the good stuff

Squeltch · Faceplant Joined: 02 Jul 2008 Posts: 2 City: Anthem

Whats up? I recentley purchased a 2008 LF Armada 43. As most of you know it has a foam deck surface. Being new to wakeskating, I'd figured foam would be a safe place to start. I'd read a few articles that mentioned grip tape being murder on the new guy learning shuvs and sending it wake to wake. Foam or not, My shins are beat, but in four sessions out to the lake, I've taken home front-side pop-shuvs (re-entry, on the wake trany), solid wake to wake ollie w/ ocational indy grab, and plenty of shuffeling around. So I'm stoked.

I'd like some feedback about going grip on my current deck. Seeing as how I've never ridden a gripped deck, I have no way to make a comparison, and frankly don't know shizzle either way.

Will I progress more quickly w/ grip?

Should I be look'n for a different skate?

Where do I get the GOOD STUFF if I re-grip?

NotAnotherHonda · Faceplant Joined: 23 Jun 2008 Posts: 14

if you do go with grip, ide suggest one solid peice. i just got my 44" jessup tape from devotid. $12 and it was here in a few days

Slapdown · Kickflip Joined: 20 Apr 2005 Posts: 4240 City: Austin

Squeltch, I wouldn't really consider it worth it to put grip on an armada. On a board like that actually i think foam can be better. For one, i noticed when i took the foam off my K39 and gripped it, it was a LOT lighter than it was with foam. With a deck as light as the armada, being that much lighter.. or any lighter for that matter probably isn't the best thing. By no means will having grip make you progress any faster. Maybe a different board that comes with grip, but not just the surface itself.

BUT! Welcome to wakeskating Very Happy

that's pretty sick that you're getting fs shuvs and w2w's after such a short time. Keep it up man Cool

wakemitch · Posted: Jul 03, 2008 11:25 am Post subject:

Squeltch, foam is sticky and makes it harder to move your feet around. grip tape is grippy but not sticky.

Slapdown, the 07 and 08 armada are actually way heavier then before. about 10lbs or more

Slapdown · Kickflip Joined: 20 Apr 2005 Posts: 4240 City: Austin

wakemitch, Really? sweet Cool

DVSKATE · Backside 180 Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 654 City: IL

how can your board be lighter if you take the foam off?

Is this joke?

Slapdown · Kickflip Joined: 20 Apr 2005 Posts: 4240 City: Austin

DVSKATE, Didn't you leave?

DVSKATE · Backside 180 Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 654 City: IL

I asked a question.... now answer clown!

Gnarly Dancer 42 · 360 flip Joined: 21 May 2007 Posts: 5121 City: kalamazoo

wakemitch, good point

i prefer foam on my 06 armada, even though i normally ride grip, and i've even tried grip on it (shawk interchangeable griptape!) but i still just think foam works better.

oh i just remembered that the foam that i was using wasnt the original liquid force foam grip, so it probably wasnt as grippy, it was that camo foam grip.

uidzero · Kickflip Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Posts: 3839 City: Casselberry

that camo stuff is more like felt then foam.

Squeltch · Faceplant Joined: 02 Jul 2008 Posts: 2 City: Anthem

Funny. I seriously thought the general consensus would be "ditch the foam". I appreciate hearing that others prefer foam on certain decks over grip. I dig this so much, my head is spining all day long playing out senarios in my head, and visualizing that next shuv I want.

Thanks for the heads up on where to pick up quality grip if I decide to go that route.

And yeah, for the record, Liquid Force is claim'n 9.5 lbs with the add steel bars down the center.

But I'm a dork, and weighed mine and it's 9 lbs.

Parker · Backside 180 Joined: 14 Oct 2007 Posts: 1731 City: Norman

i took the foam off an old HL of mine and regret doing that even though i ride grip on every other deck

wakemitch · Posted: Jul 03, 2008 3:46 pm Post subject:

Squeltch, when first switched from foam to grip i noticed my consistency increasing. i became able to shift my footing faster which gave me better balance to stick tricks. also for concave boards you feel more of the concave and the true shape of the board.