Tuesday, October 11, 2011

The Classic with a Twist -- Original Pintail 40 Review

   The pintail 40, by Original Skateboards is the quintessential longboard. I mean anyone can look at it and see that it is exactly what most people think of when they think of a longboard. Original tends to push innovation in all their board designs so I was pretty shocked when I saw that they came out with not just one, but a whole series of  pintails which is one of the most traditional of all longboard shapes I was a little surprised. Fortunately when they were released I was in the market for a new board and I was thinking a pintail might serve me well, so I went ahead and ordered me one!
The Pintail 40


Board Specifications
Pro's
Con's
Length: 40” Flexy Weak Grip
Width: 8.8” (widest) Light Flat
Shape: Concave Slidey

Special Features: Functional Tail Durable



   My original setup from Original came with their S8 trucks (red springs), 70mm 83a Orangatang 4 Presidents, and bones reds. Unfortunately, either the picture on the Original website or my specific deck is misleading, because my board got wheelbite with 4presidents on it. However, Original's top notch customer service reps hooked me up with a set of 70mm 86a Orangatang Stimulus wheels to rock on my board instead.

   As I said earlier I was surprised to see a pintail from a company that values innovative decks so highly, but when I stepped on my pintail 40 for the first time I saw why they put their name on this board. The pintail 40 is no normal pintail. Although its the same shape it is not the rock of a board that most similar boards are, it actually has a really nice flexiness to it that pops you in and out of carves. Another one of the first things I liked about the board on this setup was that the trucks were mounted flush to the deck and didn't have the huge riser on it that older original boards come with. This lowered the ride and kept you a little more stable when you were going a little faster. In addition being lower made slides kinda crazy awesome. But if you have ever ridden original trucks you know that busting a 180 slide on them is super effortless.

   I rode that setup on the board for a while and I really liked it for cruising campus and mild freestyle. However I decided I wanted to make it a little lighter and more stable at speed. So i slapped some 195mm paris trucks and 75mm 83a orangatang durians on the board and kicked up my freeride and downhill another level or so. I have to say that although nothing will give that surfy ride you get with original trucks, but throwing my bushing based trucks on the board were an awesome improvement for what I wanted to do with it.

   My current set-up is rocking some slightly smaller wheels, 70mm 80a metro motions, and venom shr standard bushings, and I must say, I am a big fan. This setup is great for swinging through campus and for getting a little speed and for some freestyle. This is the board I actually learned my tigerclaw on. The tail on the pintail is not a kicked tail but it is super functional. Coming out of a 180 slide you can easily hit a nose shove it and then tigerclaw up a curb. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of freestyle this board offers. And being a 40inch board left enough room for some nice cross-stepping peter-panning action. It seems to me that 40 inches is really the sweet spot for a board like this it really helps with the flex on the deck, it's kinda bouncy and kind of damp. The deck offers a mild concave to lock your feet in place which is pretty freaking nice when going fast.

   I really enjoy this board and wouldn't change a thing about it. Of course I wouldn't change it from its current construction for the exact use I am putting it to. The board is not a dedicated freestyle, downhill, or commuting board, it is right at the intersection of those disciplines. So don't expect this board to be the "best" at any one thing, its more geared towards being pretty good at lots of things.

Any questions, comments, or concerns, hit me up!
Love,
Wayne

My current setup:
Original Pintail 40
195mm Paris Trucks
Venom SHR Standard 83a
Bones Reds
70mm 80a Metro Motion Wheels

10 comments:

  1. yay! I've been looking for a post about this board! Do you like the width of the truck on this deck? And are the wheels they show in the photo the ones they come standard with?

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  2. A pretty good post! I have the same deck and I'm trying to move to 195mm paris trucks, I have Atobe bonville 76mm 78a wheels; I was trying to find posts that could tell me if here would be wheel-bite, but with this one I've gotten all I needed.

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  3. Hey Tabitha,
    Sorry i didnt see your comment til now. But the wheels they show in the photo are not the ones the board comes standard with, they are upgraded wheels. I like paris 180mm trucks on the board the most!

    Baycas with 195mm trucks they will totally fit!

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  4. Do you think this would be a good board for beginners? I have rode my friends Loaded 39' Tan Tien so I'm not completely new to this just getting my own board for the first time to get around with for now

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    1. Honestly I think this is a great board for beginners and commuting around town!
      That being said, kicktails are super awesome if youre looking to progress :)

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  5. Had a few questions.. I'm looking to get into long boarding and have no prior experience, but it looks fun.. I'm 38, 5'9" and 188lbs..

    1) Would you recommend an Original Pintail as a first board for me (I'm not looking to really try anything crazy, just enjoy cruising around and maybe learn how to do one of those slides that help you slow down)? ;
    2) If so, would you recommend the Pintail 40 or Pintail 43?;
    3) If you would recommend another board, do you have any suggestions? Thanks

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    Replies
    1. Hi Tom,

      Sorry for the late response, but I think the pintail 40 would be a great choice for you! The main difference between the 40 and 43 is the amount of flex, the pintail 40 is slightly flexy and the 43 is a little stiffer. A flexier board pops you out of carves a little better and is usually favored by commuters, a stiffer board is more stable at speed.

      Another couple boards to look at (for a great price) are Riviera boards, they make several comparable pintails, but what I like about theirs is that many of them have an added kicktail which brings a whole new realm of functionality to a deck

      Thanks, and I hope this helps!
      Wayne

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  6. is the board easy to travel with(riding in the airport,hand baggage)?

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