Skateboard hardware is exposed to extraordinary stresses and strains, especially when it comes to the skateboard deck itself. Thus, there are deck innovations and technologies that are developed with the promise to improve the lifespan of a skate deck. Now the industry standard, seven wood layers of North American maple have proven to be the all-purpose weapon. Most top technologies of the past, such as the use of special adhesives, various materials and new production processes, have slowly disappeared from the scene – a classic 7-ply deck will always be the tried and true staple of skate deck technology.

We have tested two Primitive 8,25 deck – one Wade Desarmo and one Trent Mcclung. One huge positive is that Primitive shows a clear sizing on their website which helps skaters compare it to the previous boards you have rode and also helps with possible adjustments to your foot placement.

Usually the complete set up plays a role in the way how hardware performs, especially with the shape of a board, height of the trucks and size of the wheels. For instance, a low truck and wheel set up results in a rather snappy pop. This specific test was done with Thunder low trucks and 52mm wheels. The decks we skated have a rather mellow concave so with the complete set up, the boards felt close to the ground which created a stiff and responsive feeling.

Overall, the stiffness of the deck is from the start noticeable. When you stand on the mounted deck it is clear that it stays quite rigid and doesn’t flex immensely. This rigidity also makes itself felt when you land a trick, as landings feel less cushioned. The pop for tricks as a result of the from the rigidity is quite significant, there’s a particularly clear sound of the pop, which is, very clear and loud.

Over time decks lose its stiffness – it’s just a matter of time. We have noticed that even with inaccurate landings of the nose or tail, decks stay longer, stiff and still maintain their pop, which isn’t the case with many decks. Aside from the stiffness, decks also tend to lose their concave form over time. The  Primitive decks were tested over multiple weeks and the concave, especially in the nose and tail area, showed a good durability, with no apparent flattening even with consistent tricks done over the first few weeks.

With regards to quality, we have noticed some chipping on both the top and bottom layer of the deck. But come on, it’s a skate deck, this should happen after skating it for a few weeks.

Summary

All in all, the first impression on the Primitive decks was their rigidity and pop; this was great for skaters who like doing technical flatground and ledge tricks.  The most noticeable was that the concave of the deck didn’t significantly decrease over time, as it does with other decks. There’s a reason you don’t re-invent the wheel, and in this case, the classic 7-ply used by Primitive proves to be a reliable option for decks.

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