Skateboards

[Poo]

they all have the same shape the standard shape hasn't changed for years and nobody cares, nobody bltches about it. they just ride and have fun with the shlt.


if a shape works good, why not use it? it seems that everyone out there is trying to "out innovate" eachother. when there are certain shapes have been proven to work. other than maybe a composite board, theres not much special technology or tweaks with wood decks.

people can make/ride whatever they want, thats what makes these sports so good and fun.

feel free to howl away.

later haters.

[c dub]

[pipo]

VinceWhiteman, you are a smart kid.

[electricsnow]

you might want to look at the history skateboarding has and the weird ass shapes that have come from some companies before stating that it's OK to be complacent with design.

In fact, look at how much the shapes in skateboarding changed in a 10-15 year period, say from the early 80s to the early to mid 90s where you'll see the current shape become popular. Not only that, but even in the 70s some companies were using some interesting composite designs...it was far from being cut and dried. Straight up, there's over 30 years of history there before the shape became standard. wakeskating has a fraction of that...not to mention the fact that it's not skateboarding either, and cannot (nor should not) simply copy what's been done elsewhere. As always (this is wearing out), there are shared inspirations, but the mediums and instruments are different, and should be respected as such...

Not only that, but there were equipment fads as well that effected the style of skating. Perhaps riding styles will continue to change board design as well (ex. wakeskating=noseslides)...kind of like how skateboads started out as surf board shaped sidewalk surfers and advanced from there, given the evolution of riding and style. Who knows what else...

Finally, water is dynamic and I'd like to think there are many ways to achieve the goal you wish. Plus, some people are creative and WANT to create, and wakeskating is perfect for that, given the fact that it's young and has a lot of unanswered questions.

For me, Oak is a great example of changing up the design of your traditional wood concave. For years, concaves were pretty stock, and now they have this ben horan model that does NOT look wack and does not try too hard by taking something from skateboarding that doesn't really need to be taken. Sattelyte is experimenting with their concaves as well, and I love that these shapes are truly theirs. In my eyes, it's hard to hate on that. Plus, in the past year the introduction of the byerly and vinyl have changed the look of compression molded foam wakeskates in a huge way. It was actually kind of crazy to me to think back to the byerly and grubb shapes from 03, and the small amout of concave and top deck contouring they had...and now THIS. I think that's cool...and to be here to see it is special, too.

Anyway, I feel like you're stiring this thread up right from the get go by ending with "later haters."

in conclusion, i need to stop editing this because I think I doubled the size of my original post. Doh!

sincerely,

Hater #1 (?)

[bob.]

[Poo]

electricsnow, im not usually the one to resaerch stuff before i post, i just go with whats on my mind. and i know you didnt do that, you're just really good at this stuff and i do respect you for having such a knowledge for all this stuff. but i dont think i got my message across as good as you did, i was really just trying to say that there is no point in hating on these companies that are using the same shapes of others or more common shapes. because i think in the future there are going to be a lot of the same shapes, and when it happens, i bet some of these guys' heads will explode

[Raven]

these standard shapes are bogus man. i bet there are so many molds yet to be broken.

skateboards IMO are so tiny nowadays, i rode my bro's wakeskate home last nice........sorry joey, and it was so nice roaming the concrete on such a wide deck. Longboards on the street could be so much longer........like if u actually are going some where ...you need a lota wood.

surfboards, are another. i like long longboards they are so fun. the smaller ripper boards are cool, just not me. I bet if there was one with a twin tip and some negotiable fins, you could throw down some nasty......even put some kicks on and get some tow -ins maybe.

wakeskate, flat, concave, bi-level........it's good to see people trying out new designs and what not, i like the basic shape that exists and look forward to the next "big" thing.................not that i'll buy it. Just enjoy seeing what everybody puts together.

[electricsnow]

vincewhitman, these message boards are all about opinions, and you and i have ours. that sounds so sappy, but I'm just trying to make it clear that...well, that I'M OK and YOU'RE OK!

I actually feel really weird about a new company just coming on and using the exact same shape as another company. I don't know when I'll get over this, or when it will all seem OK, but since wakeskating is so small, I feel really uneasy about it because it's the easy road. if you're established and have come up with your own shape that you feel you absolutely cannot perfect on, then that is your perogative, and i cannot argue with that

and if a brand new company is going to come in and use a shape that's someone elses, they'd better make sure their board is seriously superior in the realm of construction, or their addition to the industry is meaningless.

of course, this is pretty much opposite to how you feel--i respect your opinion, though.

[bromfutter]

VinceWhiteman, are you kidding me. i have never rode 2 skateboards with the same shape. they all have a different amount of concave larger/smaller nose tail more/less rocker. skateboarding just like wakeskating is all about personal preference there will never be a standard shape.

[wakeshredder]

This topic has needed to be brought up for a while. I would like to throw out that I agree with esnow in regards to new companies bringing new ideas to the table. As we are in a market driven industry, it does make sense that more than one company will inevitably attempt to sell the "same" product under different marketing stratagies to varying degrees of success. While I am ok with identity and branding, it does kind of baffle me that more people are not trying to progress the sport and it's instruments, but instead are just depreciating the value of a "standard" concave skate in the name of fame and money That is lame!
I do believe that no one company is going to be able to fill the needs of a world of wakeskating groms, but when the competition rises so high and the market saturates so will the amount of "crap" product. You've all seen this happen with the "generic" skateboard deck that is indeed very similar if any difference at all amongst major skateboard distributors. I fear a world where our coveted wakeskates are such a commodity as skateboards that all of our wonderful molds are streamlined and shipped to China, only to be made and sold under 30 different names with one common element, piss poor craftmanship! (i.e. liquid force)
Right now, skates are about as unique as hand shaped surfs Why can't we all just appreciate this era of our sport, as we all know what will likely happen. I fear the day when I see every 11 year old grom learning, killing, and quitting the sport in about a 1-2 year spree. Much like our sister sport
So, I say, keep attempting new ideas. Continue the progression. Don't let the corporate machine thinkt they can cash in any further on our happiness. Keep em guessing, and let them try and fail to sell us their BS. I support the evolution of the sport

[Parker]

Skateboards may look the same but every time i ride someone elses it feels a bit awkward so there must be more to it than a universal shape

[Poo]

k so, there are much smarter people than me, again i was stating my opinion, but however horribly wrong i am, im still super glad i made this thread to see other peoples thoughts.

[wakeshredder]

VinceWhiteman, hey, I am not trying to outsmart anyone. As I stated before, I am very glad you brought up this subjects as it has beens something that I have wanted to share my OPINION on too. You know, it's all good in the hood. Definitely don't take anyone's rebuttal as them playing down your beliefs.

[-=AlexXx=-]

Personal Prefrance.

[dbanana]

[Slapdown]

-=AlexXx=-, Default wakeskating.com answer for board related issues?

I've thought about this too.. and maybe someday there will be a more widely accepted and ridable top shape for wakeskates. But one thing to keep in mind are that skateboards have many other parts that contribute to the way they ride. Trucks and wheels, bearings, bushings and riser pads. These things all make a difference in how a skateboard feels and how people ride them and prefer them.

Well.. wakeskates are (other than fins and skate bump things) made up of one major component: the deck (whether one or two ). And that has to function in the water for the many uses of the other parts in skateboarding. A shape can determine how well a board turns, how it sits in the water, how it pops, and how smooth the ride is. Wakeskaters don't have other parts for those functions that they can buy. The board itself has to multitask to perform everything

[Mr. Top Hat]

does this have anything to do with L13's K39?

[-=AlexXx=-]

Mr. Top Hat, HAHAHAHHA

[bob.]

Mr. Top Hat, i knew that was coming

[mark_enns]

Mr Top Hat

L13's dont resemble kampus, ride one then type...