PS Stix? BBS? Help!

[downtodevin]

I am going to be buying and setting up my first board in a long time (10ish years). After skimming through SLAP, Reddit, and YouTube it seems that people are very specific about the board they ride. I guess my question is does it matter? Will I be able to tell? I would hate to buy a deck that is shit right after I buy it. It’s driving my crazy and any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Plan9Customs]

Might just be me but PS boards are crisp for about a week then just get mushy. BBS are stiffer from the get go and stay crisp much longer. Only deck I ever had delaminate was a PS made Assault deck(lambreta deck) and I’ve only ever snapped one deck which was a BBS. To be fair though I was doing kick flips for 30ish minutes and kept landing with my back foot on the tail so I’ll take the blame.

[Frank and Fred]

Same experience. PPS feel good at fist but not for long. BBS feel better a lot longer.

[al_cvbrera]

I am going to be buying and setting up my first board in a long time (10ish years). After skimming through SLAP, Reddit, and YouTube it seems that people are very specific about the board they ride. I guess my question is does it matter? Will I be able to tell? I would hate to buy a deck that is shit right after I buy it. It’s driving my crazy and any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Personally, I didn’t enjoy the two PS Stix boards i rode. One was a WKND board that I focused only my 2nd or 3rd time bringing it to the park (i focused it on purpose because i was already frustrated at the trick I was trying but not landing, on top of me already not liking the actual deck). The other one was a Toy Machine board. (I didn’t focus this one lol). It chipped like crazy and razortailed so fast, it felt like pricepoint wood even though it was a pro model deck. 

PS Stix boards are stiff at first but VERY quickly sog out and you can really feel the flex in them from just pushing on them, even more so when setting up for tricks. keep in mind that I’m light as shit. I hover around 145lbs.

BBS wood has never dissapointed me. It is how I expect a wood board to be and broke down how i expected it to break down. BBS wood never lost its stiff feeling for me, even after skating a deck for longer than I usually do. It stayed stiff throughout the life of the deck.

There are definitely fans of PS Stix wood out there, but I am not one of them. kind of a bummer because alot of dope brands that I support use PS wood. i’d get soft goods from these brands, but never any decks because they’re too flexy for me.

edit: I’d like to point out this specific experience I had with the WKND board. my board flung straight up a quarterpipe and landed on top of it one time, right on the nose. At the point of impact, there was an indent. Feeling it for a bit, the wood felt very malleable, almost as if i could make another indent in the wood if i pushed with my finger hard enough (probably not though, but still. you get the point lol). rather than bouncing off and staying the same shape (like BBS wood), it more so absorbed the impact and let its shape mush in rather than recoiling and bouncing straight up…

[downtodevin]

It’s just crazy that such a “reputable” woodshop can have so much hate against it.

I’m looking at the new GX1000 decks. I love the aesthetic and their videos but their decks are pressed on PS wood. I’ll probably still get one and cross my fingers.

[Eric Dolphy]

Everyone is different and has different experiences. I've had a BBS delaminate in the first five minutes it was set up, had another where one of the middle ply had a big bit missing at the nose, and the other plies were just squished into the gap, leaving an unsealed hole in between. I also have a stack of PS under my bed that i skated until they razortailed, and haven't a chip between them.

I prefer the "pop feel" of PS, it's light and springy and responsive, i find BBS a little too stiff and unforgiving, there's no love.

Sadly you're going to have to try different things until you find what you like. I hope the GX board serves you well.

[Woodshop]

It’s just crazy that such a “reputable” woodshop can have so much hate against it.

I’m looking at the new GX1000 decks. I love the aesthetic and their videos but their decks are pressed on PS wood. I’ll probably still get one and cross my fingers.

Can you go anywhere and stand on a few boards first?

That is the best way to see what boards feel like and get a good idea as to how any brands or woodshops differ.

As to how long it will last, if you haven't been on a board in a while, everything is going to feel a bit funny at first, but also easing into it would be better than going full tilt right away.

[Frank and Fred]

It’s just crazy that such a “reputable” woodshop can have so much hate against it.

I’m looking at the new GX1000 decks. I love the aesthetic and their videos but their decks are pressed on PS wood. I’ll probably still get one and cross my fingers.

That's what happens in a world where all it takes to be a professor is to put on a lab coat.

I jest... Paul Schmitt has rad ideas. I'm just not a fan of his boards. I am sure they work for many.

[downtodevin]

Expand Quote

It’s just crazy that such a “reputable” woodshop can have so much hate against it.

I’m looking at the new GX1000 decks. I love the aesthetic and their videos but their decks are pressed on PS wood. I’ll probably still get one and cross my fingers.

[close]

Can you go anywhere and stand on a few boards first?

That is the best way to see what boards feel like and get a good idea as to how any brands or woodshops differ.

As to how long it will last, if you haven't been on a board in a while, everything is going to feel a bit funny at first, but also easing into it would be better than going full tilt right away.

I live in North Dakota and 4 hours away from a skate shop. Fortunately, I am heading there next week and will be getting my gear. I have been trying to do my research online to help in my decision, but I will absolutely be looking at and standing on a ton of boards.

[Woodshop]

As far as quality of product goes, regardless of what people might say about different woodshops, PS Stix is still one of the best in the industry, so there is little chance you are going to get something that is cheap rubbish.

Everyone has their preferences, especially when it comes to BBS / PS Stix but as far as skating either board, I really don't think there is going to be much difference for the average person getting a new board, unless you are so tuned in with your setup, how you skate, what tricks you do, concave and wheelbase differences, which is how most people on here and other places will react if they set up something that they are not used to.


That said, it is also important to get a board, deck especially, that is the right size, for which there is also a lot of debate, to which some will say bigger and some will say smaller.  For an average body size, weight, shoe size, anything from 8 to 8.5 is fairly common, with 8.25 being the most common size in skateboarding at the present time.  Smaller boards are lighter and easier to get tech on, bigger boards will give you more room to move and balance if you are not so into tech tricks, or if you are a bigger body, taller, or just want something that will be easier to have fun on.

I won't go into too much more detail, but I think the number one issue I have seen from people getting boards, be it their first ever or first in a long time, is they tend to get a board that is often smaller than what they should be on, be it because the shop guy said that was the right size, or there were more smaller boards in the store, or just down to what graphic someone wanted, which only came in a smaller size.

Whatever the case, budget and ability are the two main things I would always ask someone before giving them options for boards, then go from there.

[downtodevin]

As far as quality of product goes, regardless of what people might say about different woodshops, PS Stix is still one of the best in the industry, so there is little chance you are going to get something that is cheap rubbish.

Everyone has their preferences, especially when it comes to BBS / PS Stix but as far as skating either board, I really don't think there is going to be much difference for the average person getting a new board, unless you are so tuned in with your setup, how you skate, what tricks you do, concave and wheelbase differences, which is how most people on here and other places will react if they set up something that they are not used to.


That said, it is also important to get a board, deck especially, that is the right size, for which there is also a lot of debate, to which some will say bigger and some will say smaller.  For an average body size, weight, shoe size, anything from 8 to 8.5 is fairly common, with 8.25 being the most common size in skateboarding at the present time.  Smaller boards are lighter and easier to get tech on, bigger boards will give you more room to move and balance if you are not so into tech tricks, or if you are a bigger body, taller, or just want something that will be easier to have fun on.

I won't go into too much more detail, but I think the number one issue I have seen from people getting boards, be it their first ever or first in a long time, is they tend to get a board that is often smaller than what they should be on, be it because the shop guy said that was the right size, or there were more smaller boards in the store, or just down to what graphic someone wanted, which only came in a smaller size.

Whatever the case, budget and ability are the two main things I would always ask someone before giving them options for boards, then go from there.

I am 5’9” and have a size 11 shoe. I’m leaning towards an 8.25 or 8.5. Once I get my setup I’ll post it in the Setup Thread. I’m excited to start again.

[Woodshop]

Yeah!

So good!

[Eric Dolphy]

As far as quality of product goes, regardless of what people might say about different woodshops, PS Stix is still one of the best in the industry, so there is little chance you are going to get something that is cheap rubbish.

Everyone has their preferences, especially when it comes to BBS / PS Stix but as far as skating either board, I really don't think there is going to be much difference for the average person getting a new board, unless you are so tuned in with your setup, how you skate, what tricks you do, concave and wheelbase differences, which is how most people on here and other places will react if they set up something that they are not used to.


That said, it is also important to get a board, deck especially, that is the right size, for which there is also a lot of debate, to which some will say bigger and some will say smaller.  For an average body size, weight, shoe size, anything from 8 to 8.5 is fairly common, with 8.25 being the most common size in skateboarding at the present time.  Smaller boards are lighter and easier to get tech on, bigger boards will give you more room to move and balance if you are not so into tech tricks, or if you are a bigger body, taller, or just want something that will be easier to have fun on.

I won't go into too much more detail, but I think the number one issue I have seen from people getting boards, be it their first ever or first in a long time, is they tend to get a board that is often smaller than what they should be on, be it because the shop guy said that was the right size, or there were more smaller boards in the store, or just down to what graphic someone wanted, which only came in a smaller size.

Whatever the case, budget and ability are the two main things I would always ask someone before giving them options for boards, then go from there.

This is an excellent post. All great advice.

The other thing I'll say, not related to boards but related to getting back into skating, is take it easy, and practice bailing, and rolling out of falls. Unlearning the behaviour of sticking your hand out when you fall isn't easy, but could save you from a serious wrist injury. Learning to roll out of bails is huge. And drink lots of water.

[greenreese]

I've had 3 PS Stix decks.  A Toy Machine 8.5 last year, and 2 Quasi 8.5s this year.  I love how flat they all were. 

However,  the Toy Machine felt soft from day 1 and got focused pretty quick. 

The first Quasi (I hate Mies) sounded dead and had uneven routing on the kicks, but was kinda springy and I rode that one a lot until it razor tailed and had creaky pressure cracks. 

The second Quasi (Josh Wilson) I just got is the same shape as the first one, but it's completely fucked.  It has negative fingers of flat on the nose.  Like the nose continues to curve past the front bolts.  I can fit a business card in between the baseplate and the nose in front of the front bolts with the front truck fully tightened down.  It was also crazy hard to get all 4 front bolts in.  At first I was like eh, whatever, but the tail is too flat and super soft.  Then today I was looking at it in the kitchen and noticed both trucks are completely crooked.  I pulled out my caliper and both trucks are off center by up to 4mm in opposite directions AND neither is straight.  Also, because the nose is so fucked and the center of the board bows down, both truck baseplates angle up towards the ends of the deck. 

After 1 out of 3 being decent and the huge variety of issues with the 3rd, I'm done with them.

Every BBS deck I've had has been straight, true, stiff, and sounds like it should.    I've found the DLX 8.5x14.25 in a Roman Numeral IV to be my go to.  Almost as flat as the PS kicks, but correct and identical every time.

[al_cvbrera]

It’s just crazy that such a “reputable” woodshop can have so much hate against it.

I’m looking at the new GX1000 decks. I love the aesthetic and their videos but their decks are pressed on PS wood. I’ll probably still get one and cross my fingers.

if you’re interested in full shapes like how GX1000 decks are, i would go with Habitat boards. keep in mind though that Habitat sources their wood from both BBS and PS Stix. for what its worth, the BBS Habitat board i really enjoyed was Kaue Kossa’s pro model, which is still available. the graphics aren’t my favorite, but the shape and wood quality was what i was after.

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

You're too new to give a shit about this stuff.....it won't matter....

[OldCandy]

i have a habit of cracking/snapping decks

comes with learning tricks i guess

which woodshop is more durable?

[al_cvbrera]

You're too new to give a shit about this stuff.....it won't matter....

i highly disagree. so what if he’s “new” (which he technically isn’t)… he asked for us to help him out and wants to ensure he makes an educated purchase. you know, with money he earned himself? whether he’s new or not he deserves to atleast know about what he’s buying

[Woodshop]

i have a habit of cracking/snapping decks

comes with learning tricks i guess

which woodshop is more durable?

There might be significant bias towards BBS, but neither really stands out with regard to strength or breaking boards, or any other woodshop for that matter, besides having something with carbon fibre or other associated strengthening material in it, eg Flight boards from Powell, VX from NHS (Santa Cruz or Creature) or various options from Dwindle brands, among others.  Any normal wood board you land on incorrectly will have a good chance of breaking, but I have often thought that some of the boards that have a bit more give or flex will bend more so than break, so sometimes that deck that is more flexed out might not break as easily as a dry or crispy new board.

Another thing that others have said makes a difference is the flatter boards are more likely to break than the ones with more concave, which it is said will support the board more, but I don't know how true that is, given some brands with steeper concave all round snap very easily, from what I have seen.

If you are breaking boards over the bolts, you could try using ultra thin rubber risers will cushion the impact a bit, or machining off the sharp inside edge of the trucks so it doesn't cut into the deck quite so much.


There are a couple of guys I skate with who always break boards, no matter which brand they are, but if they can get through the first week, sometimes even just the first session or two, then they usually last a fair bit longer, so I guess there is some truth to the theory of breaking in boards more so than going hard on a brand new board.

Also note, I had helped (and mostly given up trying to help) quite a few people over the years who were often never happy with whatever board they were riding, always blaming the board or this or that, so it was funny when a board one guy cracked in his first skate then lasted another month or so for someone else who still skated hard but knew how to land correctly.


I would never tell someone how they should skate, or whether or not they should not skate gaps, drops, or whatever it is they break more boards on, or even some tricks that always seem to land incorrectly, but if they are always without a board or cannot afford one half the time because they keep breaking boards, I would try to encourage them to not go quite as hard at least in the warm ups, have more mellow sessions and try to skate a bit more low impact stuff.

[manysnakes]

I guess my question is does it matter? Will I be able to tell?

No and no

[streetmeat]

have skated DLX brands for 20 years / BBS wood, recently skated two Quasi PS decks and hated them. Complete mush and the streets destroyed them.

[OldCandy]

Expand Quote

i have a habit of cracking/snapping decks

comes with learning tricks i guess

which woodshop is more durable?

[close]

Another thing that others have said makes a difference is the flatter boards are more likely to break than the ones with more concave, which it is said will support the board more, but I don't know how true that is, given some brands with steeper concave all round snap very easily, from what I have seen.

If you are breaking boards over the bolts, you could try using ultra thin rubber risers will cushion the impact a bit, or machining off the sharp inside edge of the trucks so it doesn't cut into the deck quite so much.

i suppose more concave would add more tension/make the board stiffer but i think in regards to cracks in the boardslide region the deepdish will probably last longer..

it is what it is, i remember learning tre flips and consistently landing one foot in the middle and 1 foot on the tail/nose...

[Xen]

Might just be me but PS boards are crisp for about a week then just get mushy. BBS are stiffer from the get go and stay crisp much longer. Only deck I ever had delaminate was a PS made Assault deck(lambreta deck) and I’ve only ever snapped one deck which was a BBS. To be fair though I was doing kick flips for 30ish minutes and kept landing with my back foot on the tail so I’ll take the blame.

As far as quality of product goes, regardless of what people might say about different woodshops, PS Stix is still one of the best in the industry, so there is little chance you are going to get something that is cheap rubbish.

Everyone has their preferences, especially when it comes to BBS / PS Stix but as far as skating either board, I really don't think there is going to be much difference for the average person getting a new board, unless you are so tuned in with your setup, how you skate, what tricks you do, concave and wheelbase differences, which is how most people on here and other places will react if they set up something that they are not used to.


That said, it is also important to get a board, deck especially, that is the right size, for which there is also a lot of debate, to which some will say bigger and some will say smaller.  For an average body size, weight, shoe size, anything from 8 to 8.5 is fairly common, with 8.25 being the most common size in skateboarding at the present time.  Smaller boards are lighter and easier to get tech on, bigger boards will give you more room to move and balance if you are not so into tech tricks, or if you are a bigger body, taller, or just want something that will be easier to have fun on.

I won't go into too much more detail, but I think the number one issue I have seen from people getting boards, be it their first ever or first in a long time, is they tend to get a board that is often smaller than what they should be on, be it because the shop guy said that was the right size, or there were more smaller boards in the store, or just down to what graphic someone wanted, which only came in a smaller size.

Whatever the case, budget and ability are the two main things I would always ask someone before giving them options for boards, then go from there.

+1 to this entire post - especially the size. When I got back into it 15 years ago (after 5-6 year break of skating off and on) I went straight to a 7.75"/129 indys and it was so wrong...bumed to an 8.375 and 149s to get my legs back.

If you are getting back on the board after a long hiatus (or ever, really), there is no need for your to stress about woodshops. Seriously.

That said, to save some headache, just buy a board from DLX (real, Anti Hero, Krooked), a set of indys, set of spitfires, some bones reds and call it day. Santa Cruz/Creature/Baker Deathwish boards are also solid, safe options.

[downtodevin]

Expand Quote

Might just be me but PS boards are crisp for about a week then just get mushy. BBS are stiffer from the get go and stay crisp much longer. Only deck I ever had delaminate was a PS made Assault deck(lambreta deck) and I’ve only ever snapped one deck which was a BBS. To be fair though I was doing kick flips for 30ish minutes and kept landing with my back foot on the tail so I’ll take the blame.

[close]

Expand Quote

As far as quality of product goes, regardless of what people might say about different woodshops, PS Stix is still one of the best in the industry, so there is little chance you are going to get something that is cheap rubbish.

Everyone has their preferences, especially when it comes to BBS / PS Stix but as far as skating either board, I really don't think there is going to be much difference for the average person getting a new board, unless you are so tuned in with your setup, how you skate, what tricks you do, concave and wheelbase differences, which is how most people on here and other places will react if they set up something that they are not used to.


That said, it is also important to get a board, deck especially, that is the right size, for which there is also a lot of debate, to which some will say bigger and some will say smaller.  For an average body size, weight, shoe size, anything from 8 to 8.5 is fairly common, with 8.25 being the most common size in skateboarding at the present time.  Smaller boards are lighter and easier to get tech on, bigger boards will give you more room to move and balance if you are not so into tech tricks, or if you are a bigger body, taller, or just want something that will be easier to have fun on.

I won't go into too much more detail, but I think the number one issue I have seen from people getting boards, be it their first ever or first in a long time, is they tend to get a board that is often smaller than what they should be on, be it because the shop guy said that was the right size, or there were more smaller boards in the store, or just down to what graphic someone wanted, which only came in a smaller size.

Whatever the case, budget and ability are the two main things I would always ask someone before giving them options for boards, then go from there.

[close]

+1 to this entire post - especially the size. When I got back into it 15 years ago (after 5-6 year break of skating off and on) I went straight to a 7.75"/129 indys and it was so wrong...bumed to an 8.375 and 149s to get my legs back.

If you are getting back on the board after a long hiatus (or ever, really), there is no need for your to stress about woodshops. Seriously.

That said, to save some headache, just buy a board from DLX (real, Anti Hero, Krooked), a set of indys, set of spitfires, some bones reds and call it day. Santa Cruz/Creature/Baker Deathwish boards are also solid, safe options.

Thanks for the advice!

[scootmepls]

my 2 cents...the first session on a fresh psstix is like no other
they sog out in like 2 weeks and last 1 month max imo
bbs feels heavier? but is a lot stronger and more durable
generally my bbs decks don't have as much razor tail as a psstix for same amount of skating
i used to think it didnt matter until i started doing wallrides and noticed the nose chunking out a lot less on bbs decks

[SneakySecrets]

As long as you have a fresh pair of Cariumas, the board is really irrelevant.

[layzieyez]

Also, if you have gotten significantly heavier since you quit and you had board breaking tendencies before, then there are technology imbued options for decks, too.

Most all, have fun and keep your expectations realistic.

[mj23]

OP, here’s what you need to do: read through every single page of the setup thread, and then commit to trying as many new boards as possible, until you’ve completely lost your mind and start talking seriously about whether or not to pop your bearing shields off, and whether the stain color of your top ply affects the weight of a deck.

[biaherl]

Or?!

It doesn't matter

The only thing that matters is your favorite trucks

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

Expand Quote

You're too new to give a shit about this stuff.....it won't matter....

[close]

i highly disagree. so what if he’s “new” (which he technically isn’t)… he asked for us to help him out and wants to ensure he makes an educated purchase. you know, with money he earned himself? whether he’s new or not he deserves to atleast know about what he’s buying

Yeh thanks...I was referring to why torment yourself with two products that are marginally different....I can't skate PS boards but I clearly know.....its me.