In the era of modern freestyle, we are spoilt for choice. There are countless companies and brands that are paving the way for innovation. Some of these include Waltz and MLM who take a more modern approach to their decks, often incorporating concave and cheeky things like a nose.
When I started out, the only brands that I could get were Powell-Peralta reissues of shotty prehistoric freestyle shapes and Moonshine decks that were keeping with ‘traditions’ but actually maintaining decent quality. My first deck was a single-kick Dan Garb ‘Scorpion’ pro model, and I loved that thing. So much so, I would continue skating it even once it was properly dead. Something about a single kick and its un-controllability made it exciting to skate. I’ve always had a soft spot for single kicks because that was what everyone in the eighties was using and I was hooked on that era of Freestyle .
Flash forward like six years and now the market is primarily double kicks with random names like ‘INVERTED NIPPLE CONCAVE’ or ‘FLAT-EARTH CONCAVE’. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. And yes, companies are still making retro-inspired single kicks but they always have a touch of modernism to them. I feel like the traditional feel and reactiveness of a single kick that’s flatter than a pancake is not really available.
Flash forward again to two months ago when I received two decks to review. One was a modern Moonshine deck and one was an interesting, arousing specimen, the Toxic reissue Single kick Denny Riordon Pro-model.
With dimensions like 7.3″ width, 27.75″ length, 13″ wheelbase, 5″ nose and 5.5″ tail, this deck is as classic as you can get. The pointy nose, the squarish tail and a concave that is non-existent…It’s chalk ‘n’ cheese, bangers and mash, chips and sauce…simple sh!t. To some it’s very unappealing, however, to me it’s what the young kids refer to as ‘SICK!’
While skating it, you can feel everything, making it easy to react and predict what the board may do. However, because of the flat concave it can sometimes feel like you are slipping off the deck which will be a deal-breaker for any new cats or modernist freestylers. I find that being more unstable on top of the deck is an opportunity for complex footwork such parabola flips and tailspin late shuvs. Through lots of work, the ‘negative’ concave can be used to unlock many tricks that are not possible on a modern freestyle deck.
It must also be mentioned that street-style flip tricks are very difficult to perform but not impossible. Ollie kickflips are interesting and really require a flick off the side. Heelflips are unfortunately off the menu with treflips working way too well. So, to all the ‘Yuzuki Kawasaki’ style skaters who may be scared by the spooky thought of no concave and no nose…you’ll be fine sweetie.
At the end of the day, the Toxic Denny Riordon reissue is a solid choice for any freestyle fiend who wants to experience classic freestyle nuances while avoiding crap shapes and poor quality (cough, cough, Powell, cough cough). There are more modern choices available that are easier to obtain, however, I believe it’s worth the effort tracking this one down. Yes there are slicker choices around but this is good too and is something familiar. Reliable, firm, solid shape with no frills…the Denny Riordon reissue is the Honda Civic of freestyle decks.
If you are interested in trying it, it is unfortunately not available in Australia but can be ordered from the US (Decomposed) or the UK (Offset). For anyone who cares about colour-coordinating their outfits to their decks, it comes in natural, orange, green, black, and blood red (not actually blood red, i just thought it sounded metal).
So, stop reading and go do some pogos or something.