Darkcloud14
01-23-2009, 10:56 PM
Flip 'Blackjack' Review
SORRY ABOUT THE X-TRA LARGE PICTURES! MY PHONE CAMERA IS JUST RETARDED.
The board I am going to be reviewing is a Flip 'Blackjack'. Flip has a pretty solid skate team with some of the most amazing skaters - Geoff Rowley, Tom Penny, and Mark Appleyard just to name a few. Flip is quite a well known brand in the skating industry, so I thought I might try out one of their decks. I purchased this board off a regular at the local skate park for $20AU (he sells me brand new skate equipment for VERY cheap prices).
http://jdsk8.com/images/Blackjack-7.5.gif
First Impression: This deck had a pretty sick graphic and felt quite sturdy and light, but the downside was the size - 8.5 inches. I usually ride a 7.75 or sometimes an 8 inch board, so this was quite a big leap, but nothing major.
After Setup: When I stepped onto the board for the first time, I was quite light, even though it had trucks and wheels. The pop was also amazing and the width did not alter my skating much.
Skating It: I skated this board for about 2 months, the first which was superb, but in the second month it was all downhill. The pop was quite good for the first couple of weeks, but it quickly died out and razor tailed. It held up reasonably for the first month, but then it just began chipping like crazy. A minor bump on the nose or tail would cause it to chip away and crumble like mad. The board felt as if it was going to snap every time I jumped off something over a foot. It also developed a waterlogged feel after about a month and a half, despite the fact that it was not exposed to water. The board eventually cracked in the centre while I was practicing some kickflip to fakies on a steep driveway and thus died.
Judgment:
Weight: 9/10 - The board was amazingly light.
Pop/Responsiveness: 7/10 - The pop was good for the first couple of weeks, and then it eventually disintegrated.
Durability: 6/10 - This is where Flips fail. The durability of Flips is not very good as they tend to chip away like mad and cannot take a beating.
Concave: 8.5/10 - The concave was quite good. It was not too deep, but not too mellow. I could catch my tricks without a problem
Final Score: 7.625/10
Last Words: Overall, Flips are quite good decks while they last. They perform amazingly in the first couple of weeks of skating, but then they just tend to deteriorate in quality. This deck is mostly for 'chilling' and not really for heavy skating.
Pictures:
http://f.imagehost.org/0613/Image010.jpg
Grip side up
http://f.imagehost.org/0380/Image011.jpg
Graphic side up
http://f.imagehost.org/0072/Image014.jpg
Tail
http://f.imagehost.org/0798/Image015.jpg
Nose
http://f.imagehost.org/0749/Image016.jpg
Centre Crack (I don't know if it is visible)
More Information: www.flipskateboards.com
SORRY ABOUT THE X-TRA LARGE PICTURES! MY PHONE CAMERA IS JUST RETARDED.
The board I am going to be reviewing is a Flip 'Blackjack'. Flip has a pretty solid skate team with some of the most amazing skaters - Geoff Rowley, Tom Penny, and Mark Appleyard just to name a few. Flip is quite a well known brand in the skating industry, so I thought I might try out one of their decks. I purchased this board off a regular at the local skate park for $20AU (he sells me brand new skate equipment for VERY cheap prices).
http://jdsk8.com/images/Blackjack-7.5.gif
First Impression: This deck had a pretty sick graphic and felt quite sturdy and light, but the downside was the size - 8.5 inches. I usually ride a 7.75 or sometimes an 8 inch board, so this was quite a big leap, but nothing major.
After Setup: When I stepped onto the board for the first time, I was quite light, even though it had trucks and wheels. The pop was also amazing and the width did not alter my skating much.
Skating It: I skated this board for about 2 months, the first which was superb, but in the second month it was all downhill. The pop was quite good for the first couple of weeks, but it quickly died out and razor tailed. It held up reasonably for the first month, but then it just began chipping like crazy. A minor bump on the nose or tail would cause it to chip away and crumble like mad. The board felt as if it was going to snap every time I jumped off something over a foot. It also developed a waterlogged feel after about a month and a half, despite the fact that it was not exposed to water. The board eventually cracked in the centre while I was practicing some kickflip to fakies on a steep driveway and thus died.
Judgment:
Weight: 9/10 - The board was amazingly light.
Pop/Responsiveness: 7/10 - The pop was good for the first couple of weeks, and then it eventually disintegrated.
Durability: 6/10 - This is where Flips fail. The durability of Flips is not very good as they tend to chip away like mad and cannot take a beating.
Concave: 8.5/10 - The concave was quite good. It was not too deep, but not too mellow. I could catch my tricks without a problem
Final Score: 7.625/10
Last Words: Overall, Flips are quite good decks while they last. They perform amazingly in the first couple of weeks of skating, but then they just tend to deteriorate in quality. This deck is mostly for 'chilling' and not really for heavy skating.
Pictures:
http://f.imagehost.org/0613/Image010.jpg
Grip side up
http://f.imagehost.org/0380/Image011.jpg
Graphic side up
http://f.imagehost.org/0072/Image014.jpg
Tail
http://f.imagehost.org/0798/Image015.jpg
Nose
http://f.imagehost.org/0749/Image016.jpg
Centre Crack (I don't know if it is visible)
More Information: www.flipskateboards.com