Powell Peralta Snakes

Specs:

• Height: 69 or 66mm
• Contact Patch: 38mm
• Duro: 75a SSF 
• Skin: Stone Ground
• Core: Centerset

Design:

Powell Peralta stepped into the freeride game with the Snakes, which feature the Soft Slide Formula (SSF), center set H5 core and it comes in four colors: red, green, white, black. Last summer these wheels took the freeride scene by storm, because they are fast, long lasting, consistent across pavements and offers several color options for those looking to match everything.

The contact patch starts at 38mm and gets wider as the wheel wears and I think this is important to know because that means the wheel will get a tad bit grippier as it wears down. This seems to help counter act the common problem of worn down freeride wheels getting too icy or inconsistent as the get close to the core. I also think it helps the rider build more and more confidence because they can continue to go faster as the wheel gets wider.

Evidence of the stress test Powell does on their wheels

The H5 core, shared among all the Powell Wheels besides the cruisers, are bonded to the core. This is good for two reasons. One, it means you get more urethane to skate to the core and two, they should never break away from the core.

Downhill:

There are videos of Byron Essert, Josh Neuman and other Powell boys doing fast sendy runs on them, but just know now that these are freeride wheels and can slide forever. Would not recommend for downhill, unless you are a true sendy boy!

Freeride:

The Snakes are essentially the perfect freeride wheel because they last a long time, consistent across a variety of pavements, don't honk even in the coldest weather, leave enough thane to get your grom side excited and match every setup. To top it off you can pick them up for $42!

I personally ride a lot of square lip or grippy freeride wheels because I don't like how a lot of slidey freeride wheels have a weak or undefined hookup/breakout. However, Snakes are able to create a very floaty hookup/breakout point and you are never really worried about it. I will say the breakout is a rather different than most wheels, I never quite had a wheel like Snakes that require so little effort to break a slide out and just hold it forever and not worry about icing out.

Snakes also inspire so much confidence because they are so forgiving and don't flat spot. Not only was I able to push my slides further and gain more confidence in switch slides, but I was also able to teach my friend all the basic slides in one session on a set of Snakes. The Snakes help experienced or new riders push their limits and I think everyone will appreciate that about Snakes.

Snakes are great freeride wheels and the meet all the hype they received.

Slide:

Like I mentioned earlier the wheel have a slide that is pretty unique to itself. The slide is definitely on top of the pavement and is icy to an extent, but still somehow is able to retain a defined hookup/breakout. They are similar to the new Remember formula you find in the 74a Hoots or 76a Optimos, but feature a bit more feedback or pushback from the road while sliding.

Conclusion:

Powell Peralta's Snakes are some amazing freeride wheels and will meet pretty much everyone's expectations. To top it all off, a set of wheels is only $42, so you won't go broke anytime soon on these wheels. I highly recommend them for those learning and anyone who wants to push their freeride game a bit further.

Head over to SkateWareHouse to grab you set of Snake and step up your freeride game!

Pros: Cheap at $42, Multiple Colors, Solid/Fast Core, Consistent in a Variety of Temperatures and on Roads, Leave Some Thane

Cons: Slide is Relatively Icy, May Chunk on Chunder (but this seems to be addressed with a recent update to the formula)

Side Note:

Powell is has more formulas for Snakes, but they are either currently unavailable or they did a limited beta. Here are a couple formulas to look forward too:

  • Grippy Snakes came in red and they wore very quickly, thane a good amount, but grip hard. (I have a beta set and may review them in the future).
  • Pasters Snakes come in orange and are grippy snakes but in a harder duro of 78a. They are currently testing them right now (May 2018) and have not released any beta wheels yet. 
  • Dragon Skin Snakes have been in the testing phase for at least 6 months and don't have a release date yet. They are basically an enhanced SSF formula that's even more durable with a greater stopping power. 

Proto Pasters on the left and Grippy Snakes above