It’s 2020 and I’m still waiting for the hoverboard from Back to the Future. In the meantime, I got my hands on two skateboard decks that try something different: the Powell Peralta FLIGHT Deck and the Almost Rodney Mullen Uber Light. Both feel noticeably lighter than a regular deck, but they go about it in different ways.
Almost Uber Light: A deck inside a deck
The Uber Light looks like a regular 7-ply Canadian maple deck. The difference is hidden inside: a carbon fibre and foam insert that Rodney Mullen describes as a “deck inside a deck.” Almost says the insert adds stiffness across the board and helps it hold its pop for longer.
What stood out to me was how familiar it looked and felt in my hands. It was noticeably light, but it still had the thickness I’d expect from a regular deck. You could put it next to a standard board and miss what makes it different.
Powell Peralta FLIGHT: You can see the difference
The FLIGHT Deck is visibly thinner than a regular deck. Powell Peralta uses fibreglass and epoxy resin in its construction, and the dark top layer gives it a look of its own. It felt light in my hands, too. Of the two, this is the one you can spot as a super deck just by looking at it side on.
| Feature | Almost Uber Light | Powell Peralta FLIGHT |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 7-ply Canadian maple with an internal carbon fibre and foam insert | Fibreglass and epoxy reinforcement |
| Profile | About the same thickness as a regular deck | Noticeably thinner than a regular deck |
| First impression | A familiar deck profile with less weight | A visibly thinner deck that also feels light |
Which one would I ride?
I’d ride either. My pick would be the Almost Uber Light because I like that it keeps the look and thickness of a regular deck while hiding the extra construction inside. If a thinner deck is what you’re after, the FLIGHT is the one I’d look at first.
I didn’t try to break either board or skate them long enough to compare tail wear. The thinner FLIGHT profile made me curious about how quickly it might develop razor tail, but that’s something I’d want to see after skating both. The difference I could judge straight away was how each board felt in my hands.
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