I could be wrong but I originally assumed it was for stability over the back truck. More width over the front truck means more leverage for turning. Less width, more stability. It likely also had something to do with where your feet would sit, where your hands would grab and what types of tricks were being done on 80s style boards (when shapes were at their most extreme) Obviously as street skating became an established thing and switch and nollie tricks got underway, boards evened out more and more until we had the popsicle.
These days, I find different shapes bring out different things in my skateboarding and I am never really sure where its going to lead until i get the shape under my feet. But I don't like shapes to be too radical. Too much taper or too square of a shape just doesn't work for me. The exception would be the Gonz sweatpants shape.
Right now I am really digging eggs/ footballs because the width in the middle feels nice and stable but the tapered nose and tail still keeps things responsive for flip and other tricks. I have size 12 feet so I like the real estate in the middle but the agility of tapered noses and tails A 9" egg will skate like an 8.75" or even 8.5" popsicle especially with the shorter wheelbase. The taped noses also go well on jersey barrier or super tight transition spots where you might catch a bulkier nose. I think eggs are super practical ATVs.
Try some subtle shapes without too much taper first and see what you like about them. I would also recommend if you are still trying to get a little tech and do flip tricks, line up your trucks over the back of the deck not the front or widest point. I see a lot of people riding retro shapes with huge trucks b/c they are matching truck width to deck width at its widest. It's unnecessary.
Topic: What is the benefit of board taper on shaped decks? (Read 2845 times)