My first Cliché deck was one of their first ever runs with the team model that ripped off the infamous Coca Cola logo. Like a premonition, Cliché grew, and grew and grew some more until they established themselves as the undisputed ambassadors of European skateboarding and refined taste. With such a heavy reputation to uphold, you need your product to be top knotch, so I expected no less from the latest Javier Mendizabal model.
Seeing as the average board shape will not change anytime soon, the real area for innovation is in the materials and the moulds. The Airline series uses the redline concave with 8 ply epoxy glue construction. The combination of epoxy glue and 8 tightly pressed plies makes for a strong and light board. The redline concave moulds a rather mellow shape that’s easy to adapt to all terrains with.
Initially I found the Mendizabal board to be a bit pointy on the nose and tail ends, but the general proportions let plenty of room to get positioned for slides. I got used to the pointy ness and enjoyed some lengthy tailslides and found that flip tricks spun a lot faster and controlled than on previous decks I’ have ridden with bolder shapes. The wood kept it’s snap too which is always a bonus when you expect quick reactions from your board.
Honestly, this deck surprised me and has kept me happy because to be honest, Cliché boards are not usually my first pick off the rack. From now on though, I’ll definitely be checking in and checking out their boards more often.
7.5/10
Ralph L-D