The EZ Hawgs are renowned in the longboarding community for their exceptional slide capabilities. These wheels are often touted as one of the easiest to get sideways, making them a top recommendation for beginners venturing into the world of longboard sliding. But beyond their ease of use, how do they perform overall? Let’s delve into a comprehensive review to uncover the full potential of the EZ Hawgs.
EZ Hawgs: Detailed Overview
Core Specifications
- Diameter: 63mm
- Durometer: 78a
- Width: 40mm
- Contact Patch: 42mm
- Lip Profile: Round
- Core Placement: Centerset
- Wheel Surface: Stoneground
- Price: Around $40
Disclaimer: These wheels were provided for review purposes by Landyachtz, but the evaluation will remain objective and unbiased.
EZ Hawgs Wheel Specifications
Performance Summary
The EZ Hawgs are highly recommended for beginners and anyone seeking a user-friendly slide wheel. They effortlessly break traction at almost any speed, requiring only a slight nudge to initiate a slide. This makes your sliding attempts more reliable and successful.
When these wheels slide, they do so with minimal speed reduction, allowing for extended stand-up slides or controlled hands-down slides, perfect for refining slide techniques. The ease of sliding, however, requires precision. Although they slide easily, optimal control, especially in stand-up slides, needs careful feathering to maintain edge traction, similar to other wheels.
The initial forgiving nature of the EZ Hawgs transitions as the rounded lip wears down. However, the updated v2 version has a more radiused lip, addressing this issue. Beyond sliding, the EZ Hawgs exhibit commendable durability, acceleration, and roll-speed, making them suitable for cruiser boards and freeride setups.
Performance Analysis
Speed and Acceleration
The EZ Hawgs showcase surprisingly rapid acceleration, credited to their compact size and firm feel. A few pushes are sufficient to get them moving. While their top speed isn’t the highest, their quickness downhill is impressive.
Rough Road Handling
These wheels do struggle somewhat when rolling or sliding on rough surfaces, with the Chubby and Fatty Hawgs handling such conditions a bit better. The EZ Hawgs transmit road vibrations to your feet, which is expected given their size. While they can navigate cracks and pebbles, you’ll certainly feel them.
Blue EZ Hawgs Longboard Wheels
Despite this, they maintain speed well, and the vibration is less noticeable when skating downhill. On smooth surfaces, they perform exceptionally well, with fast roll speed and decent momentum.
Sliding Performance
The EZ Hawgs offer an “icey” slide that feels both smooth and slightly “thaney,” providing a mix of gliding and pavement contact. Minimal speed is needed to initiate a drift. Their ease of slide makes them ideal for maneuvers like 360 slides or slides without a significant setup.
They offer good initial control when sliding. However, after the rounded lip wears down, you need to be more precise with how you initiate the slide, feathering them to the edge of traction. This adjustment is especially crucial for stand-up slides.
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The feel of the worn lip is significant because it’s the state in which you’ll experience the wheels for the majority of their lifespan.
Stand-up Slides: Technique Matters
With a worn lip, forcing these wheels into a stand-up slide leads to a loss of control, potentially resulting in an “ice out.” However, if you properly set up for the slide by compressing, decompressing, and initiating the slide like you would on a harder wheel, you’ll experience great control and avoid icing out.
Kickout and Hookup
Initially, the kickout and hookup are forgiving. However, as the lip becomes sharper, these actions become more sudden. The wheels may feel like they have two settings: go straight or slide, lacking the edge grip for subtle transitions. This can affect confidence when attempting high-speed, stand-up slides.
Another Close up of EZ Hawgs wheel
Once you adapt and treat them like grippier wheels, setting up the carve, compressing, and decompressing, you will find improved control, although the kickout and hookup remain sudden.
Thaning
The EZ Hawgs leave behind colored thane lines, which adds to the riding experience.
Slow Down Power
These wheels offer minimal slow-down power, which is excellent for drawn-out slides but not ideal if you need a lot of braking from your wheels. Their slow-down power is similar to that of Powell Snakes.
Durability
The EZ Hawgs are indeed durable and resistant to flat spots. They can withstand occasional hard slides. While not as durable as wheels like Snakes, they are long-lasting for their price.
Close up of the wheel surface
Ideal Use Cases
Beginner Slide Wheel
The EZ Hawgs are highly recommended for beginners due to their ease of sliding at low speeds. They are excellent for learning the fundamentals of sliding and breaking traction. They’re also a fantastic option for learning stand-up slides, providing forgiveness initially and helping reinforce good habits as the lip wears.
EZ Hawgs in action
Cruising
For a compact 63mm wheel, the EZ Hawgs are among the best options, offering fast acceleration and good speed maintenance. They are also well-suited for power slides.
Longboard Dancing
The lightweight and fast-rolling nature of EZ Hawgs make them a great choice for longboard dancing. Their ability to slide easily is beneficial for dance routines as well.
EZ Hawgs wheel on a dancing setup
EZ Hawgs, vs Chubby Hawgs, and Fatty Hawgs
EZ Hawgs are light, tall and quick accelerating, and slide with ease. Fatty Hawgs are the tallest and widest, with slower acceleration, high top speeds, and great momentum. Chubby Hawgs combine the benefits of both, offering a good balance.
Comparison of EZ, Fatty and Chubby Hawgs
| EZ Hawgs | Fatty Hawgs | Chubby Hawgs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specifications | Height – 63mm Width – 40mm | Height – 63mm Width – 53mm | Height – 60mm Width – 45mm |
| Speed? | ✔✔ | ✔✔✔ | ✔✔ |
| Acceleration | ✔✔✔ | ✔✔ | ✔✔✔ |
| Momentum | ✔ | ✔✔✔ | ✔✔ |
| Smoothness | ✔ | ✔✔✔ | ✔✔ |
| For cruising | ✔✔ | ✔✔✔ | ✔✔ |
| For sliding | ✔✔✔ | ✔✔ | ✔✔ |
| For tricks? | ✔✔✔ | ✔✔ | ✔✔ |
| Weight | Very lightweight | A bit weighty | Not that heavy |
✔ – Ok, ✔✔ – Good, ✔✔✔ – Great
Interestingly, all three Hawgs wheels are made from the same urethane and core, differing only in their cut. This allows each to excel in different riding styles.
Comparison of EZ and Fatty Hawgs
Purchasing Options
You can find EZ, Fatty and Chubby Hawgs at the following retailers:
- Landyachtz Website: Hawgs Wheels. Use code AroniSkate&Explore15 for 5% off.
- Stoked Ride Shop:
- Amazon:
EZ Hawgs vs. Snakes
EZ Hawgs and Powell Snakes share similarities, but Snakes are generally faster and perform better on rough roads. Snakes have a buttery, on-top-of-the-pavement slide, while EZ Hawgs offer a more icy and slightly thaney slide. EZ Hawgs accelerate quicker, while Snakes are easier to control and more forgiving overall.
Downsides
Deceptive Ease of Sliding
While easy to slide, achieving optimal control on EZ Hawgs requires proper technique. You still have to be precise with carving and compressions to perform bigger slides, and forcing them can lead to unpredictable results.
Small Size
Their small size means the EZ Hawgs don’t handle rough terrain as well as larger wheels. They lack the height to roll over small obstacles effectively. A larger EZ Hawg could provide better performance in this regard.
Lip Wear
The rounded lip’s wear impacts the sliding experience, making control more challenging. However, the updated v2 version addresses this with a more radiused lip for a longer-lasting initial feel.
Close up of a new EZ Hawg
Final Thoughts
The EZ Hawgs are a superb option for those seeking easy-to-slide wheels. They excel in multiple disciplines, from beginner sliding to cruising and longboard dancing. While not perfect, the EZ Hawgs have a unique place in the longboarding world. Their versatility and performance make them a valuable addition to any rider’s quiver.
If you have any unique experiences with the EZ Hawgs, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!
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