Description
The El Diablo suit represents 20 years of involvement in the sport of Downhill Skateboarding. Throughout the years, we have seen many philosophies evolve regarding mobility, aerodynamics and overall suit performance. Today’s riders are going faster than ever before and riding courses that are ultra technical. These factors necessitate a racing suit that is more dynamic than any of it’s predecessors. That racing suit is El Diablo…
El Diablo utilizes many innovations discovered through high performance research and design.
We break those innovations into a few categories: Durability, Flexibility and Comfort.
Durability
As with every suit NJK makes, El Diablo is created primarily with 2.5 oz. American cowhide. The American cowhide is tough, supple and drum dyed for maximum color saturation. The smooth grain of a fine hide is present with all our suits and El Diablo is no exception. All primary contact areas are equipped with a second layer of leather underneath which includes the knees, elbows, shoulders and seat region. Two layers of American cowhide where you fall most often goes a long way in avoiding the dreaded “Road Rash.”
An innovation we have worked perilously on for a few years has been the elimination of seams down the sides of the legs. This is one of the primary breakthroughs of El Diablo. Since the beginning of leather suits, they have consisted of a front and back section attached at the sides. This creates a “knuckle” running lengthwise up each leg which is typically the first area to wear through on a skateboard suit. Since we repair all of our own suits, we found that our most common repair was the outside leg seam. By eliminating that seam, we have drastically increased the overall durability of our Downhill Skateboarding designs.
As with all NJK suits, we continue to use YKK Brass zippers and many pad configurations. Ask us about the many pad configurations we offer and some other optional features such as velcro knee and butt patches.
Flexibility
This is what really sets El Diablo apart from all the NJK imitations on the market today. Skaters are always trying to accomplish greater mobility and flexibility in a suit that remains protective. Jeans and a hoodie are very flexible to skate in, but they don’t offer much protection. So, we had to develop something for the rider to be aerodynamic in a tuck and still be able to bump draft and grab rail. Through extensive research, we have learned how to utilize larger Kevlar stretch panels in the legs, arms and side of body. The Kevlar we use is a 4-way stretch material that is very durable for abrasion while offer substantial stretch and breathing characteristics. Pair this Kevlar with a panel of super stretch Lycra under the sleeves and the ultimate Downhill Skateboard suit is the result. We have also adjusted the position of the accordion stretch panel in the lower back to allow for more range of expansion.
Comfort
Comfort is huge when wearing a leather suit. The more comfortable you are in your leathers, the better you will perform on the road. El Diablo is the most comfortable suit we have made for any sport. The flexibility of the extensive Kevlar also comes with a lighter weight suit that you can spend the whole day in. Also, the American cowhide gets more supple throughout the day and we find that the more time you spend in your suit, the better it feels. When a suit is fully broken in, it feels like a second skin. All our suits are fully lined with a poly-nylon lining and have zero pill polar fleece lining the collar. These suits are comfortable, and no other manufacturer can compare.
All custom NJK suits include your name on the back and any soft pads you like. We recommend at least using soft pads in the knees, elbows and back. Riders often request soft pads in other areas too. If you have an area that you want to protect with extra soft padding, let us know and we will build it into your suit without charge. For an additional charge, we do offer many other pad options including multiple types of hard knee solutions, motorcycle back protectors, G-Form pads and other options that are evolving regularly. Protection is always the most important factor with NJK.
