Board shapes, and in general
Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 10:46 am
One of the most difficult problems of the old-school world is the fact that anyone who managed to ride in the late 1980s and early 1990s remembers the shapes of the boards that existed.
What do I mean when I say shape?
Today, shape is measured by a number, with the width of the board ranging from 7 inches (very narrow) to 8 inches (wide) and the length of the board, 31 inches and under (small) and 32 inches and over (long), usually somewhere in the middle since the demographic cross-section of skateboard users is usually edgy, medium-sized teenagers. I'm old, very old. If I had accidentally gotten my girlfriend pregnant when I was 16, then today I would have a 13-year-old child, I could actually skate with him (but I would have won for sure)...
In any case, what I'm here to tell you is that once upon a time the email data of the word "shape" had an added value, and that was the fact that boards really had shapes, shapes that you could show off when you rode them, shapes that you would see in a magazine and would make you want to buy them, boards that made an entire generation individual, not only in the way they rode but also in the skate they rode. (At the bottom of the article you can see a collection of photos of old boards that had a personal and unique character.) One of the periods that I remember the most is the transition to the "New School" concept. During this period, the front part of the skate (nose) grew to incomprehensible and discouraging dimensions (how come they didn't inform me that they were changing it) and in a very short time became an industrial standard.
The exercises moved to the front part of the skateboard and its shape became completely uniform, the capsule shape that is still with us today...
In retrospect, the transition was rapid, the richness of the sands and the variety of shapes of the boards disappeared as if they were nothing.
The focus has shifted to the skater, size and speed, but what about the skate itself?
It turns out that the power of industry, capabilities and demands are stronger than innocence. The evolution of the sport has created a uniform template for the perfect ride, for everyone's chances of performing the perfect trick and moving on to the next perfect exercise, getting the most out of the session. The truth is that the boards of the past were limited, incredibly bulky, heavy and when you got a shiner, it was a real fucking shiner... Primo's standing, on its various types, was almost impossible because the skate would fall and not balance due to the ridiculous shape. In conclusion, the boring shape of the boards today amounts to a graphic that attaches some character to the skate like a label, but undoubtedly sharp-eyed people will pay attention to the weight/type of wood/company and more before they release the dinero.
In short, for me, somewhere you are all riding on an old freestyle board, talk to Rodney he will explain it to you...
What do I mean when I say shape?
Today, shape is measured by a number, with the width of the board ranging from 7 inches (very narrow) to 8 inches (wide) and the length of the board, 31 inches and under (small) and 32 inches and over (long), usually somewhere in the middle since the demographic cross-section of skateboard users is usually edgy, medium-sized teenagers. I'm old, very old. If I had accidentally gotten my girlfriend pregnant when I was 16, then today I would have a 13-year-old child, I could actually skate with him (but I would have won for sure)...
In any case, what I'm here to tell you is that once upon a time the email data of the word "shape" had an added value, and that was the fact that boards really had shapes, shapes that you could show off when you rode them, shapes that you would see in a magazine and would make you want to buy them, boards that made an entire generation individual, not only in the way they rode but also in the skate they rode. (At the bottom of the article you can see a collection of photos of old boards that had a personal and unique character.) One of the periods that I remember the most is the transition to the "New School" concept. During this period, the front part of the skate (nose) grew to incomprehensible and discouraging dimensions (how come they didn't inform me that they were changing it) and in a very short time became an industrial standard.
The exercises moved to the front part of the skateboard and its shape became completely uniform, the capsule shape that is still with us today...
In retrospect, the transition was rapid, the richness of the sands and the variety of shapes of the boards disappeared as if they were nothing.
The focus has shifted to the skater, size and speed, but what about the skate itself?
It turns out that the power of industry, capabilities and demands are stronger than innocence. The evolution of the sport has created a uniform template for the perfect ride, for everyone's chances of performing the perfect trick and moving on to the next perfect exercise, getting the most out of the session. The truth is that the boards of the past were limited, incredibly bulky, heavy and when you got a shiner, it was a real fucking shiner... Primo's standing, on its various types, was almost impossible because the skate would fall and not balance due to the ridiculous shape. In conclusion, the boring shape of the boards today amounts to a graphic that attaches some character to the skate like a label, but undoubtedly sharp-eyed people will pay attention to the weight/type of wood/company and more before they release the dinero.
In short, for me, somewhere you are all riding on an old freestyle board, talk to Rodney he will explain it to you...