This post has probably been a long time coming. The wooden fingerboards produced by Closeup fingerskate have long been a top seller of ours ever since we started selling their Generation 2 fingerboards back in 2008. On our landing page we have some brief words as to why they're worth the purchase but I hope with this post we can show in a little more detail what this affordable fingerboarding package has to offer.
Are they the best fingerboards out there? We're not going to answer that question with this post, this isn't a review of Closeup but rather a features article. Performance and feel can be subjective and can depend on the user and their style of riding. One fingerboarder can have a totally different opinion about a particular setup compared to another fingerboarder. But let's just take a look at objectively.
What features does the Closeup fingerboard have that make it worthwhile trying?
First of all, what might keep a person or parent from buying a Closeup complete set? Likely the price. You can go to pretty much any big box store like Walmart and pickup a Tech Deck fingerboard for say under $4 in Canada, maybe $3 in the US. And there's nothing wrong with that. For those just starting out in the hobby it's probably a good idea. Might as well see if you have a knack (and perseverance) for actually performing ollies or what not before you spend more dough on a better setup.
Also one of the other cool features of Tech Deck is that they have the licenses to replicate real skateboard deck graphics on their fingerboards. So if you're a collector, you can have miniature replicas of actual skateboard graphics from the skateboards of the world's best skateboarders by some of the hottest skateboard companies. If you've seen the rows and rows of fingerboards by some collectors, it's pretty impressive. Tech Deck certainly has the monopoly on that feature.
But there are advantages to upgrading to a setup like Closeup if you want to have a different fingerboarding experience beyond simple tricks and collecting.
It's Made of Out of Wood of Course
One of the most obvious differences is that one is made out of wood and one is made out of plastic. The Closeup G3 deck is composed of 5 layers of maple veneers. Wooden decks do have a pop and feel quite different from it's plastic counterpart. You can't deny that you actually feel like you fingers are on a miniature skateboard as opposed to a plastic toy.
Speaking of the deck, there's also a difference in shape in terms of concaveness and kick. Closeup's have a medium to high kick compared to Tech Deck's which are medium to low. A Closeup deck tape side down has a surface to deck height of about 1/4" while a Tech Deck is about 3/16".
The depth of the Closeup Deck surface is about 1/8" while the Tech Deck is 1/32", or almost none.
So what? Well kick and depth can help with the manipulation of the board when performing tricks, especially more advanced tricks and sequences.
A Word about Trucks
The Closeup Trucks certainly have a more solid construction. The trucks come with rubber bushings compared to the plastic ones of a Tech Deck. Also there's a single molded axle through the length of the hanger. Which means it's less likely to break which is a common complaint of the Tech Deck trucks.
I have to mention though that the Closeup Trucks are tricky to put together because of the size of the rubber bushings. These bushings need to be compressed in order to screw on the bolt. A tip I would give is to use needle nose pliers if you have them to compress the washer and bushings to expose the screw, leaving a gap in between the tip of the pliers to fit the tool and bolt. If not, get an extra pair of hands and have one person hold down the washer and while the other screws down the bolt with the tool.
Wheels, Wheels, Wheels...
Closeup wheels are made out of urethane. The same material as real skateboard wheels. Tech Deck wheels are made of... anyone?... plastic. And wheels are a very important part of a fingerboard's performance and ride smoothness. The urethane wheels provide more grip on surfaces. If you were to simply slide the deck side to side there is more resistance from the urethane wheels while the plastic wheels seem to just slide freely.
If there's one disadvantage to the Closeup wheels it is that the wheels are not bearing wheels. Wheel spin could be much improved with bearing wheels and I hope Closeup will look into adding these to their Generation 4 completes. In the meantime what we'll likely do at Munster Toys is offer a discount if you want to upgrade your wheels to bearing wheels. We currently stock Winkler Wheels from Germany but we're also looking at stocking US made bearing wheels from ZShred and possibly Flatface.
On the plus side, the Closeup wheels do have a metal core which increases the wheels stability on the axle which keeps the wheels facing forward and not twisted. Take a look at this photo of the Tech Deck wheel and how much it can move on the axle with a slight nudge from a finger.
It's in the Little Extras
Closeup complete sets come with a bit more than a standard Tech Deck package. The G3 Sets come with 2 sets of tape, one grip (rough) and one rip (soft). Tech Deck singles currently don't come with replacement tape and you'd be damned trying to remove the current griptape that's on them. The G3 sets also come with extra bushings and washers for when yours get worn.
So that's my little spiel about Closeup.
For a complete package that's under $30 we think it's worth a look at. It's certainly a worthy step up from the standard Tech Deck with more solid construction and features that can potentially improve your fingerboarding skills. There are still other wooden fingerboard complete sets out thereby different manufacturers but I don't want to get bogged down in this post comparing Closeup to those as we can end up back to the argument that performance and feel can be very subjective when the components are the same (but feel free to with your comments).
So let's hear it, what do you have to say about Closeup Boards? Do you have a Closeup? How do you find it? How would you describe your Closeup setup? Feel free to ask questions as well.
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