Nuclear Pickle about to take off

Laguna resident and lifelong skateboarder Eric Kirkland has invented the Nuclear Pickle, a longboard that enables tool-free adjustments and smoother rides.

Recently adopted by Alliance Board Sports in Escondido and scheduled to hit stores in the fall, Kirkland said it is the only longboard on the market that does not require a tool to make on-the-road adjustments to the truck — the axle unit to which the wheels are attached.

“This board can cruise,” he said. “When you get into a hill situation and want to turn it on, you can carve on this thing like no other.

“It can also turn a six-foot circle, which is just unheard of.”

Kirkland, who started in the early days of clay wheels, said the invention was inspired by numerous spills on Laguna’s hills, especially those that resulted in further injury when he landed on the adjustment tool he carried in his pocket.

He said he wanted a board that could handle these kinds of hills, and other trucks out there just weren’t cutting it.

A few years ago, he called upon high-tech engineers to help him reinvent the skateboard truck design and carry his ideas to fruition.

The Nuclear Pickle, which may be marketed as the Long Woody by the time it hits shelves, enables three-way wheel adjustment via a control knob which eliminates discomfort and injuries caused by carrying an external tool, deeper carving, and improved board control via axles that rotate further for a better turning radius.

Kirkland plans to sell his product in big-box sporting good stores including Dicks Sporting Goods, Sport Chalet, and Costco Online, where it will retail for less than $200.

At this time, the product is available in only one design, but Kirkland hopes Alliance will create new graphics for the board in the future.

Kirkland said he made the invention six years ago, but after striking out in a licensing deal with another promotions company, he took his idea to Absolutely New in Carlsbad, which hooked him up with Alliance.

“The board has gotten great performance reviews,” he said. “I’m really excited about this product and to put it in good hands.”

Kirkland said he hopes to produce more skating products like this one in the future.