DLX boards now made in China

[Jogging José]

No clue if is the same factory but I had a Chinese Primitive and I liked it better than the classic Mexican one.

A little birdie told me it‘s indeed the same factory Primitive uses for their Chinese pro decks…

[breezy_again]

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No clue if is the same factory but I had a Chinese Primitive and I liked it better than the classic Mexican one.

[close]

A little birdie told me it‘s indeed the same factory Primitive uses for their Chinese pro decks…

shoutout to birds

[JM]

They arrived and look promising.
At first look they are almost identical to the Mexican ones. You can tell the difference by looking at the top sticker, it says made in China instead of made Mexico on it.
Also, the Roman numerals on top are missing.
Speaking of those, I would say, the concave is between a three and a four. The blue antihero BBS Deck I put in the pictures for comparison is a two.
They seem to be single press. I ordered two,  of Concave and kicks are exactly the same.

I just stood on it for the first time after setting it up and on the carpet it feels good and inviting. I made a sound comparison and it kind of sounds the same when I pop it on the floor. Flexibility is good too. Doesn’t feel too stiff yet.
But to see what it really feels like I have to take it outside.
It’s raining right now and it’s my wife’s birthday so I’ll see if I can sneak outside and take it for a spin. I’m so excited to find out what it feels like.
 
Here are some first pictures:

Sick, thanks. That’s promising.

The numeral looks like it would be under the sticker if there was one. Did you pull off the China sticker to see if it’s under there?

(Purple top. Wowee 🤩)

[ish_wav]

No clue if is the same factory but I had a Chinese Primitive and I liked it better than the classic Mexican one.

I think Chinese wood gets a bad rep. I’ve been riding a Chinese Element board and it’s been my favorite board in years. I loved it so much I ordered three more.

[Mbrimson88]

They arrived and look promising.
At first look they are almost identical to the Mexican ones. You can tell the difference by looking at the top sticker, it says made in China instead of made Mexico on it.
Also, the Roman numerals on top are missing.
Speaking of those, I would say, the concave is between a three and a four. The blue antihero BBS Deck I put in the pictures for comparison is a two.
They seem to be single press. I ordered two,  of Concave and kicks are exactly the same.

I just stood on it for the first time after setting it up and on the carpet it feels good and inviting. I made a sound comparison and it kind of sounds the same when I pop it on the floor. Flexibility is good too. Doesn’t feel too stiff yet.
But to see what it really feels like I have to take it outside.
It’s raining right now and it’s my wife’s birthday so I’ll see if I can sneak outside and take it for a spin. I’m so excited to find out what it feels like.
 
Here are some first pictures:

Amazing effort for all the pics!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Sick, thanks. That’s promising.

The numeral looks like it would be under the sticker if there was one. Did you pull off the China sticker to see if it’s under there?

(Purple top. Wowee 🤩)

All single press boards, so they should not have any numbers and will all be the same concave too.

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No clue if is the same factory but I had a Chinese Primitive and I liked it better than the classic Mexican one.

[close]

I think Chinese wood gets a bad rep. I’ve been riding a Chinese Element board and it’s been my favorite board in years. I loved it so much I ordered three more.

A while back things were quite different, but they really seem to have been stepping up a lot more in recent years, so yes, as you said, same as others I know who ride China boards find them way better than what they used to be, at least the boards from that specific woodshop in China.  Don't know about all the other woodshops in China though and some still seem like they are pretty cheap, but you get what you pay for in that regard, but the bigger ones do seem to be coming out on top - Excel, Jeeping, Dalian, etc - full names and info in woodshop thread anyway.

Here's hoping they skate just as well as they look.

[Lou Strux]

Well, I’ve taken mine out for a session. I rode the first half of the session on a bbs made Deluxe deck & then set up the Chinese Deluxe deck.
My sentiments regarding the concave echo what was said above: felt like a 3 or a 4.
The shape I have is an 8.5 with a 14.25 wheelbase & there was a finger (& change) of flat before the kicks start. Pretty similar to the Deluxe shape I had to compare it with. Tips measured 6.92 & 6.48.
The kicks have the same slight spoon to them that the Mexican made BBS decks feature.
Deck thickness is pretty much the same as well, according to old Mr. Digital Calipers.
It is true that these are single pressed decks & use epoxy resin as the adhesive matrix & as a result it is noticeably stiffer.
After I got used to the rigidity & adjusted my pop accordingly, I found the deck had a crispy snap that felt nice once I embraced it. That same stiffness had an effect the feel of landings as well, but after some time on the deck I ceased noticing the difference.
Visually, the quality appeared up to snuff, with a pair of died plies on top & another on the bottom & a nice looking finish, even though mine was just a blank test sample.
I’ve only just had this one session, but overall my first impression is that if this is what the Deluxe offerings were to be like, I wouldn’t be mad.
I still prefer the BBS wood for feel, but this new wood may grow on me.
Jury is still out on durability, as I’ve only put a single session in on it, but if the tips mush out or chip, if it starts to show stress cracks prematurely, etc, I’ll let you know here.
For now, my initial impression is “Sure, this is actually fine.” I’d ride this wood & shape all day/every day & be perfectly happy if I could get it with a 14.5 WB & maybe a squared tail.
Don’t be skurt to try out these new Chinese woods. If you’re not already accustomed to epoxy resin decks, it may take you a few minutes to dial in, but it feels like these things are a pretty solid go, barring some new development in durability arising.
Looking forward to hearing others impressions here, but for what it’s worth, there’s mine.

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

why would they have the numeral if it's an entirely different factory? 

how do we know it's single board presses?  What do we really know about the construction?  Were girl boards the same as almost boards?  both china?  PS vs. BBS....same country....must be the same....

[nopopnostyle]

Well, I’ve taken mine out for a session. I rode the first half of the session on a bbs made Deluxe deck & then set up the Chinese Deluxe deck.
My sentiments regarding the concave echo what was said above: felt like a 3 or a 4.
The shape I have is an 8.5 with a 14.25 wheelbase & there was a finger (& change) of flat before the kicks start. Pretty similar to the Deluxe shape I had to compare it with. Tips measured 6.92 & 6.48.
The kicks have the same slight spoon to them that the Mexican made BBS decks feature.
Deck thickness is pretty much the same as well, according to old Mr. Digital Calipers.
It is true that these are single pressed decks & use epoxy resin as the adhesive matrix & as a result it is noticeably stiffer.
After I got used to the rigidity & adjusted my pop accordingly, I found the deck had a crispy snap that felt nice once I embraced it. That same stiffness had an effect the feel of landings as well, but after some time on the deck I ceased noticing the difference.
Visually, the quality appeared up to snuff, with a pair of died plies on top & another on the bottom & a nice looking finish, even though mine was just a blank test sample.
I’ve only just had this one session, but overall my first impression is that if this is what the Deluxe offerings were to be like, I wouldn’t be mad.
I still prefer the BBS wood for feel, but this new wood may grow on me.
Jury is still out on durability, as I’ve only put a single session in on it, but if the tips mush out or chip, if it starts to show stress cracks prematurely, etc, I’ll let you know here.
For now, my initial impression is “Sure, this is actually fine.” I’d ride this wood & shape all day/every day & be perfectly happy if I could get it with a 14.5 WB & maybe a squared tail.
Don’t be skurt to try out these new Chinese woods. If you’re not already accustomed to epoxy resin decks, it may take you a few minutes to dial in, but it feels like these things are a pretty solid go, barring some new development in durability arising.
Looking forward to hearing others impressions here, but for what it’s worth, there’s mine.

Well written and on point. Thank you for sharing.
I took mine out for the first session yesterday as well and couldn’t find better words to describe my experience.
I too felt a slight difference in Pop-Feel and attribute it to epoxy glue. My first impression was that it feels like a dwindle board but better quality. It’s a slightly different flex when you load the board with pressure but you get used to it really quick.

The shape is definitely exactly what it should be.
I’ve been riding the 8.4x32
On my main setup for over a year and I felt right at home straight away.
Steepness wise, I prefer the concave and the kicks to the BBS ones. And yes, I pulled the sticker off and there’s no roman Numeral.
I especially ordered two decks for comparison and I would definitely confirm single press. I have a stack of 10 boards of that exact shape pressed by BBS and not two of those are as identical as the two Chinese Ones. There is always slight imperfections with the BBS ones.
This could be really a big advantage for the Chinese ones in the future because you will get the same exact steepness every time. Could make the Chinese ones a preference for me too.

The only thing that makes me prefer the other wood  at the moment is a slight sound difference when it pops. But that could also be because I’m really, really used to the BBS feel at the moment.

And the clear coat finish could be a little less shiny. Makes it look cheaper than it feels imo.

I’m also curious if they will last as long as the originals. And also how the pricing will be in the future.  Right now they are €5 to €10 cheaper than the BBS ones. If they hold up well, then this will be fair imo.
 

[nopopnostyle]

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The DLX China boards have arrived in Germany...

[close]

Completely unrelated...If you are in Germany, can you suggest any German-based web sites that cover the skate scene in Germany?

I’ve been a little bit out of the loop in the last couple of years but I asked a friend and he recommended those:

https://pocketskatemag.com/

https://soloskatemag.com/

[nopopnostyle]

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The DLX China boards have arrived in Germany.
I was browsing the Sk8deluxe site this morning and they have new DLX wood.
Upon closer inspection you can see the Top sticker says made in China and they are €5 to €10 cheaper than the BBS Mexico boards.
I sent them an Email to find out if they only carry the Chinese ones in the future or if there will also be more the expensive BBS ones to choose from.
I’m going to order one and see what it’s like.


https://www.skatedeluxe.com/de/real-lintell-prey-8-4-skateboard-deck-multi_p168055

[close]

Good eye! That's a nice shape btw.

Thx. I’ve been enjoying the DLX 8.4 a lot. Love the dimensions and especially the straight rail. Usually it’s been exclusive to Antihero so I was surprised to see it on a Real Board. I like Harry so it’s cool to ride the shape I like on his board. And as a street skater, I can relate way better to Harry’s skating than to Peter Hewitt, TNT or Raney Beres’s. Since it’s a little bit of a unicorn shape, those are the pros who usually get it..
But since I’m not that young anymore, the shape is way more important to me than the pros name on it.

And I think it’s a good development that the unicorn shapes like the 8.4 and 8.28 get a little bit more exposure.

But that’s a discussion for the main DLX Shapes Thread.

It’s just really comforting for me to know now that the Chinese alternative is shape wise actually as  good if not better than the Mexican one we’ve all grown to appreciate so much.

[Woodshop]

.


If I may add a little info, purely speculation, but well established woodshops like BBS and others have very specific hardware and existing presses, usually single stack with four or so boards in each, whereas the up and coming new factories or new technology in woodshops in China have single presses, but often up to ten or so boards in each stack, as per a few pics / instagram posts below.

This in itself makes for a more uniform board, as well as up to ten boards per press, compared to the lower number of four boards per press, with four different concaves on each, if that makes sense.  It also makes it way cheaper to press more boards at a time too.

Not saying this is how the DLX boards are pressed, but it seems like more factories / woodshops in China are going to this method, more so than any other older press system.

Also copied this from a while back:



https://skateparkoftampa.com/article/785/Paul_Schmitt's_Skateboard_Deck_Factory,_PS_Stix


The comment:

You know the plies of your skateboard deck? Well, this machine is a press that glues the separate plies together. They do five boards at a time, so that's why sometimes you get the same exact board with a little more or little less concave






Other places like BBS do FOUR at a time (top the steepest concave and bottom the most mellow concave), while many others (especially in China) are geared up to do ONE at a time, but they have presses that hold about eight to ten decks in each, so each individual deck is identical.

[Lou Strux]

why would they have the numeral if it's an entirely different factory?

There are no numbers.
In my case, I used the comparo to give folks an idea of approx how steep the concave was. Would be pretty funny if they went ahead & stamped a "III" into ALL of them just for the sake of reference.

how do we know it's single board presses?  What do we really know about the construction?

Single pressed, made in China, epoxy glue.  These basic details, I have from the beak of a certain, very well connected bird.
Same little bird also told me that these are pressed up in the same shop that has been pressing up the decks for their completes, but with new cash/knowledge injection from DLX, BBS, and rumor has it, a certain detail oriented Canadian consulted on some of the more finite deets.

Were girl boards the same as almost boards?  both china?  PS vs. BBS....same country....must be the same....

Obviously, the woodshop, rather than the region of the globe, will be more instrumental in dictating the product quality. It's safe to say we have moved past, or let go of the “Chinese production = low quality” sterotype by now.
Chinese manufactories are more than capable of building to the spec they are contracted to (you get the quality you pay them to build for you.) I know which specific woodshop these decks are coming from: I was given this sample deck as a tester because I’ve been waaay too curious about them & the fellas probably figured this was a good way to shut me up, but I'm not sure if I'm at liberty to disclose that to the general public, so I will respectfully withhold that piece of info at this time.  Heck, I don't even know if I was supposed to know: the etchings were covered op by a sticker, but you just know I was peeling that thing up w/ a razor as soon as I got it home.
I had planned to set my regular BBS/DLX deck back up again after I borrowed the trucks wheels off of it for an apples to apples comparison, but I enjoyed this new Chinese wood to the point I decided to keep it set up for the life of the deck, however long that may be. Not to mention, I’m gonna need more than one session to get a gauge on durability.
Naturally, I'll keep this thread posted if it explodes while rolling off a curb or shatters on a proper "bolts" landing. I’m pretty much aged out of snapping boards on landings now , due to not being able to pop higher that my knees anymore, so it’ll def be a quality issue if it does break in the next month.
More impressions as I get them, but for now I’m giving these a thumbs up w/ the following caveat: stiff, but oh boy!
Don’t be afraid of these things, they ride nice even if the feel a bit different from the BBS Deluxe offerings. If you've ever ridden an epoxy deck & enjoyed it, these will suit you fine.  Kinda like a DSM deck, but with mellower kicks. 

[Ok]

i like flat, so i’m interested to try.

thanks for the excellent notes that the 3 if you have posted about feel.

i’ve whinged on about how i don’t prefer the stiffness of say the crail boards, compared to a ps, but the consistency and durability sure is nice.

i am currently skating an 8.38 generator shop
board that was the flattest they had, and it’s one of the best decks i’ve had in a long time. if i could get this repeatedly i’d just do that. and i’ve felt the same with ps boards. hard to get the consistent qc, and the flat.

blah blah blah

thanks for the field research

[JM]

rumor has it, a certain detail oriented Canadian assisted on the more finite deets.

No way I will keep my guesses. But I love this rumor.

[Lou Strux]

@JM, I happened to come across same said Canadian sessioning the Rockridge skurbs earlier this year, and while vague on the matter, when asked what he was in town for, he said he was visiting his brother while doing some work with a "local company."
That same bird I mentioned in a prior post later confirmed my suspicions rather directly.

[JM]

@JM, I happened to come across same said Canadian sessioning the Rockridge skurbs earlier this year, and while vague on the matter, when asked what he was in town for, he said he was visiting his brother while doing some work with a "local company."
That same bird I mentioned in a prior post later confirmed my suspicions rather directly.

Either this is some heavy confirmation bias, or I feel much more confident of this person’s secret identity

[Mmmdonutss94]

I buy American vehicles (GM, Ford, and Setallatis) because I support union labor and living wages. So I think you’re totally right, but what’s wrong is assuming it’s “xenophobia” also hella cringe to unironically use the term xenophobia.

this thread has been very informative, thanks ya’ll.

i do not really like bbs boards, and during the pandemic they were worse (felt off/half-baked/mushy).

i’d much prefer a pgi/dsm deck. i don’t need/like steep kicks, but dailan boards are very consistent, and long lasting.

my strong preference is to buy as locally as possible, generally for jobs/working conditions, but also environmental concerns. interesting to read well informed ideas that the environmental concerns are not always assuaged by local manufacturing.

the xenophobia is true and real. the qc concerns are largely ironed out.
manufacturing in china, to me, still represents a large degree of prioritizing corporation’s profits, at the expense of local jobs, and possibly/probably being exploitative of a workforce elsewhere.
milwaukee makes a decent work glove, or, i should say, milwaukee has a decent work glove, for sale at home depot, that was possibly made by slave labor in china. fits well, lasts, and isn’t terribly expensive. still bad.

[Ok]

I buy American vehicles (GM, Ford, and Setallatis) because I support union labor and living wages. So I think you’re totally right, but what’s wrong is assuming it’s “xenophobia” also hella cringe to unironically use the term xenophobia.

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this thread has been very informative, thanks ya’ll.

i do not really like bbs boards, and during the pandemic they were worse (felt off/half-baked/mushy).

i’d much prefer a pgi/dsm deck. i don’t need/like steep kicks, but dailan boards are very consistent, and long lasting.

my strong preference is to buy as locally as possible, generally for jobs/working conditions, but also environmental concerns. interesting to read well informed ideas that the environmental concerns are not always assuaged by local manufacturing.

the xenophobia is true and real. the qc concerns are largely ironed out.
manufacturing in china, to me, still represents a large degree of prioritizing corporation’s profits, at the expense of local jobs, and possibly/probably being exploitative of a workforce elsewhere.
milwaukee makes a decent work glove, or, i should say, milwaukee has a decent work glove, for sale at home depot, that was possibly made by slave labor in china. fits well, lasts, and isn’t terribly expensive. still bad.

[close]

i don’t know what you are trying to say.

[nopopnostyle]

Still hadn’t had a chance to have a second session on the Chinese board. It’s just too damn wet and damp outside right now.
But I must say it’s growing on me just by staring at it. The only thing I don’t like at the moment is that the clear-coat is too shiny on the edges. Looks like a candy apple and this makes it look a little cheap. Thinking about just sanding it a little bit.
And course I stood on it many times on the carpet comparing it to the BBS setup.

Some more pictures after one session. No stress cracks visible. Compared it to another BBS one with almost the same color top Plys stamped III, it’s the yellow anti-hero. In the top view the one on the left or the one in front of the other one.

[Vintagebody]

I recall my Enjoi board seeming lasting very long. As a "heavier" rider, BBS seems to get pressure cracks, and become really soft after not that long of a time. Tho the Enjoi deck was stiff at first, it become perfect after some sessions.

I wouldent mind if DLX decks would be like that

[nopopnostyle]

It's really rainy here still so there haven't been too many full sessions on the Newbies.
But so far they feel good. Since I was only able to skate flat lately I got the itch for a little smaller setup so I ordered an Antihero 8.25 Doobie made in China a week after the 8.4's.
First Impressions where the same as the 8.4:
Concave and Kicks between a III and IV, Edges a little to rounded for my taste and definitely too shiny (fixed that by sanding them a little). Other than that it's the exact shape like the standard 8.25, same Wheelbase, Nose- and Tail- Shape BUT not as wide as the BBS ones. Might now be a true 8.25 but I haven't had a chance to measure. I put a used 8.25 BBS next to it and the difference was noticeable. Put Venture 5.8's on and they felt a little too HotRod which wasn't the case on the BBS ones. But it doesn't feel too small and it felt really close to the BBS ones. In my opinion it could be a good thing if the width is consistent now and not all over the place like the old ones. We'll see.

How do they ride so far?

I had no problem switching over from the BBS made Boards.  I'm a multiple setup guy due to a case of madness and so I had two identical 8.4's, one BBS-DLX, one China DLX Side by Side to compare. Same Trucks and Wheels.

Right now I'm pretty used to BBS Boards, been on them since about 2009 if I recall correctly. Before that I rode a lot of Dwindle Boards, mainly Cliché and Enjoy.

At first the Pop on the China- Boards felt a little hard and plastic, but that went away after a short period on both. Pop is crisp and responsive. Flex comparable to the BBS which is very good, Dwindle was stiffer. I refer to Dwindle Boards because the way they are pressed, the way the edges are sanded and finished looks very comparable to them. Shape and Concave is 100% DLX. Both Boards hold up good so far, wear is normal.

So far I like them. I was really scared of this change because I'm old and I really liked a lot of the DLX BBS Boards I had. So scared that I have a huge stack (about 12 8.4's, 5 8.25's and a couple other Shapes) I collected just in case I wouldn't be able to get them in the future.
But right now I'm thinking of selling all the I's and II's out of that stack because the new flatter ones feel better.

[Mbrimson88]

It's really rainy here still so there haven't been too many full sessions on the Newbies.
But so far they feel good. Since I was only able to skate flat lately I got the itch for a little smaller setup so I ordered an Antihero 8.25 Doobie made in China a week after the 8.4's.
First Impressions where the same as the 8.4:
Concave and Kicks between a III and IV, Edges a little to rounded for my taste and definitely too shiny (fixed that by sanding them a little). Other than that it's the exact shape like the standard 8.25, same Wheelbase, Nose- and Tail- Shape BUT not as wide as the BBS ones. Might now be a true 8.25 but I haven't had a chance to measure. I put a used 8.25 BBS next to it and the difference was noticeable. Put Venture 5.8's on and they felt a little too HotRod which wasn't the case on the BBS ones. But it doesn't feel too small and it felt really close to the BBS ones. In my opinion it could be a good thing if the width is consistent now and not all over the place like the old ones. We'll see.

How do they ride so far?

I had no problem switching over from the BBS made Boards.  I'm a multiple setup guy due to a case of madness and so I had two identical 8.4's, one BBS-DLX, one China DLX Side by Side to compare. Same Trucks and Wheels.

Right now I'm pretty used to BBS Boards, been on them since about 2009 if I recall correctly. Before that I rode a lot of Dwindle Boards, mainly Cliché and Enjoy.

At first the Pop on the China- Boards felt a little hard and plastic, but that went away after a short period on both. Pop is crisp and responsive. Flex comparable to the BBS which is very good, Dwindle was stiffer. I refer to Dwindle Boards because the way they are pressed, the way the edges are sanded and finished looks very comparable to them. Shape and Concave is 100% DLX. Both Boards hold up good so far, wear is normal.

So far I like them. I was really scared of this change because I'm old and I really liked a lot of the DLX BBS Boards I had. So scared that I have a huge stack (about 12 8.4's, 5 8.25's and a couple other Shapes) I collected just in case I wouldn't be able to get them in the future.
But right now I'm thinking of selling all the I's and II's out of that stack because the new flatter ones feel better.

I had meant to say thanks yesterday, but ran out of time.

This is all very interesting and I appreciate your info, details and perspectives.

Very much in the same situation and can relate to that last paragraph a lot.

[Sedition]

China-made might be a relief for me. I always go for IV/III stamped, which can, at times, be hard to track down. If the China made ones are consistently flatter, it’s going to make my life a lot easier.

[Ok]

China-made might be a relief for me. I always go for IV/III stamped, which can, at times, be hard to track down. If the China made ones are consistently flatter, it’s going to make my life a lot easier.

feel the same.

i prefer items made closer to home, for myriad reasons, but down to give these a try.
most china-made boards that i’ve tried, don’t feel as lively as bbs/ps-stix decks.
anything flat i will try

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

I’m sure APB, but Ben D on 9 club mentioned developing a flatter board with slightly flatter kicks…..

[JM]

I’m sure APB, but Ben D on 9 club mentioned developing a flatter board with slightly flatter kicks…..

I took it as it will be a new shape DLX will release in the coming months.

Called “Flat as Fuck” shape, or something.

[Sedition]

I’m sure APB, but Ben D on 9 club mentioned developing a flatter board with slightly flatter kicks…..

What's this...(currently on Real site)
https://imgur.com/a/OdYCzJR

[JM]

Expand Quote

I’m sure APB, but Ben D on 9 club mentioned developing a flatter board with slightly flatter kicks…..

[close]

What's this...(currently on Real site)
https://imgur.com/a/OdYCzJR

They’ve had mellow mold for a while now. You can go back to two years ago and see it in the catalogues. Maybe even longer back.

What Ben described was the nose and tail “not too steep, not too mellow”… but the area around the bolts would be flatter…. So the side concave starts further back. (So your foot over the bolts is completely flat no concave it sounded like)

[Ok]

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Expand Quote

I’m sure APB, but Ben D on 9 club mentioned developing a flatter board with slightly flatter kicks…..

[close]

What's this...(currently on Real site)
https://imgur.com/a/OdYCzJR

[close]

They’ve had mellow mold for a while now. You can go back to two years ago and see it in the catalogues. Maybe even longer back.

What Ben described was the nose and tail “not too steep, not too mellow”… but the area around the bolts would be flatter…. So the side concave starts further back. (So your foot over the bolts is completely flat no concave it sounded like)

i feel like bbs has gotten more and more intense with their swoopy concave. it does create a longer lasting board. it is annoying as heck. not as annoying as my repetitive comments on this subject.
i’d love to see this.
i am still really interested in deck shaping/dimensions, fingers of flat and the like. i feel like the professor would do this really good job of talking around the points of interest, much like how a football coach will discuss tactics with the press: use some words, show that you know something, but don’t give away the special sauce.

[Frank and Fred]

The bend that Ben Degros would like to flatten does serve as wheel well of sorts also. Something to consider. If the deck goes really flat there, your flick might improve but your wheels will bite way easier....