Are Girl Decks Good Now?

After the rise and fall of Girl Skateboards, are they rising again?

[@vitoriapauluci9153]

how the hell is that deck at the end of it's life?

[@bendegros]

For me. I change decks when my performance begins to get limited. It actually has more to do with the grip wearing out and the nose and tail starting to razor tail. I can still skate well on it just not my best.

[@vitoriapauluci9153]

Ben Degros got you brother, for me it becomes unskatable once it breaks apart or where you can't even distinguish what's a nose or a tail 😂 lol

[@sweetsweetmeat]

meanwhile I skate my board till it is drftwood

[@chongymeister14]

donate me ur decks pls hahah

[@briangriffin8000]

for real man, i'd buy this off him lol

[@stezzco95]

been skating girl and chocolates for about 10 years and did notice a drop of quality in their wood but kept with them cause their shape. Now there boards have been amazing lately

[@dylaytch]

This comment just got girl a sale 😂

[@cizi6135]

so would you suggest getting a girl deck for my second board? revive just isn’t doing me very much justice

[@stezzco95]

ISOCheezie yup!

[@failedgamingchannel5294]

1 day shy of two weeks of skating chocolate 8.25 and broke the nose off on a flat ground heelfip and I've never had that happen so I dont know but I like the shape

[@dylaytch]

@@failedgamingchannel5294 that can happen with any kind of deck, if it happens more than once I would look at decks from another woodshop

[@shimes424]

"Is the new girl wood any good?" Lol

[@ThoseVeganAussieBlokes]

I absolutely love the fade outs that you have put in this edit. Spielberg would be proud.

[@jeffladrillono2313]

I stood on an 8.5 Howard recently and liked the shape but didn’t set it up cause of crail’s reputation for suspect wood. It’s a real lesson to skate companies to keep product quality a priority. It takes a long time to shake off the stigma of using shitty wood.

[@MrBailliebugs]

I've been skating nothing but crail wood recently. It's changed. They still have the great mellow concave but the wood is different.

[@zzzzzzzzzzzz-11]

@@MrBailliebugs is chocolate crail too? considering getting a chocolate board

[@nicok.5266]

@@zzzzzzzzzzzz-11 would like to know too

[@zzzzzzzzzzzz-11]

Nico K. yea it’s crail I know now

[@kingofthedeepsea2458]

What's the best board you rode so far ? I really like chocolate the best!

[@joshuakastler7837]

Excellent, thank you! I’m really happy to hear they improved. I’m just getting back into skating(at 36) and remember in the late 90s having a Rick Howard deck that was neon orange and it being the best ever for me because of the shape and it was about an inch longer than what everyone else was riding.

[@OutlandishMojo]

Just wanted to circle back and say I picked up an FA deck after your review a while back, the shape with the elongated nose, and I've really been loving it. Gives a lot more confidence when popping high at higher speeds, great little foot catch. Review was spot on.

[@nanping5428]

wow i skate everyday and i change my decks twice a year i wish i had the money to buy a deck every three weeks

[@kingofthedeepsea2458]

Good man skate every day!

[@LosTheGuy]

Id reccomend buying blank decks, they are cheap and work like normal, so you can get more careless with your skating

[@texaspoontappa8539]

I change decks once they break

[@earlalexis1]

I feel u 😭

[@fweg2530]

Holy fuck your doing yourself a disservice with 2 crusty ass decks in a year homie. I understand things are tight for everyone but you can defs treat yourself to more than that

[@turbotaylor3929]

Got a Chocolate deck recently for the same reasons. Described my feelings on the new wood exactly. Great to be hyped on buying from Crail again.

[@foreroa]

Dude, youve been really consistent on the flip tricks out of nose / tail slides. Would love a trick tip on how to get the leverage for flip tricks out of slides.

[@makrospex]

Instead of popping, you just "whip". Push down the front foot a little and use the upward momentum when lifting it, in combination with an initial slap on the tail (nose the other way round). Similar to flip tricks using a carpetboard (with griptape and shoes). screw off your trucks or take an old deck and try the usual flips until you have adjusted to the new ultra-lowness :) You'd be surprised how well this translates to flips off lipslides and stalls.

[@bendegros]

@@makrospex good idea

[@carlray9819]

Been waiting on this one. So stoked on the new wood and the positive review. Much love, Ben, and keep up the awesome work. :)

[@egw5454]

Love the detail. Can always count on Ben to give the most detailed and honest reviews.... you're a great skater for a guy that paints with a sash brush ;)

[@sadhvacman7238]

Been wanting this one for a while, Ben. Glad you weren’t disappointed.

[@Disciple0fMetal]

Great video. It's great to see someone from the same gen. Getting back into skating. I was really into skating back in early 2000's and then just stopped as soon as I started working and finding other hobbies. A few years ago we had a new skatepark built just down the street and we had some pros from back in the day demo the park. Watching these guys skate sparked my interest in skateboarding again and now I have a couple of decks I've been riding. I'm starting out slow but your channel has solid, straight to the point information that helps me now that I'm getting back into it. Keep up the great work.

[@anthonyskates9079]

Gotta say, it's nice to see a classic popsicle shaped board.

[@Astro80s]

I like popsicle boards easy to ollie

[@laresident7692]

Is my 8.2 considered a popsicle board or does that only apply for 8.0 and lower?

[@jackallevi6203]

Adjacent Tenant popsicle is about shape, not width

[@MH-hi2xo]

LA Resident any size just needs to look like a popsicle stick

[@kingofthedeepsea2458]

Really truly

[@alexandrebacci75]

Hey, i discovered your channel few days ago after thinking about jumping on a board again after more than 10 years break. Your reviews on many board are simply efficient, really like the way you analyse and point out everything on the boards you try. Moreover you got an incredible pop and height on your tricks ! finally i do love magenta layers on boards as well, it gives a punchy aspect to the deck haha !

[@iamhanssolo]

I've only skated Girl/Chocolate since '00-01 when i was 9 I'm 27 now. I stick to the G027(8.25) G030 (8.38) and G053(8.5) I'm 6'4'' 170 pounds and a very mellow skater. I agree about the pressure cracks.. I get a few from time to time but I'm not a stair jumping joslin type. I think your right the newer wood is better but i wouldn't buy one if you skate big rails and jump big stair sets. Good video Ben

[@bullred9498]

G053 is my favorite, I’m 6’5” 220 and they hold up for me, if they break it’s usually because I’ve been skating it a long time and I land wrong

[@glo0292]

I've been rlly wanting to get skating but can't affor a complete looks like fun

[@QXZ9027MKII]

Thanks Ben, i bought a pro chocolate deck with same specs, really liked it, the magenta layer was the second from top, so after you grip it, it looked cool.

[@georgigoshev4210]

Really enjoy your videos man, keep it up !!!!

[@Steve-vm1fi]

Skated a couple Chico Big Boy's on the new wood and it was great. Had the same thing with pressure cracks but the boards never got soggy on me

[@IamMortui]

Your channel is so underrated, keep it up!

[@chaikneesnollies5398]

I’m setting up my second g30 Rick Howard Kodak 8.38-32.25 14.43” wb and even though it’s a slightly longer wheelbase it’s been very comfortable with indys

[@mechanikjoe]

Heck yeah!!! I have a new Girl deck I bought that's been waiting to get gripped up as soon as my current deck gives up, can't wait!

[@_freedumb]

great skating man, this setup really looks like a good fit for you

[@brianelliott4890]

Great video as always, I was wondering if you have ever skated a Baker OG shape board? I love them was wandering when you get time to do a review to see what you thought. I'm an older skater also 34, but when I started back it took me forever to find a board that felt right and Baker OG wood was it.

[@2mb3]

That nollie noseslide nollie heel was nice!!! I rode girl decks pretty long but at one point I just couldn’t ignore the fact anymore that the wood was that Bad!i think I give it another try! Thanks,dude!!!

[@labpartners3490]

Setting up a new board after years of not being on one. I got a boosted board recently and it pulled me back in. I used to skate on a team for my local surf n skate shop, so I was really fortunate with free boards n what not. The thing is we were skating 7.5s and 7.62s.. Crazy seeing all the boards are over 8” now. Should be interesting. Even my old team(most still skate) vouch for the bigger boards, but in 2006 they wouldn’t be caught dead on over 8”s lol. Feels good bein back!

[@MrELOHELJayKay]

that lacquer on the top ply looks amazing

[@mouija1450]

This is just my personal opinion, but my favorite woodshops are Chapman and PS Stix. They're by far the best wood and have excellent shapes that I enjoy and am familiar with. Back in 2010-ish, I used to ride a bunch of Dwindle boards because I had a skate buddy that was on flow for one of their companies, and I broke more boards in two years than I had in the previous 15. I've never broken an Alien, Habitat, Zoo York or 5-Boro board (back when chapman was making 5-boro shapes when I lived in New England in the early-mid 2000's). Even if I didn't break the Dwindle board, it got stupidly soggy after a couple weeks of skating the local plaza for a couple hours every night after work, as if I left it out in the rain every night and didn't bring it back inside my apartment and leave it in my painting studio room. I got a Santa Cruz board for free back in 2016, and it was also very good quality. I didn't love the shape, but it was poppy and solid well after a month of everyday skating. It just felt kinda tank-ish and heavy, but it was way bigger than the

[@lockedinlachlan]

I've loved all the Zoo York decks Ive bought from Chapman. I definitely agree.

[@sonofAnonymous]

Oooo, I had a foundation deck that felt similar, length and width. It was a blast good for super verticle pressure flips 🙂

[@lexbeltran1354]

I bought a Girl complete deck with 159 Indy's and Bones a few yrs ago on ebay. Still rides great!😀

[@benglassco5740]

unlucky nut tap at the end there haha love the vids man keep it up

[@JordanIsBadAtGames]

Currently riding a Girl deck. I assume it’s the new wood? I love it. Best board I’ve had in a long time

[@raindropz8460]

Jordan O'Meara Skateboarding dude same I just got one and it's amazing! Really good pop feels good while riding too.

[@theyoutubeist5726]

Hell Yeah, Ben! Totally Rad shirt! Great bunch of guys!

[@ddrr003]

Hey Ben I was wondering if you have rode or done a review on the Santa Cruz power ply boards

[@pillowpance]

Dude! I remember when you had a thousand subs early last year. Happy to see you've grown quite a bit.

[@Gride9782781]

So glad their tails are longer now. The tails used to be tiny when I was 16

[@NicoVans16]

Ben, love your content! Seen your videos on stretching and I wanted to ask if u could do a video of the psoas muscle, mine is hurting so much i cant even do 180s thank you very much and keep skating

[@No1reallydies]

Work out on your core . If you start strengthening your core your psoas will also begin to feel better

[@jwadiz]

Stoked on an early morning post. A little chilly out but won’t stop me. How do you have so many damn nice parks up there?

[@MrRicoayala]

I was wondering if you could do a review on the oj elite wheels and maybe a tutorial on nollie noseslides.

[@shaggy69001]

the nose on these boards are incredible, this video reminded me. I had a girl when I quit, skating a shop deck now and it just feels a bit off. I'll be getting a girl soon

[@christopherrobinson9690]

I like my Simon Bannerot pro model decks! Enough to have three new on the back up! Torn between 8.25 an 8.5. Though. Switching sizes every other day just to try and narrow it down but I like riding both.

[@africanbatmann286]

do give the impact and or impact light decks by Almost skateboards. I have found those to last far past 3 weeks due to the reinforced core.

[@migle1166]

I have the Rick McCrank board the same series and it’s a great board !

[@coreysmith9166]

Totally would rock this set up.. I switch between Thunder team hollows 147 and Venture Hi Hollows 5.2 w 51mm wheels on a 8 to 8.12 and if I skate anything hi impact I'll go to a 8.25 w thunder 148.

[@juanshady7949]

3:22 I gotta acknowledge that guy who did a manual lol 😂🍺

[@londys]

Have you reviewed Chapmann's deck yet? I'm riding one and it's hold its shape for quite a while, I ride hotel blue 8.25 btw but hearing rumours that they will switch theirs wood shop due to chapmann is under some problem right now

[@FirelordRob76]

that was one hell of a nollie nose slide. i had to rewind it just to believe you did the whole ledge.

[@ryangroce2299]

What the heck? I thought you only put out drywall videos lol. Good to see you skate too👍🏼

[@fods_wir5020]

Hey Ben, do you happen to know where Girl are manufacturing their boards now? I know it's new wood, but any idea of the woodshop that's producing them?

[@bendegros]

No. I haven't really looked into it. Honestly, I dont really care that much anymore.

[@runningtimelabs]

One thing that'd be cool I think would be to mention in description the set up used in the vid. Peace;)

[@usafan96soren20]

I've bought a g052 something the almost simmetrical Mike mo 8.25...the most mellow deck I've ever got it's awesome! The other brands (dlx) are too steep

[@MNnytrorider]

Great channel! Have you been to the mountain bike park in whistler?

[@Sam-wx2xz]

Erwin Rommel i have been there 😃 Do you have a question about it?

[@bendegros]

You found me! I haven't been there yet.

[@aaronb9786]

I have a santa cruz everslick deck and am concerned that it may be way heavier than normal wood decks and i have had it for a year. Should i switch to a newer deck?

[@Millerwave]

Ben, do you know if its possible to buy blanks from BBS/Generator anywhere? (without buying like 50+ straight from them of course) I really want to skate a deck from that shop but them prices...... phew

[@niixj]

I've been interested in getting Brophy's new model. He's known to be a stickler for his shape which I can appreciate and I hope the wood is the same as the one you have.

[@DonNoDraper]

Thx bro I tried 1 back in hs and it was shit normally I ride aws or elements only I want to try out the new girl wood now.

[@gonzo13ist]

You convinced me to buy the mike mo basketball 8 inch deck. I hope it has the same nose and tail as the Brandon Biebal deck. It has the same width and length.

[@kingofthedeepsea2458]

Honestly I have been only skating girl or chocolate 8.125 and so impressed with the feel and the concave and shapes!!! Support the real company's girl chocolate and anti hero!

[@genocidecrusade6534]

Why? These brands have been dominating on th industry for years.

[@JohnDoe-zq1ho]

Uhhhh Deluxe distribution destroys all of those in terms of quality. It’s been proven over and over and Crail is just fucking sketchy in general, not even including the shitty wood. Skate REAL, their decks sold to the public are the EXACT same ones they give to their pro riders. You’d be surprised how many other brands give the public inferior product.

[@bullred9498]

They’ve been dominating because their teams were always the best, their videos were always the best, their decks and product were always the best, when the owners are Carroll and Howard they’re guna be the best, and the best used to skate for them until leaving and starting their own brand (Koston and Mariano)

[@kingofthedeepsea2458]

@@JohnDoe-zq1ho yes brother real decks are so good I skated a few after posting this comment and the shape lasted and was honestly had a hard time to snap any of them built so well! Had confidence it wasn't going to blow apart stomping tricks!

[@MCNeyeUnspeakable]

@John Doe I’ve snapped some Real decks like 20 minutes after setting them up. I love their shapes and fat big noses and their pop but sometimes its little things like air bubbles in the glue that can make a nose snap off like nothing. Girl and Choc aesthetically are the best. DLX boards are top notch but still, it’s the rider and chance.

[@onafdz8925]

Yeah long ago I had Brian Anderson’s pro model deck and after a month it also started getting Hairline stress cracks by they way are those the 144 Indy’s on it?

[@bendegros]

139

[@mikejeanette1528]

Ben!!! You scratched up the graphic. How you gonna hang it on your wall now

[@dudeguy556]

Do you think you could review the Ricta Clouds 78a wheels?

[@transferz]

So it is new wood! I thought so when I got my chocolate board. You were skating fast and doing long slides. Sick shit man!

[@lolayoongikurohamnida5751]

I am curently skating an Antiz deck(french company) idk many tricks ,but its a really comfortable board

[@dustinstoner6195]

Now I'm torn between trying this new girl wood, or the DOA flat as funk concave I've been waiting to get restocked. Thanks Ted.

[@Steve-vm1fi]

the DOA flat as fuck board is amazing. Like you, I'm waiting until the next drop and I'm going to pick up 3 of them. the boards should be stocked in a week

[@chaikneesnollies5398]

I’m also waiting for a DOA deck

[@dustinstoner6195]

There's a shop with one FAf left, but it's 8.75. I thought it had sold out, but I just looked and it's still there.

[@zam1atine]

Hey Ben, That´s my favorite shape ever. Like You, I learned many tricks skating that shape so I always go back to it. I am curious to what size indy´s you put there? I always feel the thunder´s give it a more dynamic and tech feel.

[@bendegros]

139's. I agree the Thunders were more tech but the indys put it in my Goldilocks zone. I skated it better on indys. More pop and nicer feeling tricks.

[@grim2j758]

How do you know when buying from one of the crailtap brands if its NA or china wood? Are all their current models NA wood now?

[@shawnhansen8901]

review the Santa Cruz power ply decks

[@linnsterlingcurebeliefinad1725]

Sick set up man.

[@Adieu]

Hi Ben, How would you compare the new Girl wood to the April boards ? I used to ride Girl boards and learned a lot of tricks on them as well, but stopped using them because the deck would lose pop really quickly.

[@user1138]

Not Ben but I believe April uses BBS wood so they should be really good. My perfect deck would be a Crailtap G028 shape made by BBS but that'll probably never happen :(

[@therealdirtydan1]

Your voice soothes my soul

[@J155P]

GAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

[@markani_melange]

Dude i fucking like your videos plus your skating is amazing. Keep it going!

[@yehpez7808]

I skated an 8.0 x 31.875 girl board and I ended up learning Tre flips and varial flips back to back so I’d say they’re pretty good

[@chesterroman2506]

I bought two girl boards and they both broke on a kick flip front board with in the first week of skating them. I will never skate another one again. But they have a nice shape i give them that much.

[@lordvader3538]

I recently skated a chocolate for the first time and it felt great and never lost pop. Although I snapped it after 3 months, and I had never snapped a board before. It certainly wasn’t bad.

[@jouhajohnny]

It was 3 months old tho

[@lordvader3538]

@@jouhajohnny that’s right Johnny. It was three months old

[@matthewhiner4318]

Nice bank to ledge great skating

[@rafamarin9822]

I have a Chocolate Jesus Fernandez deck, and after a good 2 months it still has alright pop

[@freger5387]

I have the kodak biebl and I would love it if it had more concave

[@pawneveryknight]

Nice video Ben. Have you skated Quasi before?

[@rupert6478]

love your krooked beanie

[@Botched_toes]

i love girl/chocolate boards. i got so used to the shape its hard to get used to different boards when im unable to get one.

[@kylecunningham5730]

What brand is your toque in the intro clip? I use to wear that brand back in the day. Great channel, Ben! - Kyle from Poco 🇨🇦

[@kylecunningham5730]

Just remembered! United Riders =)

[@EazyDoor]

Haven't clicked that fast on a video for some time.

[@Papaleiko]

I will try a Girl deck for the first time in the days that coming up. I bought a ''Carroll Coco Deck'', shape: G016, width: 8.375'' length: 31.75 with a wheelbase: 14.25''. Also this will be something like a little transition because I skate 8.25'' or 8.28 (my currently deck is an Antihero 8.28'' length: 31.75 with a wheelbase: 14.12'', I think this is one of the rare sizes that some companies only do) anyway, I the Antihero is really comfortable for all basic flatground tricks..not really for manuals or big ramps. I'm curious to see how this deck will get me! And yea, I'm not a big fan of big wheelbases..I like my feet to be closer. Nice video like always! Greetings from Italy and our pasta and lasagna!

[@bendegros]

I have one of those antihero decks waiting. I'm excited to try it.

[@WilliamC1978]

Can you do a review on a the Santa Cruz Everslick decks

[@joshwee26]

I just bought a Simon bannerot girl 8.0 orange deck I hope it's what I expect with all ccs hardware.. 🤞🤞🤞

[@lopwidth7343]

I have a 8.5 deck that feels too long. I used to ride 7.5 back in 2002, but that is too small. Bought an 8, but it feels too short. Does boards generally scale lengthwise these days? So i should be able to pull the trigger on a blank 8.25 and finally have a board that doesnt feel too short or long? Or is all new boards those 14 wheelbase 32inch long? Its really confusing my muscle memory. I think the 8inch deck is oldschool length, it looks fat and proportional, and so does the 8.5 but is 2-3cm longer, which feels much more, than measuring. 2cm shouldn't really make a difference, but its feels so long comparison

[@juanshady7949]

Ben bro I've been a subscriber since u started this channel....I just got a Plan B deck and it feels pretty dope...I hope u get to try a Plan B...this Girl deck review is solid yo...I actually have found that Girl decks tend to have a lot more pressure cracks...it's good though

[@bendegros]

Hi Juan:) I do want to try a Plan B. They look really nice. Great looking shapes.

[@jessenewton8568]

I got a Beastie Boys Girl Deck like 2 months ago, I loved the graphic but I didn't necessarily love the wood

[@neilsolomon1319]

Hey Ben! Thank you so much for getting me into skateboarding. The reason I step on my board now is because of you. Could you do me a favour and review a Polar Skate Co. deck? It would be very helpful. Once again, thanks for inspiring me!

[@stefanmynhardt884]

Iron Golems yes! Please do a review on Polar. I’m on my third Polar deck now and loving it!

[@Esmith5488]

Just setup a polar, a lot different from what I’ve been skating recently but it’s an interesting change

[@meesloeve152]

I f*cking love my polar deck. Skated mother/quasi and welcome before but this deck is in a new league. So much pop! I've got a boring popsicle shape right now, but i'm going to try their other shapes as well. Set up with normal indys by the way.

[@incsk8]

Polar are the best

[@akseli7029]

I got a polar deck too and i love it.

[@yomguy24]

What's your opinion about the Girl Brophy National Hero PS ? Is it really tuffer, lighter and stronger with the carbon layer or it's just marketing ?

[@drwombat]

What is crailtap I just got back into a girl board my last was a koston red from 2008 and I loved it but I just bought a new (circa 2015?) Andrew rothberg or something like that and it's already pressure cracking vertically along the truck line NOT HAPPY FOR A $70 BOARD...

[@WolfWould]

I got that same pair of gloves,lol I just ordered a pair of Crushed MX. I'm riding a Krooked now and an Anti-Hero is next then maybe this Jason Lee board i won on Instagram at Thanksgiving,haven't even unboxed it yet, i should.

[@DarkFruitMan]

Could you review a WKND deck next?

[@runswimplayball]

Love it!

[@joquancapo2356]

What do you do with your old decks?!

[@vperkv6554]

Anyone know where i can find a freaking G021 shape. I cant find them anywhere

[@No1reallydies]

Best decks for me are always the ones with long wheel bases like the feeling of them

[@jcheeks36]

Can you try the new tensor all terrains normal or mag light I want to see how they turn on the new geometry they look interesting

[@bendegros]

I'm not going to be switching trucks for a while. I have found my happy place and just need to roll with it for a while. It gets frustrating changing setups all the time.

[@jcheeks36]

@@bendegros you kind of convinced me to go back to Indy's just to try that new forged baseplate

[@landonpowell4654]

Would that deck work with venture 5.6 mids raw

[@PabstSkate]

you're so good dude sick vid