liked.
Perhaps I’m relying too much on having this “feel” … it’s a complicated one for sure.
Will this affect you as well?
It boils down to your riding style. Danger Dane and loads of other riders send it on this board. Dane is able to compete at the highest level and win races with it.
So maybe it won’t affect you. That said, I do think with a couple more weeks/months on this board I could be pretty comfortable and consistent on it with these changes to my riding style. It’s just a matter of building new habits around it … and who knows, maybe this whole thing can make me a better skater – as I have been skating pretty well with this board otherwise and only this specific thing is holding me back.
Quicker heel-toe action?
I have to say, I still had to shift my feet to get really nice transitions from heelside to toeside slides, or heelside to toeside maneuvers.
This isn’t to say the board isn’t good for that, but rather that I’m not good at that. I have to find the sweet spot for each position so I can’t transition super quick.
However, it did feel easier to shift from toeside to heelside and vice versa with my back foot. I really like how narrow the board is back there.
How does the flush mounting affect the ride?
You get a 1/4inch worth of flush mounting on this board. In riding, this translates to more stability.
You have less height over your trucks so you have less leverage and your input into the trucks is feathered out a bit. Aka, every movement you make will be transferred into the trucks a little less intense. The feedback from the trucks won’t be as strong as well.
In practice, the setup felt more solid over chunder, rougher roads, and anywhere where the trucks would be more twitchy or would provide feedback as a result of the road conditions.
As a result, I felt very confident going fast on this board – I’d take it 70mph for real …
Finally, it felt easier to put a puck down to slide, and the transition from gripping to slipping felt a bit smoother and more controlled … on some wheels. But generally coming out of a slide was less intense. I always got smoother hookups.
Did the flush mounting negatively affect the ride?
But that lack of leverage affected my ride negatively – I sometimes couldn’t get the board to turn enough, or rather as quickly as I would have liked. I had to be more controlled and deliberate with my entry into corners/into slides, and with my input into the board to get it to react to me.
The slides were also affected – particularly on wheels like the Cueis. I couldn’t sit on top of my board enough and get them to slide smoothly. They just felt aggressive, uncontrollable and would chatter a bunch.
I used an 1/8inch riser and I was able to get a considerable better feel. I still got the advantages of the flush, but not as many of the disadvantages – the board turned in quicker, and the slides on the Cueis were smoother overall.
But with Rogues, I couldn’t get them to feel very nice without a 1/4inch riser that would negate the flush completely. The Rogues just didn’t feel very nice on the flush mounting.
Flush means more freedom with angles you can run
I enjoyed playing around with wedge risers on this board. I run 3* risers (for 53/23 angles) and it was quite nice. Running wedges and not getting too tall of riding height was super nice.
Though I’m currently riding the deck on 50/20*, I’ll probably run the 53/23 setup and try to get used to it after this review.
Simply being able to explore loads of angles (I might even try 55/20 at some point) is extremely valuable. I believe every DH board should have flush mounting to allow you to explore more with angles just to give you that extra bit of room to dial your board.
Slalom DH boards + flush mounting?
Most slalom DH boards do not have flush mounting, or if they do it’s usually very small. I believe this is because you need a decent amount of leverage with slalom DH trucks.
Most people who run the 2020 Slalom Rogue trucks do so with risers. With too much of a flush (even like 1/8th tbh) they just feel too stiff and don’t perform at their best (with the standard 73/78a, 95/97a and 93/95a inserts) … I might be reaching a bit with this theory, but yeah, you need a decent amount of leverage with these type of trucks.
I didn’t encounter this issue as much with the Smokies though (they worked ok with the 1/8th inch riser), but with the new insert, that might change things.
Stable as a rock?
I do also think the rocker aids in adding some stability to the ride. I don’t think it adds as much as the flush mounting as the rocker isn’t incredibly deep, but it does have an effect. It may play a part in making the hookup and release into slides smoother as well.
How does the concave feel?
The concave is generally very mellow and very comfortable. The pictures online are misleading. You can barely feel any of the features. Only the wheel flares at the front are apparent underfoot.
At the front
Raised flares that lock in your toes and are nice to push against for toesides and tuck leaning. The concave and rails under your heel are pretty mellow, is comfortable to stand on and push your heel into. No W under your front foot.
At the back
There is W but it is so mellow it might as well not be there. The flares at the back are so mellow as well … the board is essentially flat back there and doesn’t have any real features.
*This picture isn’t the best representation of the back concave and I’m sure my beat-up torque block makes it look even more confusing. But this is the best I can provide for now without actually taking apart my torque block and showing the naked board.
And it makes sense why the concave back there is so mellow. Dane does use a torque block and says you should run a torque block on this board. With the torque block locking him in at the back, he has no need for any concave.
I was able to confidently run this board without a torque block though. You might be able to do the same. I had freebrake soles and 36grit Lokton keeping me locked in, and I was able to send it. I am used to flat boards and not having any reference points at the back though, so your experience may vary.
So the W …
Bruh, the W might as well not be there, it’s soo mellow. I’d say, don’t buy this board if you expect to use the W for your toesides, I don’t think it will lock you in much or at all tbh. If you do want to use the W, you might have to add a concave mod or two to make it a bit more aggressive.
The board is super comfortable
But yeah, this board is pretty comfortable to skate. The rails are very mellow (a big plus). My feet never once felt uncomfortable or awkward – in reference to the concave.
Should you run this board with a torque block?
Yes. Especially if you have trouble with finding a sweet spot for your back foot, or feeling like your back foot is lost at speed.
Having a torque block at the back or some sort of concave mod will let you know where your back foot is at. It can be quite nice actually (very confidence-inspiring) and is probably the move for most riders. I’ll say it one more time, the concave at the back is seriously flat.
Great for riders of all stances
The El Peligro has mellow concave that doesn’t force your feet to go anywhere really. You essentially have the full length of the board to stand on. So whether you have a long or short stance, you can get comfy on this board.
Deep wheel wells, flares, and wheelbite
You get a 1/4inch deep wheel wells on this board. The flares at the front also help a bit preventing wheelbite.
If you test for wheelbite when static (on big 77mm wheels), you’ll get it. But when riding at moderate speeds (+25mph), not likely.
Is it stiff?
Yes. Tiiiny bit of flex (in comparison to the Small Blind), but pretty stiff still. You don’t get deep wheel wells and flush mounting without some flex …
Construction is solid – made in Canada
It’s made in Kimberly BC at the Berkley Factory! Every Canadian DH skater I’ve talked to swears by the quality of boards coming out of that workshop. Canadians don’t lie so you know it’s good.
It it high-quality?
The board and construction are of high-quality. Mine took a 60kph+ impact with an object going about 40kph in the opposite direction and only really chipped a bit at the wheel wells, which are the weakest points of the board anyway. It’s totally fine otherwise.
Cool feature
You get a bit more of board at the back which prevents the back of your trucks from scraping the ground when you kick the board up. Not that important of a feature, but helps keep your trucks fresh.
Clutch if you ever want to resell them.
Best trucks and wheels for Landyachtz El Peligro?
This setup will work best with narrow, slalom DH trucks and big wheels. It is not a freeride setup. Setting it up any other way would be running it inappropriately.
For example, the board won’t work well for speed unless you run it on trucks with a big split (eg. 50/20), otherwise, you will get wobbles super easy on that tight 21.5inch wheelbase.
In terms of the width of trucks, anything about 120mm and narrower will be fine. If you’re gonna be riding narrower wheels, maybe trucks a bit wider than 120mm can be ok.
What I didn’t like about the El Peligro …
OK maybe it’s a bit narrow
I’ve skated some of Kenya’s gnarliest roads on this board, and taken insane lines on all my local spots. It’s fine. It does the job and it does it well.
But an 1/8th inch wider and my heel won’t feel so left out haha. 8.5inches might be the sweet spot … at least for me.
Who is the Landyachtz El Peligro right for?
The El Peligro might be right for you if:
- You are psychologically prepared for a narrower board
- You want a high-quality board
- Dane Hanna is your favorite rider
- You want a comfortable Small DH board
- You want a DH board with a lot of flush mounting
- If my review makes it sound appealing to you.
Who shouldn’t buy the El Peligro
You shouldn’t get the El Peligro if:
- If you don’t have trucks designed for a slalom board
- If you’re not ready for a narrow board.
Where to buy the El Peligro?
You can buy the Landyachtz El Peligro here at the Stoked Ride shop.
You can also buy the El Peligro here at Landyachtz.com. Use “AroniSkate&Explore15” for 10% off.
What do you think? Is the Landyachtz El Peligro right for you?
I think for the right rider this board would be amazing – and probably for most riders tbh. It’s really hard to know whether or not the issues I had will be the issues others have. I’d say a lot of the challenges I’ve had generally skating, aren’t the same others experience, so take my experience with a grain of salt.
Big thanks to all my patrons for the support – Jed, Mowgii, Jan, Josh, Jay, Bryan, Owen, Samil, Daniel, Alex, Kasajja, Leah, Helge, DeLacoste, Connor, Josh, Mike, Anthony, Ismail, and Justin. I couldn’t write articles like this without you guys’ support