Gear madness support thread

[Lessfillingtastegreat]

Switch from venture to thunder in Dec. I like the way they turn but everything else sucks. I ride 54mm on a 8.18 setup.  It’s been a disastrous conversion. I like how light these are but have little board control and can’t slide anything.  They grind well.  Sliding is another story.  I didn’t think they would be this difficult for me. I think the wheel rubbing the ledge messes with me.  Also switch back to SF4 from them dragons.   Another mistake.  Felt all rubbery and cheap.

[Mbrimson88]

Blah, thought I’d go back to a twin tail with one of my setups. Didn’t last two sessions. Just feels weird having both my trucks at the same tightness, feels like I’m going to swerve out because my back trucks are too loose.

Back to normal decks. Plus I kinda like having a longer nose.

That is one thing I agree with when Prof Schmitt said it is like a multi tool, having two kicks the same felt like I was missing part of the board.

I can see how it works for some people, but I definitely like a nose and a tail, as well as a dedicated front truck and a dedicated back truck.  Front is one to two turns less than the back usually.

[OhioGuy]

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Blah, thought I’d go back to a twin tail with one of my setups. Didn’t last two sessions. Just feels weird having both my trucks at the same tightness, feels like I’m going to swerve out because my back trucks are too loose.

Back to normal decks. Plus I kinda like having a longer nose.

[close]

That is one thing I agree with when Prof Schmitt said it is like a multi tool, having two kicks the same felt like I was missing part of the board.

I can see how it works for some people, but I definitely like a nose and a tail, as well as a dedicated front truck and a dedicated back truck.  Front is one to two turns less than the back usually.

Yeah, that’s what was bothering me. It felt like my board was missing something, and even though it was the same length as my old one, it felt shorter. Kinda sucks cause I have a few TTs on ice.

[rocklobster]

Blah, thought I’d go back to a twin tail with one of my setups. Didn’t last two sessions. Just feels weird having both my trucks at the same tightness, feels like I’m going to swerve out because my back trucks are too loose.

Back to normal decks. Plus I kinda like having a longer nose.

It was weird for the first 2 sessions, but I'm liking the Habitat twin tail, could see myself riding these for a while. Truck tightness is the biggest issue for me too, still haven't found the sweet spot for tightness and my crooked grinds are suffering as a result.

[IpathCats]

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Blah, thought I’d go back to a twin tail with one of my setups. Didn’t last two sessions. Just feels weird having both my trucks at the same tightness, feels like I’m going to swerve out because my back trucks are too loose.

Back to normal decks. Plus I kinda like having a longer nose.

[close]

That is one thing I agree with when Prof Schmitt said it is like a multi tool, having two kicks the same felt like I was missing part of the board.

I can see how it works for some people, but I definitely like a nose and a tail, as well as a dedicated front truck and a dedicated back truck.  Front is one to two turns less than the back usually.

[close]

Yeah, that’s what was bothering me. It felt like my board was missing something, and even though it was the same length as my old one, it felt shorter. Kinda sucks cause I have a few TTs on ice.

Are any of them 8.3 real/krooked slicks? I'll buy them off you if you're really over them.

[goodatmeth]

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Blah, thought I’d go back to a twin tail with one of my setups. Didn’t last two sessions. Just feels weird having both my trucks at the same tightness, feels like I’m going to swerve out because my back trucks are too loose.

Back to normal decks. Plus I kinda like having a longer nose.

[close]

That is one thing I agree with when Prof Schmitt said it is like a multi tool, having two kicks the same felt like I was missing part of the board.

I can see how it works for some people, but I definitely like a nose and a tail, as well as a dedicated front truck and a dedicated back truck.  Front is one to two turns less than the back usually.

I don't get what PS said at all. I've never done the same tricks either off the tail or nose depending on how I want to do them. Is anybody doing that? I'm gonna kickflip off the tail, no matter the spot. No multitooling here. I think having a fat nose only feels better because it's what we're used to.
I just switched from the 8.0 Ishod twin to the 8.25 neen twin and the kicks feel perfect. The kicks on the 8 are small, 6.5 I think. And they were flat as well, felt dangerous. So that's actually my limit for a "nose" size. 6.6-6.7 is fine.

Another thing is truck tightness, once you stop obsessing over the trucks being 100% exactly the same, it doesn't matter at all. Imagine if one truck was 5% tighter and no one on the sesh had a tool. You'd stop caring after 5 minutes, just skate and probably forget about it/don't even notice it.

Stay sane. Less thinking more skating

[OhioGuy]

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Blah, thought I’d go back to a twin tail with one of my setups. Didn’t last two sessions. Just feels weird having both my trucks at the same tightness, feels like I’m going to swerve out because my back trucks are too loose.

Back to normal decks. Plus I kinda like having a longer nose.

[close]

That is one thing I agree with when Prof Schmitt said it is like a multi tool, having two kicks the same felt like I was missing part of the board.

I can see how it works for some people, but I definitely like a nose and a tail, as well as a dedicated front truck and a dedicated back truck.  Front is one to two turns less than the back usually.

[close]

Yeah, that’s what was bothering me. It felt like my board was missing something, and even though it was the same length as my old one, it felt shorter. Kinda sucks cause I have a few TTs on ice.

Are any of them 8.3 real/krooked slicks? I'll buy them off you if you're really over them.

[close]

No, they’re all Welcome 8.5 Evil Twins sadly.

[manysnakes]

Blah, thought I’d go back to a twin tail with one of my setups. Didn’t last two sessions. Just feels weird having both my trucks at the same tightness, feels like I’m going to swerve out because my back trucks are too loose.

Back to normal decks. Plus I kinda like having a longer nose.

I was gifted a Chris Roberts twin tail deck from someone who hated it and … I also hated it.

[IpathCats]

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Blah, thought I’d go back to a twin tail with one of my setups. Didn’t last two sessions. Just feels weird having both my trucks at the same tightness, feels like I’m going to swerve out because my back trucks are too loose.

Back to normal decks. Plus I kinda like having a longer nose.

[close]

I was gifted a Chris Roberts twin tail deck from someone who hated it and … I also hated it.

Lol.

[OhioGuy]

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Blah, thought I’d go back to a twin tail with one of my setups. Didn’t last two sessions. Just feels weird having both my trucks at the same tightness, feels like I’m going to swerve out because my back trucks are too loose.

Back to normal decks. Plus I kinda like having a longer nose.

[close]

I was gifted a Chris Roberts twin tail deck from someone who hated it and … I also hated it.

I avoided those cause that 14 inch wheelbase 🫠

[j....soy.....]

I'd skate a smaller wheelbase on ventures or thunders....twin is ok every now and then but I'm not crazy about the short nose either.....I pretty much call them...'shuv machines...'

[Sedition]

Stay sane. Less thinking more skating

Best thing ever posted in this thread.

[Mbrimson88]

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Blah, thought I’d go back to a twin tail with one of my setups. Didn’t last two sessions. Just feels weird having both my trucks at the same tightness, feels like I’m going to swerve out because my back trucks are too loose.

Back to normal decks. Plus I kinda like having a longer nose.

[close]

That is one thing I agree with when Prof Schmitt said it is like a multi tool, having two kicks the same felt like I was missing part of the board.

I can see how it works for some people, but I definitely like a nose and a tail, as well as a dedicated front truck and a dedicated back truck.  Front is one to two turns less than the back usually.

[close]

I don't get what PS said at all. I've never done the same tricks either off the tail or nose depending on how I want to do them. Is anybody doing that? I'm gonna kickflip off the tail, no matter the spot. No multitooling here. I think having a fat nose only feels better because it's what we're used to.
I just switched from the 8.0 Ishod twin to the 8.25 neen twin and the kicks feel perfect. The kicks on the 8 are small, 6.5 I think. And they were flat as well, felt dangerous. So that's actually my limit for a "nose" size. 6.6-6.7 is fine.

Another thing is truck tightness, once you stop obsessing over the trucks being 100% exactly the same, it doesn't matter at all. Imagine if one truck was 5% tighter and no one on the sesh had a tool. You'd stop caring after 5 minutes, just skate and probably forget about it/don't even notice it.

Stay sane. Less thinking more skating

Ha yeah, it is the "madness thread" and I do tend to stay away from / not really get into the PS stuff too deep, but that made sense to me - just the bit to have a nose as a nose and a tail as a tail.

Trying some things on the nose worked better than the tail, but I definitely skate my board the normal way, nose in front, back foot on the tail for all my usual skating.

I think I had learned to and prefer pop shovs off the nose cause that was the starting trick to a run back in the day and the rest of the run was all normal stuff forwards so still prefer that, maybe because I do a lot of pop shovs and keep the tail lasting longer or whatever, but when skating the twin, I always would have my front foot falling off the nose on lots of things, eg nose slides just didn't work as well, nose blunts on transition were a struggle, so a normal board with a normal nose worked for all those things for me.  Sometimes if a normal blunt was not working, it was easier using the nose to do it, but that was few and far between, even though others would often do that.

As too all the other things he goes into about some people skating the board backwards for some things or whatever it was, I have a few people I know who are like that and I try to stay clear of their "madness" in that regard as well.

I really don't want to be drawn into the talks about certain things like that, but from skating a twin nose, it was almost more the other problems like kicking the board when pushing cause the end was too steep, but that was more my own issue with being used to a flatter tail on all my boards.

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Stay sane. Less thinking more skating

[close]

Best thing ever posted in this thread.

For sure!!!

[hiljentaa]

I got a Jaako Element at 8.25/14.25/31.9 in the mail today to replace my Madars Element 8.38/14.25/31.9.

I was expecting the shapes to be the same, but I'm excited that the 8.25 has blunter, more full nose and tail compared to the 8.38 (which is noticeably pointier like Baker OG shapes).

I've been super curious about tapered 8.38 vs full 8.25 and this is probably the closest A to B I could hope for. Excited to see how it goes.

Also was watching ESP Volume 2 and realized I have basically a full Westgate setup right now with the Madars 8.38, Venture 5.8s, Rictas and NB# 508s haha.

[OhioGuy]

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Blah, thought I’d go back to a twin tail with one of my setups. Didn’t last two sessions. Just feels weird having both my trucks at the same tightness, feels like I’m going to swerve out because my back trucks are too loose.

Back to normal decks. Plus I kinda like having a longer nose.

[close]

That is one thing I agree with when Prof Schmitt said it is like a multi tool, having two kicks the same felt like I was missing part of the board.

I can see how it works for some people, but I definitely like a nose and a tail, as well as a dedicated front truck and a dedicated back truck.  Front is one to two turns less than the back usually.

[close]

I don't get what PS said at all. I've never done the same tricks either off the tail or nose depending on how I want to do them. Is anybody doing that? I'm gonna kickflip off the tail, no matter the spot. No multitooling here. I think having a fat nose only feels better because it's what we're used to.
I just switched from the 8.0 Ishod twin to the 8.25 neen twin and the kicks feel perfect. The kicks on the 8 are small, 6.5 I think. And they were flat as well, felt dangerous. So that's actually my limit for a "nose" size. 6.6-6.7 is fine.

Another thing is truck tightness, once you stop obsessing over the trucks being 100% exactly the same, it doesn't matter at all. Imagine if one truck was 5% tighter and no one on the sesh had a tool. You'd stop caring after 5 minutes, just skate and probably forget about it/don't even notice it.

Stay sane. Less thinking more skating

I don’t need the trucks to be the same. It’s just the tighter side feels better as my back truck cause that’s how all my other setups are. I just like how it feels when the front truck is looser. I’ll probably keep my twin tails and just ride them like regular ones.

[rocklobster]

I got a Jaako Element at 8.25/14.25/31.9 in the mail today to replace my Madars Element 8.38/14.25/31.9.

I was expecting the shapes to be the same, but I'm excited that the 8.25 has blunter, more full nose and tail compared to the 8.38 (which is noticeably pointier like Baker OG shapes).

I've been super curious about tapered 8.38 vs full 8.25 and this is probably the closest A to B I could hope for. Excited to see how it goes.

Also was watching ESP Volume 2 and realized I have basically a full Westgate setup right now with the Madars 8.38, Venture 5.8s, Rictas and NB# 508s haha.

I got a Jaakko 8.25 and Madars 8.38 during a sale and the both had a similar tapered nose with a short feeling tail. Shape was reminiscent to 7.75s from the 2000s with the pointy kicks, but still less pointy than a Baker OG shape.

[Xen]

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, help me find:

8.25" x ~32" x 14.25" WB under 7" nose, 6.5"+ tail. Mellow to Flat. PStix.

Something like a Baker OG/Mellow x Real Classic oval (but smaller WB) shape-style, but NOT pointy or square, more like a 'rounded full' The DLX "8.28" would be perfect if the WB was longer.

Closest I can find are:

T.U.


Zero (ugh) - no idea who's pressing them these days


Both look like the noses are long and not full/rounded tho.

[hiljentaa]

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I got a Jaako Element at 8.25/14.25/31.9 in the mail today to replace my Madars Element 8.38/14.25/31.9.

I was expecting the shapes to be the same, but I'm excited that the 8.25 has blunter, more full nose and tail compared to the 8.38 (which is noticeably pointier like Baker OG shapes).

I've been super curious about tapered 8.38 vs full 8.25 and this is probably the closest A to B I could hope for. Excited to see how it goes.

Also was watching ESP Volume 2 and realized I have basically a full Westgate setup right now with the Madars 8.38, Venture 5.8s, Rictas and NB# 508s haha.

[close]

I got a Jaakko 8.25 and Madars 8.38 during a sale and the both had a similar tapered nose with a short feeling tail. Shape was reminiscent to 7.75s from the 2000s with the pointy kicks, but still less pointy than a Baker OG shape.

Both of them have 6.5" tails. The 8.38 isn't as pointy as a Baker OG but it's on that side.

I haven't gripped the 8.25 but the one I have is definitely fuller/rounder in both nose and tail. Which graphics did you have?

[Ok]

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, help me find:

8.25" x ~32" x 14.25" WB under 7" nose, 6.5"+ tail. Mellow to Flat. PStix.

Something like a Baker OG/Mellow x Real Classic oval (but smaller WB) shape-style, but NOT pointy or square, more like a 'rounded full' The DLX "8.28" would be perfect if the WB was longer.

Closest I can find are:

T.U.


Zero (ugh) - no idea who's pressing them these days


Both look like the noses are long and not full/rounded tho.

Some folks claiming toy machine still has ps boards. I can’t tell what’s what, unless it’s in hand, and the shops near me haven’t had a toy machine board in ten years



The dimensions you are asking for are very reasonable/normal skateboard measurements. Ps just had no market share…quasi has a few options, that would be a titch too short in overall length.
I personally think western edition boards are beautiful, and claim to be ps, but they do not publish much on their shapes. No other dimensions, if I was going to mail order a board, that’s what I would get, but I can be very not picky when I’m just getting any 7.75 or 8.

The strangelove balloon boy might work. Their shapes were very…different. Often quite square, sometimes looking barnyard inspired. Other shapes looked like really old girl shapes, early 2000s (which I of course loved). I am a big fan of this company, and their graphics, but not for everyone. 

[Xen]

The trick about quasi is finding them it seems (the 8.25s) the Proto is easy to find but not a fan anymore.

The 'rest' of the boards that size is the nose being super long as I hate long/straight but rounded tip noses (like the last toy machine I rode); full round noses are super hard to come by to seems.

The SC 8.28 is really close, but it's not exactly flat and the WB is some fucknutt 14.188 BS.

[Ok]

The trick about quasi is finding them it seems (the 8.25s) the Proto is easy to find but not a fan anymore.

The 'rest' of the boards that size is the nose being super long as I hate long/straight but rounded tip noses (like the last toy machine I rode); full round noses are super hard to come by to seems.

The SC 8.28 is really close, but it's not exactly flat and the WB is some fucknutt 14.188 BS.

Yeah the proto taper is significant.
I can’t really tell the difference with those weird wb measurements, I just know that for some reason I don’t like em. There have been a few exceptions: the first Al Davis pro board with the headhunters graphic was a fucking alltimer for me. And I’ve liked that one 8.125 quasi shape that every right minded person hates because of the weird ass tail, that I came to love. The consistent thing in those boards working for me, was 147s. Speaking of shapes for 147s, I’ll eventually buy a 9jah board, I just won’t admit to it.

[Xen]

Based on the dims and the whole write-up about it, I bet that nigel board is damn close to the quasi.

[backinaction]

Just went into the shop just to buy some hardware to finish building a board I didn't need (Enjoi Thaynan 8.75 - putting Ace AF1 55s and 54mm conical 101s) and walked out with an Anti Hero 10 Curbmandments 8.5 with a 13.75 wheelbase.  Last board I skated with a sub 14 wheelbase was 32 years ago - the Per Welinder Nordic Sperm - and it was amazing.  I'm putting Thunder Ti 149s to start and don't know the wheel.  I've got 52mm classic 99a, 54mm V1 Dragons, 51 and 53mm V2 STFs, and probably something else. 

[Mbrimson88]

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I got a Jaako Element at 8.25/14.25/31.9 in the mail today to replace my Madars Element 8.38/14.25/31.9.

I was expecting the shapes to be the same, but I'm excited that the 8.25 has blunter, more full nose and tail compared to the 8.38 (which is noticeably pointier like Baker OG shapes).

I've been super curious about tapered 8.38 vs full 8.25 and this is probably the closest A to B I could hope for. Excited to see how it goes.

Also was watching ESP Volume 2 and realized I have basically a full Westgate setup right now with the Madars 8.38, Venture 5.8s, Rictas and NB# 508s haha.

[close]

I got a Jaakko 8.25 and Madars 8.38 during a sale and the both had a similar tapered nose with a short feeling tail. Shape was reminiscent to 7.75s from the 2000s with the pointy kicks, but still less pointy than a Baker OG shape.

[close]

Both of them have 6.5" tails. The 8.38 isn't as pointy as a Baker OG but it's on that side.

I haven't gripped the 8.25 but the one I have is definitely fuller/rounder in both nose and tail. Which graphics did you have?

Depends where they are from, as there are at least three woodshops making those boards - BBS (mexico), HLC for EU and unknown woodshop from China.

I had the BBS and China Element boards pass through my hands to others and there are definitely significant differences in the shapes, even though they are almost the same dimensions.

Interesting to see them and stand on them, even though I didn't skate those ones myself, but others have enjoyed both types from the two different woodshops.

[Mbrimson88]

The trick about quasi is finding them it seems (the 8.25s) the Proto is easy to find but not a fan anymore.

The 'rest' of the boards that size is the nose being super long as I hate long/straight but rounded tip noses (like the last toy machine I rode); full round noses are super hard to come by to seems.

The SC 8.28 is really close, but it's not exactly flat and the WB is some fucknutt 14.188 BS.

I had a bit of a look at some bigger shops that have search options for width 8.25 and wheelbase 14.25 and quite a few came up at 32 (take into consideration PS Stix measure with the concave so boards listed as 32.2 are more like 32 even), including Glue, WKND and Pizza if you were specifically after PS Stix.  Some of those are on sale from the sale gear thread too, I think I read.

As to other brands that come up on other woodshops, the Enjoi mellow kicks, mellow concave Louie board, Polar depending on which board from the stack, Magenta are often more mellow than other BBS board brands, and more, including Zero, DGK, and even the shop boards of the 8.25 size measure right on those dimensions with a decent shape.

[hiljentaa]

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I got a Jaako Element at 8.25/14.25/31.9 in the mail today to replace my Madars Element 8.38/14.25/31.9.

I was expecting the shapes to be the same, but I'm excited that the 8.25 has blunter, more full nose and tail compared to the 8.38 (which is noticeably pointier like Baker OG shapes).

I've been super curious about tapered 8.38 vs full 8.25 and this is probably the closest A to B I could hope for. Excited to see how it goes.

Also was watching ESP Volume 2 and realized I have basically a full Westgate setup right now with the Madars 8.38, Venture 5.8s, Rictas and NB# 508s haha.

[close]

I got a Jaakko 8.25 and Madars 8.38 during a sale and the both had a similar tapered nose with a short feeling tail. Shape was reminiscent to 7.75s from the 2000s with the pointy kicks, but still less pointy than a Baker OG shape.

[close]

Both of them have 6.5" tails. The 8.38 isn't as pointy as a Baker OG but it's on that side.

I haven't gripped the 8.25 but the one I have is definitely fuller/rounder in both nose and tail. Which graphics did you have?

[close]

Depends where they are from, as there are at least three woodshops making those boards - BBS (mexico), HLC for EU and unknown woodshop from China.

I had the BBS and China Element boards pass through my hands to others and there are definitely significant differences in the shapes, even though they are almost the same dimensions.

Interesting to see them and stand on them, even though I didn't skate those ones myself, but others have enjoyed both types from the two different woodshops.

I only buy the pro model BBS boards.

I gripped the 8.25 last night. The difference isn't as drastic as I first thought, but the 8.25 I have is definitely fuller than the three 8.38s I skated.

[Xen]

My recent polar was 8.25*32" with a 14.25wb, my last polar was 8.25*31.875 with the 14.125wb; the shape was much better. The 32” has very straight rails on the kicks, preferred the roundedness of the shorter one.

The dims are easy to track down, kick shape not so much. Couldn’t find anything local either.

[LebowskisRug]

Damn I didn't know the 14.125 Polar was real. Every single Polar 8.25 and 8.125 I have ever come across in a shop and measured (more than I'd care to admit) are 14.25 and look incredibly similar. Was it by chance a team graphic and not a pro graphic?

[Paco Supreme]

Alright, I didn’t think I’d go cuckoo on this shit but I am, so some insights until I can test out my madness, 4 days from now.

I retired my last set of very ground down 149s in favour of bumping up to 159s for grind clearance on the one spot I still routinely skate.

 I skated this place for years on my last trucks and had no issue, I just never fully locked into this one curb and I wanted that shit locked in, the 159s do that but everything else felt off ever so slightly.

I’ve had the grand idea now that when I really need is to push my wheels out with washers so I can get more truck millimetres to grind and that might just lock me in. I fully intend on biking to the spot with this new set of 149s with 3 washers inside to place atop my elusive curb and bring the 159 hangers with me in case this shit blows up in my face.

 This is probably the longest thing I’ve posted on SLAP. Thank you for your time.

[Roisto]

Alright, I didn’t think I’d go cuckoo on this shit but I am, so some insights until I can test out my madness, 4 days from now.

I retired my last set of very ground down 149s in favour of bumping up to 159s for grind clearance on the one spot I still routinely skate.

 I skated this place for years on my last trucks and had no issue, I just never fully locked into this one curb and I wanted that shit locked in, the 159s do that but everything else felt off ever so slightly.

I’ve had the grand idea now that when I really need is to push my wheels out with washers so I can get more truck millimetres to grind and that might just lock me in. I fully intend on biking to the spot with this new set of 149s with 3 washers inside to place atop my elusive curb and bring the 159 hangers with me in case this shit blows up in my face.

 This is probably the longest thing I’ve posted on SLAP. Thank you for your time.

Give the 159s some time. New trucks suck anyway and it definitely takes getting used to going wider.

I went from Ace 44 Classics (8.35”) to Ace AF1 66s (9.0”) to AF1 55s (8.5”) to Classic 66s (9.35”) to AF1 60s (8.75”) to AF1 55s (8.5”) and was going all over the place with every change until I got used to the new width. Of these only the Classic 66s (9.35”) felt like something I couldn’t be completely happy with.

Having typed all that it’s clear that I’ve been suffering from quite some madness myself because this all happened in a little over a year. Been happy with the AF1 55s (8.5”) for a good while now but the Indy Stage 4s are tempting me.