What's up with the flex?

Hello guys

I've been skating on and off (mostly off) since some 25 years back, but it has always been about street skating.

I just recently purchased my first longboard and it's electric at that! The one I got (WowGo 3) is supposedly quite stiff compared to the deck of other (electric) longboards. Still, I cant quite come to terms with just how much the deck will flex. The stance is also a bit weird; usually I keep my front foot on the front truck and my back foot on or behind the rear truck. On this thing, both my feet are on the inside of the trucks. Feels way weird.

I've been looking at some electric boards that are more like regular street boards. I figure some of you may have had the chance of trying out both variants. Most electric skateboards seem to be longboards and I figure there are some valid reasons for that. Are electric street boards more unstable perhaps? I guess you dont ever lift your front wheels on an electric board so a kick is kinda useless anyway...I guess?

Please share me your insights.

 

Think you've got it already, "normal" boards tend to have ultra-stiff steering, so you get used to leaning back on the kicktail to do sharp turns and tricks.

Esk8s are heavy and tend not to get much Blue-Tile fever, so don't lend themselves to skatepark tricks. They are shaped like slalom boards used to be, kicktails just aren't appropriate. All the turning is done by leaning against loose bushings (not too loose though!).

So long as the board is long enough to get you a comfortable legs-apart stance, you won't need to put your rear foot the wrong side of the truck.

I've ridden an Esk8 with a kicktail and it was MUCH more likely to pitch you off the back when you accelerate...

The flex of the "flexy" boards is not really that useful because you tend to have your feet directly above the trucks, where there's no flex anyway. It might as well be stiff....

 

Thanks for the input, much appreciated.


If I were to change to a “normal” board, then it would be to get the stance that I’m used to. But by the sound of it, that may perhaps not be a good thing

Maybe I just need to get out there and ride my eskate a lot more and get used to the stance. Some -6 celsius (21 fahrenheit) out there now so it will probably be a while…it’s not the cold I’m afraid of, it’s the battery health, not to mention hardware getting prone to rust with all the effing salt they throw around here.


Anyways, I may opt for some spare wheel and battery rather than a different board then. Good stuff, thanks.

 

Owner of 5 boards, one electric....: I think the key design concern is the acceleration and deceleration that eSk8s have from motor and braking. Rider needs the wide stance with stability at each foot for those. You’ll see that quickly when you cruise around streets.

The flex of a bamboo deck took some road vibration out, made carving turns a different experience, at a cost of ground clearance and sense of control/precision than a same model carbon board, for me.