{"id":151181,"date":"2020-07-07T09:29:15","date_gmt":"2020-07-07T07:29:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.skatedeluxe.com\/blog\/?p=151181"},"modified":"2023-06-29T15:31:59","modified_gmt":"2023-06-29T13:31:59","slug":"santa-cruz-vx-skateboard-deck-skate-test-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skatedeluxe.com\/blog\/en\/santa-cruz-vx-skateboard-deck-skate-test-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Santa Cruz VX Skateboard deck skate test"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\tThe Santa Cruz VX decks<\/a> are said to be thinner & stronger skateboard decks with more pop. In this review we look at what the hype is all about and whether the VX technology lives up to its promises.\r\n\t\t<\/strong>\r\n\t<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t

\r\n\t\tREAD IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE<\/em>\r\n\t\t
\r\n\t\tDE<\/a> | FR<\/a> | NL<\/a>\r\n\t<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\"Santa\r\n\r\n\t

\r\n\t\tBefore we start: Why buy a VX deck?\r\n\t<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\t
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\r\n\t\t\t\tI was especially interested in testing the Santa Cruz VX deck because of the following: I was looking for a deck that I could use to skate flat bars, without hesitation or fear of breaking the deck. I also wanted something a bit smaller than my usual 8.38″ deck and one that would flip more easily.\r\n\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\"Santa\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t

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\r\n\t\t\t\tMy train of thought was that a Slick deck<\/a> might be too heavy and a smaller skateboard could break with one wrong move. I weigh about 82kg \u2013 not all that heavy, but not particularly light either. I skate in park more than in the street (a ratio of about 2:1). I normally need a new deck every month if they even last that long.\r\n\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t

\r\n\t\tThe Santa Cruz VX technology explained\r\n\t<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\t

\r\n\t\tIn comparison to regular 7-ply decks<\/a>, the Santa Cruz VX Skateboard decks consist of 5 plies of maplewood and 2 layers of “Quad X Technology<\/a>“. The Quad X layers combine fiberglass and carbon fiber fabric, which are connected crosswise with each other. These special plies make up the top and second to last layer of VX decks. All in all, this is supposed to make decks with VX technology thinner & stronger, as well as give you a longer-lasting pop.\r\n\t<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t

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\r\n\t\t\t\"Santa\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t

\r\n\t\tFirst Impression: Santa Cruz VX Skate Test\r\n\t<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\t
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\r\n\t\t\t\tTwo things I immediately noticed were how much thinner the board looked and felt. The sleek matte finish of the top sheet also caught my eye. Setting up the new board, it seemed more difficult to get the screws through the Quad X layers. In exchange, however, the matte finish on top is supposed to make it easier for you to change griptape.\r\n\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\"Santa\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t

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\r\n\t\t\t\tBefore getting into the test, I weighed the Santa Cruz 8.25″ VX deck and it was 5 grams more than my old 8.38″ Real Full Shape deck<\/a>. Bear in mind that a used board is somewhat lighter than a new one because some of the wood has been worn away. Therefore, the VX decks appear to be thinner but are more or less comparable in weight to regular 7-ply decks.\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\"Santa\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t

\r\n\t\tFirst session & shape of the Santa Cruz VX board\r\n\t<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\t
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\r\n\t\t\t\tI started my review with the fresh setup at the local park and would say I got comfortable with its shape pretty quickly. It did actually feel smaller, but not tiny. I’m used to boards with a lot of room on the nose and tail. In comparison to my previous board (Real Full shape), the difference wasn’t that noticeable.\r\n\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\"Santa\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t

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\r\n\t\t\t\tThe 8.25″ Santa Cruz VX deck is designed with a rather large, flat sliding space past the baseplates towards the nose and tail. This provides a lot of room to lock into slides properly and it made Manuals super fun and easier for me.\r\n\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\"Santa\r\n\r\n\t\t\t

\r\n\t\t\t\tThe steepness of the VX deck’s nose and tail can be seen with the naked eye, but in my opinion they’re still not overly long. I was positively surprised by this when doing my Ollies, but it also made flip tricks a bit more work in the beginning.\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t

\r\n\t\t10 hours of substantial skating\r\n\t<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\t

\r\n\t\tI tried to run the Santa Cruz VX deck through every obstacle and style to get a good feel for it. Overall, it performed just like a regular board.\r\n\t<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t

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\r\n\t\t\t\tThe VX deck is definitely more firm than a 7-ply, but also surprisingly flexible. I sometimes felt the flex more than usual, like when I\u2019d jump on a flat bar or go from an Ollie to BS Disaster. But then it sprang right back into shape, most likely a direct result of the Quad X technology.\r\n\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t

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\r\n\t\t\t\tAt one point during the second session, the board flew right into the corner of a ledge and I was suprised to see that the Quad X technology saved it from chipping. I only noticed a small nick, which is a big plus point. I even skated a rough barrier-style quarter and cut some deep lines into the wood; the Quad X layers didn\u2019t seem to be affected at all.\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\t

\r\n\t\t20 hours and a heap of asphalt\r\n\t<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\t
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\r\n\t\t\t\tAfter about 20 hours of skating mostly asphalt, I felt like flip tricks were still a bit harder than expected because the nose and tail felt as stiff and steep as they were when I started. At this point, its overall flexibility felt comparable to a brand new regular wooden deck.\r\n\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\"Santa\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t

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\r\n\t\t\t\tAlthough the Santa Cruz VX deck was still locking beautifully into slides, the first signs of wear were appearing. The Quad X tech started to show through on the decks’ tail, having worn away into a thin layer of white stringy material. Nonetheless, it didn’t affect my skating at all.\r\n\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\"Santa\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\t

\r\n\t\t30 hours and about time for new grip\r\n\t<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\t
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\r\n\t\t\t\tAfter having skated the Santa Cruz VX deck for about a month, I was still amazed by the quality of its pop. The only downside was the razor tail, which could no longer be ignored \u2013 it was really worn down and got splintery and sharp around the edges.\r\n\t\t\t<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t

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