Skateboards can get going really fast and can pick up some serious speed. The Disc Brakes for Longboard project on Kickstarter is devising a system to slow it down. As noted by the name this essentially adds a braking system to boards.
This brake design, which was devised by Benjamin Newman, consists of two independent core clutches; an outer aluminum drum that is lined with friction material while an inner core is made of stainless steel. A pair of spring-loaded levers can be used to apply the brakes.
Unlike foot braking or power-sliding this doesn’t require the same level of riding skill, and more importantly can be used on hill descents or on flats. It can even be retro-fitted to existing boards, while pushing and sliding are not affected by the braking system. Video after the jump
The modern disc brakes used on bikes today have dramatically improved performance and safety. In conjunction with those improvements, disc brakes have also freed rim makers to push the envelope regarding design since that do not have to incorporate rim brake surface anymore. With the abandonment of the rim brake design, mechanics have lost the ability to adjust the angle in which the brake pad hit the braking surface, referred to as ’toe’. Adjusting the toe was how the mechanics were able to quiet rim brakes that would squeal – this is not an option with disc brakes.