Size: 8.6 x 32.35
OK, so I could be a little biased in this review as this is the 4th Creature deck I have bought. It seems that the guys who ride creature are really loyal. It could be the great shapes or the fact that they last for a long time or the graphics which are always sick, but once you get a Creature you’ve pretty much sold your soul!
I never rode the 7.5 twigs that are classed as boards, I was always rolling on an 8.0. Which was ok but I never felt that stable and let’s face it I’m not the skinniest of blokes, so when I made the jump to an 8.6 Creature it took me a while to get used to it! But that was over a year ago now.
Navarette’s pro model is not a light deck by any stretch of the imagination. Your legs really have to get used to it before you even get your pop back properly, but once you do my god does it feel good! Just landing a kick flip on flat gives you major satisfaction, kinda like you just let one drop in a lift and someone else gets the blame for the fowl stench.
This board is one of the most popular size’s. Big enough for mad bowl and vert riding and not to big you can’t flip it. It’s got a great shape to it too, which a few people aren’t keen on but it works perfectly for me. It’s mainly the nose that you’ll notice as it’s bigger than Barry Manilow’s! Even if your front foot slips 9/10 times you’ll stay on your board, and for sketchy people like me that a major plus! The tail is pretty sizable too, there’s not much chance of the back foot slipping and slowing you down on this one.
Concave wise it’s a little shallow on the tail but has just the right kick on the nose so that it grabs your foot nicely on most tricks. I’ve been riding this board for two months now putting it through its paces every day and I gotta say I love it. She’s a little chunky skating street but when it comes to parks she’s perfect and in bowls – she wears the trousers.
This board will make your skating look and feel more solid, especially if you’re on the clumsy side of shredding like me. But right now I’m sitting at home with my leg in the air, ice pack on trying to get some stuff done for the site, despite any other personal activities the Crossfire heads think I do when all I have is the internet and my alone time……… even if you do ride a shred sled this wide you can still be a dick fall off and dislocate your knee!
Get out there and Support your local Creature!
Tom Halliday