During this year’s pre-season quite a few new pro decks hit the market. It looks like the brands are getting back into designing and developing their boards closely with their pro riders.
Pro model deck development is more complicated and expensive considering that the boards are built according to the rider’s specification which normally requires more prototyping and testing. That is why generally pro model decks are considered to be of higher quality in terms of design features and are expected to have a better performance.
This kind of collaboration between brands and pro riders also provides with an opportunity for the riders to grow their travel budget by getting a share from the sales.
Normally the price of a pro deck is expected to be higher but nowadays you can pick up one at a price of a ”regular” longboard deck.
In this article, we will have a closer looks at new pro model decks by Moonshine MFG, Alternative Longboards, Pantheon Longboards, and Rocket Longboards designed by some of the currently most popular riders like Brandon DesJarlais or Patrick Lombardi.
Let’s check out the decks…
Proscrito – Brandon DesJarlais pro longboard deck by Moonshine
The first deck we’re going to check out is Proscrito by Moonshine from the United States, developed with Brandon DesJarlais. Brandon is an internationally well-recognized rider due to his versatile and unique skating style combined with good media creation and longboard scene involvement.
Last year he took 2nd place at Red Bull No Paws Down and was featured on Red Bull social media outlets on multiple occasions during the past few years of regularly attending the race.
Brandon’s first pro model ‘’Proscrito’’ is built after Moonshine’s Outlaw, his deck of choice until now. As the basis set, he imagined a slightly shorter and narrower version with a redefined neck and grab rails.
By maintaining a directional shape, the Proscrito features a 96.5 cm (38 inches) length, a 24.1 cm (9.5 inch) width and 59.7- 65.4 cm (23.5 – 25.75 inch) wheelbase. All this is packed into a total weight of 1.76 kg (3.9 lbs). The slimmed down design includes a medium concave and rocker as well as a subtle w-concave. The board is completed with a kicktail.
As for the look goes, the Proscrito is surrounded by a full carbon fiber wrap for protection, stiffness, and pop that also doubles as a base for the recognizable graphic on the bottom.
Lombardi PRO – Patrick L. Lombardi pro longboard deck by Alternative Longboards
The second board we’re going to check out is Lombardi PRO by Alternative Longboards from Poland, developed with last year’s winner and two-time Red Bull No Paws Down Champion, Patrick L. Lombardi.
Related: Patrick L. Lombardi wins Red Bull No Paws Down 2018 at KnK Longboard Camp
His high speed freeride runs and one-off style made him into one of the most recognizable longboarders in the World who was ready to form his experience into the design of the Lombardi PRO.
Unfortunately, at the time of writing this article, Patrick is recovering from an injury he suffered in a bad crash in autumn of last year. While his recovery is going well he is not expected to be protecting his RBNPD Champion title at KnK 2019.
The Lombardi PRO longboard deck has a directional shape with a symmetrical platform. It’s designed for downhill, freeride and anything in between thanks to the addition of a kicktail.
With a 93.4 cm length (36.77 inches), a 25 cm (9.84 inches) width and wheelbase options ranging from 62.23 – 66.23 cm (24.5 – 26.07 inches) this board also caters to riders with bigger shoe sizes.
For stability during high speeds, the platform includes a comfortable medium to mellow concave with centered rocker and a 8 mm (0.31 inch) micro drop.
As a novelty in Alternative’s DH and Freeride range, the Lombardi PRO also features integrated ABS protective sidewalls on the wheel wells, nose and tail for added durability and edge protection when the board flips over.
Chiller Pro – Chase Hiller pro longboard deck by Pantheon Longboards
The third board in the spotlight is the Chiller Pro by Pantheon Longboards from the United States. The deck has been designed and built according to Case Hiller’s specification.
His new pro model is a well-deserved result of his consistent top positioning on IDF races so far. At the time of writing, Chase is ranking 1st in IDF on the World Ranking in Open Skateboard category.
Chase’s pro model longboard is a revamped Scoot deck model from Pantheon with slight modifications to fit his riding style. The new board kept the original platform size but with a different wheelbase. It includes new drop elements, a w-concave, and a kicktail which the ‘’original’’ board didn’t have before.
The Chiller Pro is 92.2 cm (36.3 inches) long and 24.4 (9.6 inches) wide and offers wheelbase options ranging from approx. 61.6 – 66.6 cm (24.25 to 26.25 inches).
Purple urethane bumpers cover the nose and tail to help guard this deck against impact damage while the side rails are hand-rubbed with an oil finish to keep out the elements.
Phoenix – Tristan Cardillo pro longboard deck by ROCKET Longboards
In March ROCKET Longboards welcomed Tristan Cardillo to their growing team of riders. Dedicated to racing, Tristan became a junior European IDF champion back in 2017, however, he got his first ever pro model in the present year named the Phoenix.
The Phoenix is an 83.7 cm (32.9 inches) long and 22.5 cm to 23 cm wide (8.85-inch front, 9 inches back) longboard deck with a 56 to 64 cm (22 – 25.2 inch) wheelbase. It features a somewhat aggressive concave with a 2-step drop profile including a micro drop and a w-concave.
To fit with Tristan’s riding style, the Phoenix also provides good wheel clearance for big race wheels even on narrow trucks.
ROCKET kept is simple with the graphics this year but included an embossed ABS top sheet through which you can see the central carbon fiber strip and inner natural flax fiber paired with bamboo components.
La Barou & La Barouquette – Lillian Barou pro longboard decks by Alternative Longboards
Lillian Barou, another Alternative Longboards team rider, got a chance to design his signature deck and not just one, but two!
Related: Three New Alternative Longboards Decks for 2019
Lillian is a French downhill skateboarder who’s been with the brand for many years now. Last year he visited multiple freerides and IDF events and had a decent chance to step on the podium at KnK’s Red Bull No Paws Down but got wiped out in the consi finals.
His first pro model decks are an answer to the whole ordeal of longboarding on narrow trucks and short wheelbases. As opposed to the other models Alternative put out this year, Lillian’s boards feature a minimalistic wooden finish.
The major difference between the two signature deck models is that La Barou has a fully functional kicktail and measures 91 cm (35.83″) in length while the La Barouquette features a fishtail design and is 77.47 cm (30.5″) long.
At a closer look at the specs, both decks have an 8 mm (0.31″) rocker, 12 mm (0.47″) radial concave and measure 22.77 cm (8.89″) in width while offering adjustable wheelbase ranging from 50.85 cm – 60.2 cm (20.02″ – 23.7″).
Finish line
There you have it – six new longboard deck models that debuted in 2019 thanks to the brands and riders mentioned above. Which one is your favorite?
A team of longboard lovers that seek to bring the word of longboarding to the world.
“Just skate for fun, don’t pick up a skateboard because you want to be a pro one day. Don’t forget why you started skating in the first place.” Steve Caballero