Polar Shapes

[fs1/2cab]

I really dig the Polar 8.25 / 14.125 wb which is actually 14.25 wb in reality, but still. Goes good with my Ventures. Concave is steep enough but not too steep, and the whole shape is just kinda harmonious, if you will, for my mediocre skating.

Didn't they change the 8.25 shape recently? I had an older 8.25 and something about the shape felt a bit off to me. Overall length a bit too long. Wheelbase longer as 14.3 and the tail was also longer as 6.7

[Nymphicus hollandicus]

Has anyone measured the wheelbase of the 7.875 deck that is marked as 14.125? I had one 7.875 in the past and it was marked and measured as 14.25? I am wondering if they have shortened the wb or it is a printing mistaked with this 14.125 on the last couple of drops.

Just wanted to bump this question as I was wondering the same about Polar 7.875" decks if anyone has had any experience with them?

I've not owned a Polar board before but the last 7.875" deck I actually saw in person was the No Comply white/red graphic one at one of my locals over a year ago. I'm certain it had 14.125" as the wheelbase listed on it, possibly on a sticker (unfortunately I didn't get a chance to actually measure it at the time) so I've been wondering if that is the most common wheelbase for that deck size? Lots of online listings seem to have them as having a 14.25" wheelbase. With all that said would people say it is just a case of measuring each one individually where possible before buying?

[munchbox]

honestly if you care so much (not saying i dont) about 0.125”
you should measure any board you plan on buying in store

[Ok]

honestly if you care so much (not saying i dont) about 0.125”
you should measure any board you plan on buying in store

i gotta agree with this.
expounding further: i can buy boards that i thought would be perfect, based off of the numbers, and they are total shit. that, coupled with me being able to walk into a place and just give something the old eyeballs, and pick a winner.
skateshops are the answer.
i’m way far away from shops, sucks, but the boards i get from off the shelf, are better than what arrives in the mail

[rikki]

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honestly if you care so much (not saying i dont) about 0.125”
you should measure any board you plan on buying in store

[close]

i gotta agree with this.
expounding further: i can buy boards that i thought would be perfect, based off of the numbers, and they are total shit. that, coupled with me being able to walk into a place and just give something the old eyeballs, and pick a winner.
skateshops are the answer.
i’m way far away from shops, sucks, but the boards i get from off the shelf, are better than what arrives in the mail

This. I've been screwed too many times by false deck dims via online orders. Gonna either stick to shapes I've ridden previously or go support a local with a tape measure in hand.

[Nymphicus hollandicus]

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honestly if you care so much (not saying i dont) about 0.125”
you should measure any board you plan on buying in store

[close]

i gotta agree with this.
expounding further: i can buy boards that i thought would be perfect, based off of the numbers, and they are total shit. that, coupled with me being able to walk into a place and just give something the old eyeballs, and pick a winner.
skateshops are the answer.
i’m way far away from shops, sucks, but the boards i get from off the shelf, are better than what arrives in the mail

[close]

This. I've been screwed too many times by false deck dims via online orders. Gonna either stick to shapes I've ridden previously or go support a local with a tape measure in hand.

Big thank you for the input and replies everyone, top advice all round. 
I'm in agreement now that buying directly from skate shops is the way to go where possible. Really wish I'd gone for that No Comply graphic 7.875" I saw last year, I believe it was on sale too.
I'll try and get down to my local before Xmas and check out one of the other Polar 7.875's they still have in stock. If I find one that looks and feels as good as the last one, I'll go for it this time (and report back with its dimensions of course!)
Cheers

[Ant]

Are the Polar 8.5 and AH 8.38 the same deck?

[Mbrimson88]

Are the Polar 8.5 and AH 8.38 the same deck?

Lining up two I have, there are slight differences, but you can easily notice them if you ride a lot more of one than the other, like I do on the 8.38 board, as well as having a number of the 8.5 boards around too.

The 8.38 has a more pointy nose and shorter more pointy tail than the 8.5, as well as slightly less width, very minimal, often with the 8.5 having a little more concave too, but that can change depending on the different mold / presses used.

There was often discussion with the Polar wheelbases, some being 14.375 and others being 14.5 when measured from the middle of the bolt holes, but the one I have is 14.5 which is the same as the DLX 8.38 board.

[DarkPools]

The Polar has a fuller/squarer nose than the AH. It's slightly visible if you're looking for it.

The widths could be real similar as DLX 8.38 tends to feel closer to an actual 8.5

Beyond that, they're close, but not the same

[Ant]

Cool thanks

[Nymphicus hollandicus]

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honestly if you care so much (not saying i dont) about 0.125”
you should measure any board you plan on buying in store

[close]

i gotta agree with this.
expounding further: i can buy boards that i thought would be perfect, based off of the numbers, and they are total shit. that, coupled with me being able to walk into a place and just give something the old eyeballs, and pick a winner.
skateshops are the answer.
i’m way far away from shops, sucks, but the boards i get from off the shelf, are better than what arrives in the mail

[close]

This. I've been screwed too many times by false deck dims via online orders. Gonna either stick to shapes I've ridden previously or go support a local with a tape measure in hand.

[close]

Big thank you for the input and replies everyone, top advice all round. 
I'm in agreement now that buying directly from skate shops is the way to go where possible. Really wish I'd gone for that No Comply graphic 7.875" I saw last year, I believe it was on sale too.
I'll try and get down to my local before Xmas and check out one of the other Polar 7.875's they still have in stock. If I find one that looks and feels as good as the last one, I'll go for it this time (and report back with its dimensions of course!)
Cheers

For anyone possibly still interested, I just thought I'd follow up my old post with some measurements of a Polar 7.875" Hjalte Halberg that I just bought from one of my local skate shops.





Label dimensions:



Wheelbase seems to be just a touch over the labelled 14.125" at more like 14.2" (lots of shop websites seem to advertise these decks as 14.25" to add to the confusion) I know it is only a tiny difference but I found it interesting that it is not exact!





Starting point for the metal rule just for reference:



Tail looks about right at labelled 6.5":



Nose seems a touch longer than the labelled 6.875" but it is marginal:



Total length seems about right at labelled 31.625":



Overall I'm really looking forward to setting it up this week. I'm not the best at describing concave but I would say it is a solid medium, it doesn't look steep to me but definitely has some shape to it. 

[Lurkey]

Does it seem like Polar has slowed down their release of boards? Also way less shapes available?

[munchbox]

Does it seem like Polar has slowed down their release of boards? Also way less shapes available?

they are having a spring cleaning sale right now
which would lead me to assume more boards are coming

[jakeumms]

Crosspost from Big Boards:

Just to clarify on the Dane1 wheelbase update; I don't think any 14.38wbs made it out to market yet and this is maybe why there aren't any in this latest drop. My guess is they are trying to sell through the old shape? The first and only one to drop after the update was announced was an Oski Dane1 that I saw on a bunch of sites listed as 14.38 but never saw one in person. Here's a clear pic from Tactics with a Polar label listing the old wheelbase:
https://www.tactics.com/a/eo5q/1b/polar-skate-co-rozenberg-west-harbor-975-dane-1-shape-skateboard-deck.webp

I don't think the actual shape ever got updated and the Polar site was probably updated too early as all the Dane1's that have been released are labeled 14.125. Every thing that is out there now is still the old shape.

[Mbrimson88]

Crosspost from Big Boards:

Just to clarify on the Dane1 wheelbase update; I don't think any 14.38wbs made it out to market yet and this is maybe why there aren't any in this latest drop. My guess is they are trying to sell through the old shape? The first and only one to drop after the update was announced was an Oski Dane1 that I saw on a bunch of sites listed as 14.38 but never saw one in person. Here's a clear pic from Tactics with a Polar label listing the old wheelbase:
https://www.tactics.com/a/eo5q/1b/polar-skate-co-rozenberg-west-harbor-975-dane-1-shape-skateboard-deck.webp

I don't think the actual shape ever got updated and the Polar site was probably updated too early as all the Dane1's that have been released are labeled 14.125. Every thing that is out there now is still the old shape.

Caused a bit of a stir didn't it?


I think that board would benefit from a slightly longer wheelbase, but that is just me.  The two that I have are from people who tried them and wanted longer wheelbases, so go figure really.

One other guy I know drilled both ends out, but even on Ace trucks, it was still too short (as well as a really short tail).

[jakeumms]

Expand Quote

Crosspost from Big Boards:

Just to clarify on the Dane1 wheelbase update; I don't think any 14.38wbs made it out to market yet and this is maybe why there aren't any in this latest drop. My guess is they are trying to sell through the old shape? The first and only one to drop after the update was announced was an Oski Dane1 that I saw on a bunch of sites listed as 14.38 but never saw one in person. Here's a clear pic from Tactics with a Polar label listing the old wheelbase:
https://www.tactics.com/a/eo5q/1b/polar-skate-co-rozenberg-west-harbor-975-dane-1-shape-skateboard-deck.webp

I don't think the actual shape ever got updated and the Polar site was probably updated too early as all the Dane1's that have been released are labeled 14.125. Every thing that is out there now is still the old shape.

[close]

Caused a bit of a stir didn't it?


I think that board would benefit from a slightly longer wheelbase, but that is just me.  The two that I have are from people who tried them and wanted longer wheelbases, so go figure really.

One other guy I know drilled both ends out, but even on Ace trucks, it was still too short (as well as a really short tail).

I have tall guy with short legs problems so it's pretty perfect for me. My one complaint would be that the nose is just long enough and could maybe even be slightly longer or fuller. So my thinking is with them extending out the wheelbase is that they take the quarter inch from the already short nose. At that point you might as well roll the dice and make the Dane2 and see if it catches on.

[Mbrimson88]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Crosspost from Big Boards:

Just to clarify on the Dane1 wheelbase update; I don't think any 14.38wbs made it out to market yet and this is maybe why there aren't any in this latest drop. My guess is they are trying to sell through the old shape? The first and only one to drop after the update was announced was an Oski Dane1 that I saw on a bunch of sites listed as 14.38 but never saw one in person. Here's a clear pic from Tactics with a Polar label listing the old wheelbase:
https://www.tactics.com/a/eo5q/1b/polar-skate-co-rozenberg-west-harbor-975-dane-1-shape-skateboard-deck.webp

I don't think the actual shape ever got updated and the Polar site was probably updated too early as all the Dane1's that have been released are labeled 14.125. Every thing that is out there now is still the old shape.

[close]

Caused a bit of a stir didn't it?


I think that board would benefit from a slightly longer wheelbase, but that is just me.  The two that I have are from people who tried them and wanted longer wheelbases, so go figure really.

One other guy I know drilled both ends out, but even on Ace trucks, it was still too short (as well as a really short tail).

[close]

I have tall guy with short legs problems so it's pretty perfect for me. My one complaint would be that the nose is just long enough and could maybe even be slightly longer or fuller. So my thinking is with them extending out the wheelbase is that they take the quarter inch from the already short nose. At that point you might as well roll the dice and make the Dane2 and see if it catches on.

Yeah that is why a lot of people like it, cause it works for them.

Would the shape work better if it was longer in the nose?  I think so, but as you said, is it now a different shape, the Dane 2 more so than revising the original shape and still having the same name.

With Jr or Sr or whatever different names they have with some of the slightly different variations on the original shape, at least something else could work better, especially if it had something like a longer overall shape, longer nose, then double drilled at 14.1 and 14.4 or so.

Just a thought there, much like some of the Black Label boards at 14 or 14.5 or others like Grosso, although his is long or longer, in that regard.