Ive skated 3 FA/hockey decks and they all have been on the steeper side, I ment that quasi protos (and most ps 8.25s iirc) taper from 8.25 at the front truck holes down to 8 at the back holes, the nose and tail are perfect tho, just wished they stayed 8.25 throught the length of the deck. If FAs were just a little bit more mellow that would be the ideal deck for me.
Quasi proto 8.25 has a very, very slight taper, around 1/8", so if you have one thats actually 8.25" (the flatter ones from the bottom of the stack tend to be more like 8.3 or so) it's actually 8.12" at the back trucks, not 8" It's definitely what I'd consider a "full" shape in the sense that most shapes will taper more than a proto.
That being said, if you like flatter boards and mellow tails maybe check out some PGI decks. I don't have my blood wizard 8.25 here beside me to check how much taper it is has but I just measured a skate mental (which is a slightly different shape) and its just a cunthair under 8.25 at the back trucks, then has a nice long FOF area and tapers to around 8 where the tail starts to turn up. I'll try to remember to check the blood wizard when I go downstairs in the morning, but the main differences between it and the skate mental that I can recall is that the BW has a bigger nose (slightly over 7" iirc which is pretty big for a 31.6" deck) and shorter tail whereas the SM has almost the same size kicks on both ends. PGI wood is pretty good and stiff too, a lot of people mistake it for BBS since it sometimes has the alignment divot in the same place and feels pretty similar. PGI decks aren't very square though, its definitely more of a classic rounded popsicle shape.
I kind of hate recommending this one because the company is fairly kooky, but if you're into square kicks there's a madness shape that I've been skating which I really like. It's 8.37 in the middle with a slight taper to 8.25 at the trucks on both ends, 31.5" length and 14.2" wb. Kicks aren't as big as a quasi or FA (6.7 or so up front and and a little over 6.5 tail) and its more of a medium tail but I'm ashamed to say I've been really liking how it skates.
Also, my new proto kind of sucks. It's thicker than most PS decks and doesn't have that light and crispy pop that fresh PS decks usually do. It's not necessarily what I'd call "soggy" but it's definitely more of a dull thump than a bright sounding crack like usual. At first I thought maybe it was the weather or something but I left it and my previous 8.25 quasi out in the basement overnight and sure enough the old one feels much lighter and snappier. Dunno if its a bad run or I just got a dud or what, but I was stoked to finally have a red proto and now I'm bummed that it doesnt feel right. Such a great shape though.
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
Random color veneer: What are the chances of getting a hot pink bottom ply? I'd just rather not.
My experience has been that you have an 80% chance of getting your least favourite veneer color.
Totally! If they are a smaller shop, (or if you are lucky enough) message or call them and ask what colours they have in that board, but I know some places would be a bit busy or just not possible for someone to go through the boards checking what they have.
Don't do this.
It's fine. Most smaller shops don't care and understand that you might not want a particular color. Pretty much all skaters have preferences or are just straight up superstitious, including shop owners, so I've never felt weird about asking and I don't know a single shop owner that would be bothered by glancing over the shoulder at the wall and saying "we have red, blue, and yellow" in order to sell a deck. Its no different than calling and asking if they have a particular size. If you don't want to answer simple questions about the products you sell then you probably shouldn't be running a shop.