Longboard Deck Shapes Explained

Why does shape matter? What do these terms mean, and what is their purpose? Check out our explanations below to see your longboard's shape and why you might want it.

 

Directional

Directional boards are made to go in one direction. The nose or an outstanding kicktail will indicate this direction for control. Most boards like Carvers, Cruisers and Downhill longboards will come in this shape.

 

Symmetrical

Symmetrical boards ride the same no matter what direction you ride them. Typically Symmetrical longboards will be in a Freeride shape, but Trick skateboards also fit this description. This means you don't have to fret about which direction the board is facing when you hop on your board and go!

As said in the above description, another benefit is that you can slide on the wheels without unevenly wearing down the wheels, much like rotating your tires on your car. If a rider wants to know which direction the nose is, they can attach toe foot stops or assemble with two hardware bolts with a unique colour to signify the “front” of the board.

 

Wheel Cutouts

Wheel cutouts are that funky shape where the trucks exist on their peninsula off the board (Think Florida sticking out the side of the USA). Don't worry; the board's integrity is excellent, but this shape does serve a purpose - a Wheel Cutout is there, so the wheels don’t knick the deck and wheel bite and crash!

This doesn't mean that boards without Wheel Cutouts are terrible, but it shows how vital the compatibility between the Trucks, Bushings, Risers and Wheels is. If you don’t have a Wheel Cutout feature, you can do things like have a more significant riser, opt for smaller wheels or more! But don’t worry, all of Stella’s pre-made completes are carefully planned for their best riding ability.

Boards that have Wheel Cutouts are typically made for Cruising, Freeriding and Carving.

 

Top Mount

Most boards you see will be a top mount longboard. You can tell a board is a top mount by where the trucks are installed - if the trucks are placed on the same side as the graphic, and there are no deliberate holes in the board, your deck is a top-mounted board,

This is the standard setup you will see on a board for Cruising, Speed, Downhill, Freeriding and Carving. That's right; we weren't joking when we said most boards were Top Mount!

 

Drop Through

Wonder why your trucks are showing through both sides of the deck? This means your new board is a drop through the deck. Drop throughs are always paired with Wheel Cutouts to allow deep Carving without interfering with the board.

 

Double Drop Throughs & Double Drop

A Double Drop Deck is identifiable by the space where your feet go having a lower clearance than the part that connects to the trucks & wheels. This is an excellent board shape for Speed, Carving and Cruising.

Why is a Double Drop significant? This deck shape is moulded to drop your center of gravity; when you are closer to the ground, you are more stable, can push the board effortlessly, and gain momentum fast.

The only difference between a Double Drop Through and a Double Drop is how the trucks are mounted. Double Drop Throughs have the trucks going through the board (thus drop though), and Double Drops have the trucks mounted on the bottom of the deck.