Just when everyone thought skateboarding decks, trucks and wheels had become standardized, the two
most technical skaters in the game decided to add their own "tech" to the mix.
Rodney Mullen and Daewon Song have been brewing up some creative and functional new technologies to stuff
into their Almost skateboard decks.
The first of these innovations is
Impact Support
which helps prevent breakage
and prolong the pop of their skateboard decks.
With Almost's Impact Support,
a carbon fiber disc is added into a die cut area where the base of each truck
would attach to the deck. This carbon fiber plate is much stronger and more
resilient than wood, and therefore can take much more abuse from hard landings
and regular heavy abuse. Almost Impact Support Decks are about $60, not much more than most high end skateboard decks. Almost Skateboards also uses epoxy resin in their decks
which is much stronger than the standard glue used to bond skateboard plys
together. Because epoxy resin is stronger, less of it can be used, which
will in turn make the skateboard deck significantly lighter.
Almost also introduced their
Uber Light
series which are essentially
the lightest high quality skateboard decks ever made. The secret is a foam
and carbon fiber core that makes these Uber Light skate decks extremely light and gives
them a pop your grandkids will be able to enjoy. Almost Uber Light decks don't come cheap and are usually around $100.
Almost is well aware that these new technologies don't come cheap, but
they're also in tune with the reality that
most skateboarders would rather be skating than working. Almost recently
introduced their
Tuff Times
series of wallet friendly skateboard decks to show that they care. The Tuff Times series
from Almost features 7 ply epoxy resin construction with simple one color
graphics to keep the cost down. Great quality and performance for about $40.
Rodney Mullen,
Daewon Song,
Chris Haslam,
Greg Lutzka,
Torey Pudwill,
Cooper Wilt &
Lewis Marnell.
For more information on these new skateboard technologies, check out the
Almost Catalog
or the Almost Website.
Pro Skateboard Decks vs. Blank Skateboard Decks – “Where does your money go”?
Customers often ask skate shop employees to explain the difference between a blank skateboard deck and a pro skateboard deck. The blank skateboard deck and the pro skateboard deck are usually of equal quality and sometimes come from the same factories. The main difference between a pro skateboard deck and a blank skateboard deck is where the extra money goes. A professional skateboarder usually earns anywhere from $2 - $5 for each of their skateboard decks a skateboard shop orders. When you purchase a pro skateboard deck, know that the extra cash went to the pro skateboarder and the artist that created the graphic for the skateboard deck. You’re supporting skateboarding when you pay the extra cash for PJ Ladd’s new Plan B deck. When you just snapped your board on the 5 stair in front of the coffee shop and want to go try it again, get the blank skateboard deck. Most skateboard decks ordered online do not come with griptape. Make sure to order a sheet of griptape as well.
Skate Shop 
