In a purely personal opinion, I reckon that in a room of 100 skaters, only 6 of them will own up to riding Darkstar wood.
This might sound harsh, but I don’t see kids screaming to watch the new Chet Thomas part, or bum rushing the skateshop to grab the latest take on a medieval knight graphic. But that’s their image, and so be it. When a Chet Thomas deck arrived on my doorstep, a grimace worked it’s way across my face. Oh no…
Oh yes! The board I had been kindly sent to test was one of the new Darkstar Armorlite decks which boast, and I quote: “Exclusive carbon composite center for extra strength. Ultra light weight maple veneers for decreased weight. Super bonding resin glue for superior stiffness. Team tested. Team preferred. All strength. No weight.” Boom! Add to that a 120 day guarantee against warpage, delamination or holes drilled wrongly, and this board is a winner. So, as a critique of skateboard material, I made sure I’d test this board thoroughly.
The Test
To begin with, I thought most Dwindle related boards were flat. Not true. This Armorlite deck had concave and pop.
Secondly, I thought despite the carbon composite layer, all Dwindle related boards go soggy after a couple of months. Not true. This board has remained just as responsive as the first day I started riding it.
Thirdly, I thought all Dwindle related boards had shit graphics. Ummmm…. I plead the Fifth Amendment on that one. But who cares, because it’s all about the shape and quality of the board, not the pretty picture underneath, right? Plus, I scratched most of it off with boardslides and noseslides anyway.
In reference to shape, the nose was big and round and the tail was slightly pointed which is just the way I like them.
Honestly, I can’t knock Darkstar for what they’ve brought to the table this time around. I’m still riding the damn thing! It would seem like the carbon composite idea is a good one when it comes to keeping a boards pop and strength, so I guarantee you that a lot more companies are experimenting with different layers and veneers as we speak.
If for some bizarre reason, I dreamt I was being chased by a horde of Hell Bound Knights as Darkstar likes to portray on all their merchandise, I might actually feel safer wielding one of these Armorlite decks as protection…
Go to www.darkstarwood.com for more.
8/10
