Technology in SANTA CRUZ decks
If you think that modern skateboards are made only from Canadian maple and generally only from wood of any species, then you are grossly mistaken. Thanks to progress, technology and the desire of the designers of skate brands to make the coolest product for every skater, technological decks have long appeared in the industry.
Each brand invents something of its own, its own unique product. In this article, we want to tell you about the entire set of technological solutions for skateboard decks from Santa Cruz.In our blog, we have already written about the top brand technology – VX. But the old-timer of the world of skate building still has a lot of interesting technological solutions in its bosom that you should learn about. By the way, you can compare the technical approach of Santa Cruz engineers with the Almost specialists, whose deck technologies we reviewed in this article.
List of technological solutions for decks from Santa Cruz
- VX
- PowerPly
- EverSlick
- Hard Rock maple
- 5.P2 (archived)
These are all the manufacturer’s decks that can be found on the Santa Cruz official website. We wrote about the most advanced technology of the manufacturer, namely VX, in a separate article, so let’s start our guide to engineering surveys “Santa Cruz” with PowerPly technology.
PowerPly technology
Here a clear engineering problem was solved – to reduce the chipiness (chips) of the deck on the nose and tail to the maximum. The technological solution was as simple as possible. Plastic elements (in 2 layers) were pressed into the deck structure from the edges of the nose and tail, which completely pass along the entire circumference of the ends of the board. In general, it is similar to the edge protector of any rental snowboard, but made more beautiful.
The plastic prevents the board’s nose and tail from splitting in a head-on impact on any surface, taking all the impact on itself. Indeed, this design is less susceptible to chips, which means that the deck should last much longer.
It is worth noting that the click at the board did not change, it remains the same steep after a lot of frontal impacts against pillars or walls.
You can watch a visual comparison of the usual seven-layer “chips” from Santa Cruz and the technological PowerPly board in this video.
EverSlic technology
This technology is used in several NHS brands – Santa Cruz and Creature.
Even from its name it is clear what this technological solution is responsible for. The Santa Cruz engineers decided to make decks that would give the feeling of the most smooth sliding on the deck (boardslide, nousslide, tailslide) on any rails and edges. This is how EverSlic technology was born.
The bottom layer of the deck is covered with a special compound, which significantly improves the characteristics of the deck sliding over obstacles, i.e. scientifically mixes up the friction force. But it should be noted that not the entire bottom layer is covered with such a composition. So that the click does not slip, and the deck does not slip out so briskly from any laid-on boardslide, the edging of the lower layer does not have this coating. The official website of the manufacturer says that this deck will glide 5 times better than your regular skateboard.
Also, EverSlic technology has a positive point, which, in general, does not greatly affect your skiing, but you will appreciate it. Due to the application of a special composition, the graphics on the deck last many times longer. With this deck, you can admire your chosen print even longer.
An example of an EverSlic deck on the website of our online store is SANTA CRUZ (SP20) The Worst Frankenghost Everslick.
You can see all the benefits of EverSlic technology more clearly in this video with Ron Whaley.
Hard Rock Maple Technology
Boards with this nameplate are no longer such a technological solution. The use of premium Hard Rock veneer is hardly a technological development.
According to the manufacturer, this tree is stronger and lighter, therefore it gives a more powerful click, and also withstands high fracture loads.
P2 technology (archived, it is not on the manufacturer’s website)
The design of this deck contained 6 layers of Canadian maple, and an oval piece of Kevlar fiber was embedded in the top 7th layer. Kevlar helped improve shock distribution throughout the deck, making it more kink resistant.
It is worth noting that the technology has a website.
The manufacturer has provided 45 days of warranty for breakage in any part of the board from the date of purchase. But there is a caveat in the warranty that it does not cover breakage of the deck in the middle down or the so-called “focus”.
The durability of P2 decks is revealed in this short promotional video.
Some unique models in the Santa Cruz line (not technology)
- SNAKEBITE BOATS is a series of skateboards with increased width from 8.6 to 9.0 and a shortened wheelbase up to 14.25. These are the ideal skateboards for those looking for maximum stability on the board for any riding style.
- Taper Tip – this shape has a sharper nose and tail deck. As a result, the middle of the board is the widest point on the board, and then it narrows towards the edges. This shape makes it easy to do 360 flip, Impossible and other tricks with a large degree of rotation.
- Wide Tip – this shape, on the contrary, has a wider surface on the nose and tail. Accordingly, the width of the deck increases from the middle to the edges. This helps in sliding, as most of your foot will now be on the board.
