Everything you need to know about Egg Shaped Skateboard Decks
The egg, or football shape (named after the egg shape of American football) has its origins in the early 1990s, a time when skateboarding was rapidly shifting from ramps to the streets of the world. Street pioneers like Natas Kaupas, Mark Gonzales and Jason Lee learned new, more technical tricks at the speed of light for which the previous, more fish-like shaped decks were no longer up to date. Within a short time, the noses became longer, the boards narrower and the tails rounder, resulting in what we know today as the egg shape. Over time, the side edges of the decks became straighter and led to the shape that is still predominant today, the popsicle. But what is this shape actually all about? Heroin Skateboards and their founder Mark "FOS" Foster is at the forefront of the return of this shape, and pros like Primitive's Franky Villani swear by it.
Egg shapes are characterized by elliptical side edges and a more pointed nose and tail. The more pointed taper of the two favors the flipping of the deck, especially with tricks that require an additional rotation such as 360 flips, laser flips or pressure flips. However, the more pointed shape gives your foot a little less surface area, which can lead to you grazing the ledge with your shoe more easily on nose or tail slides. In addition, the ends wear out a little faster due to the shape because there is less material at the tip with a pointed shape than with a wider contact surface of nose and tail. What you should definitely consider with an egg/football shape is that the deck width is always measured at the widest point of the deck. Due to the elliptical shape of the deck, most of the board is a lot narrower. This makes a 9.0 inch egg deck feel more like an 8.5. Furthermore, you should note that this also has an effect on the choice of axle width. For a 9.0 inch egg deck you should rather choose trucks that you would otherwise mount on an 8.5 deck.
Egg shapes are fun, that much is clear. Whether it's a welcome change from the classic popsicle or exactly your new favorite shape? Try it and find out!
