The Bongo Board Review
Dateline: 16 March 2001
From basic stance to advanced progressions and skateboard style tricks the Bongo Board will challenge and improve your skills - resulting in better agility, maneuverability and performance.
If you're a skater it's a given that you won't have any trouble mastering the Bongo Board, but you can still use it for fine tuning and strength training. Most everything I've read on it insists you're going to fall at the outset, but when I tried it I didn't even come close. It only took a second to figure how to distribute the weight symmetrically about the roller and half a bit longer than that to do it for an extended length of time. But therein lies the key.
The trick is not in the balance per se but in the extended endurance thereof. How long can you keep it going and what can you do while you're up there? Balance training is a fundamental component of skateboarding and this tool is ideal for using heel to toe pressure and a steady equilibrium to tone muscles used to maintain stability, and in teaching the proper distribution of body weight to achieve a necessary constancy.
Of course, nothing takes the place of actually getting out on your skateboard but there are always times this is impossible. If it's raining out, or cold, or too hot or you've already been out you can use it before settling in and while watching television. Or maybe take it to the office. Stuff like that.
I would also recommend using it to warm up before skating as it will get you focused and prepare your muscles to go out. This is ideal as the Bongo Board is a proprioceptive device, meaning it promotes the body's internal mechanism for enhancing muscular movement which call on "memories" stored in the muscles, bones and connective tissues to repeat performance when needed.
This design is the safest there is as it incorporates the use of a kind of safety bungy cord that holds the roller to the base of the board and keeps it all together. For more technical tricks on the board this can always be removed and many skate style tricks are possible. Tricks like shuvits, grabs, and kickflips are within the reach of experienced users. But the less advanced can also use the set in the pursuit of flip perfection by removing the roller altogether and using the upper deck to practice the same types of tricks on the flatground. Only do this on the carpet though as you wouldn't want to wreck the base. This actually beats practicing on a blank because the undercarriage adds an extra weight to the board that will enable you to get a better feel for the real thing.
One tip: Never try this in your sock feet. The board is equipped with two five inch strips of grip that are taped right about where the truck bolts should be but that won't keep you from sliding around and unneccesarily knocking your ankles into oblivion so keeps those feet in your sneaks.
Two tip: Start out on the carpet. The less friction on your surface, the faster the roller is going to roll and the easier you're going to slide. You can always move it to the linoleum later but to start out try a rug.
Red tip: Don't use it while eating, you're liable to stab yourself in the eye with your fork.
Blue tip: If your legs are tuckered out try some upper body training by performing some pushups on the deck. This is much harder than it looks and the stronger your upper body, the higher you can jump later on.
Overall, I'd give The Bongo Board a 9-1/2 out of 10 for its purpose, minus half a point because one of the bearing covers slipped off the very first time I tried it. Not a big deal, though, the rest of thing is rock solid.

Independently rotating urethane wheel system utilizing sealed ball bearings for maximum maneuverability on any surface - both in and outdoors.
Skate style deck with kicktails and a minute amount of factory applied grip tape
High impact ABS thermoplastic uniframe undercarriage
Elastic retaining strap for safety and transport

The Bongo Board is a product of KZT Sports
2463 Winsted Road
Torrington, CT 06790
Toll Free: 888-226-7431
Fax: 860-496-9647
info@balance-boards.com
http://balance-boards.com/