Just spent a few hours on this Totem for the first time. Last year I spent the whole year skating a Dugout, and that was my first board of any kind. I’m quite new to this, but last year alone I would estimate a total of ~8 hours per week on average for a total of about 175 to 200 hours over the ~6 months of good weather. So that’s where my reference point is, when discussing the Totem Paradise.
My example arrived with the 155mm Gen. 6 Grizzlies, 0.25” hard risers, and a set of yellow Fatty Hawgs, just to be clear about what the setup is.
I was slightly worried that I would lose much of the maneuverability and sharp-turning snappiness of the Dugout when going to the Totem, but I’m happy to say that it’s really not far behind. Yes the Dugout is capable of making sharper turns, but the Totem is still capable of riding the same sidewalks, bike paths, and streets. It’s quite nimble despite the nearly 28” wheelbase. So that’s good.
After just sort of cruising around with it and getting comfortable on it, since it does handle and feel quite differently than the Dugout, I tried carving down a few hills that, if not done correctly or are just straight-up bombed, are pretty sketchy and you can easily get well over 20mph before you’re anywhere near the bottom of the hill. I was really pleased with the way the Totem handles those hills, it’s a little less sketchy than doing it on the Dugout and the nice big platform is really comfortable. So the hill-carving ability is good…
