To anyone generally unfamiliar with the concept of The Polarizer...
"Polarizer" is technically the name of the board sold from The Heated Wheel.
Some cult factions of the community believe that "Polarizer" is also the PERSON who MAKES the board, and that you're not a Polarizer and the board is not a Polarizer until you've put together the board with a set of specific parameters.
Those parameters include:
-Acquiring/making your own deck and riding it "upside down."
-Bones Swiss Bearings.
-New, low durometer wheels.
-Contested: Cut up roller skate trucks OR Sure Grip "vintage" skate trucks.
-Mounting said trucks of your own volition with a large wheelbase.
-Contested: Using wood/sheet metal screws to mount trucks.
Like all niche subgroups, the rules can get pedantic and silly to a beginner or outside observer.
With most things precious to people in these type of groups, there is a significant amount of gatekeeping.
And it's not without merit, because we all know that too much exposure can suck the life out of something pure.
You see, there is a bit of skate philosophy behind the making of this board.
It's not a gimmick or a trend.
The board was made to tap into a part of skateboarding that can get lost as new generations come up in a world of Instagram clips, "do a kickflip," Olympic exposure, etc.
Think of the idea of the "soul surfer." It's not far off of an idea, in that skateboarding's roots are that of the "sidewalk surfboard." A polarizer is the modern version of the sidewalk skateboard. It's the original idea of skateboarding with modern
technology. When people ride one for the first time, it feels fucking weird and scary because you're both regressing and progressing, if that makes sense. It's a way, in my opinion, to "relearn" how to skate. You have to learn to turn, to carve, to flow, or else it won't work. You have to retrain your muscle memory to commit to deeper carves. You have to GO FAST. You HAVE to actually SKATE.
I fucking love these boards. I'm older, and I found myself gravitating towards Zip Zingers, smaller and looser trucks, and speed cruising towards the end of my tenure with traditional skateboards. I had no interest in big, pig-style cruisers, Landyachtz style boards, or anything that felt like a Sherman Tank. I wanted smaller, squirrelly boards that still had a foot in my history with skateboarding. When someone turned me on to polarizers, I instantly got it. That's what I was looking for. The simplicity and the originality. New/Old.
If you decide to fall down the rabbit hole of Polarization, be prepared for a veritable shit-ton of talk about bushings.
And pivot cups.
And how to remove a 7mm axle from a roller skate.
And wheelbase.
And "Where can I get a copy of When the Grunion Run?"
And why won't Blender answer my DMs/send me a board/do my dishes/berate my stepdad.