How much flex and/or camber; what are your thoughts?

[Martin Drayton]

Last week of skating here at MDSC! Shame I'm just spectating these days...

This weeks favoured weapons of choice were the Roe Unlimited with 3/4" camber and a Roe 34" Custom with the same amount of camber.

When the majority of slalom boards coming out of the US are flat theses days, how is it that the higher camber boards (Roe,Turner, Insect) have been the most popular and been easiest to pump with our guests at the summer camp?
Are US boards built for only US courses on hills?
Does camber help a board accelerate better on our flatter European courses?
Look at Indiana, Airflow and now Wefunk boards too all with lots of camber...and lots of acceleration.
Hmmmm.....Any thoughts?

Martin.
(walking unaided now!)

[Vlad Popov]

But PlankkR doesn't make an S-Camber. And I do have a 2-year contract with them. What am I to do?....Maybe I should talk to Valentino and consult on how to get out of two-year deals? Smiling Smily. No, let's make it a blinking smily.

[Guest]

Vlad...just get a scamber...you just described one above.

[Vlad Popov]

I’m getting a flex deck soon from PlankkR. That’s what I want it to be and why.

Flex location-in the first third, toward the nose. So that the “apex” is right under the front foot. So that the rear foot is on flat surface over the rear truck. So that it stays there during violent pumps and keeps the rear traction up.

Camber-low to medium. So that the front foot stays on the board when pumping harder and longer. Lower flex provides a lower amplitude response. Medium camber would be good on something like CyberSL. High camber would be no good for me as it provides little or no control, and I start hitting cones and getting off the board.

Flex amplitude- when standing on the board- it goes to almost flat. If it’s completely flat, it will be in a negative camber most of the time during pumping. Which is no good for me as I’m allergic to anything that is negative.

[Tod Oles]

I realize that how a board feels and how each of us respond to a particular
setup is very subjective my need for numbers still persists! Does any one
have information on how flex is measured? I'm sure each manufacturer
has their own criteria. Any of you deck builders help us out? Thanks, seems I'm just curious this morning, Tod

[David Baker]

I prefer a "high camber" board. Like a second generation Turner, a litte better than 3/4". With the apex of the camber closer to the front truck. And I usually choose the stiffest board available at the time. My Turners dont go much past flat when pumped. I like the fast snap you get from this kind of board. Feels like it rockets you forward with each pop.

[Chris Eggers]

Thats a tough one Glenn....I haven´t had too many slalomboards, but what I know as of now, I do not like my boards too stiff. I noticed the tendency for front foot slippage is bigger in my case if the board is too stiff. That probably is because when the board flexes beyond the camber it creates something like a foot block (know what I mean?) Although I noticed a softer board has a slower reaction in a really tight course, so I always try to find a good way through the middle, but as a tendency, I like it softer, I like to "kill it softly"....

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Chris Eggers on 2002-12-20 04:49 ]</font>

[Glenn S]

How much range of flex do "you" think a deck should have and why? If it has camber should it flex to just being flat under a riders weight, or should it flex beyond flat?

And how much camber or even reverse-camber do "you" think a deck should have and why?

I’d just like to hear others thoughts on this subject of camber and flex as it relates to slalom skateboarding.

Thanks, Glenn