Pantheon Trip Drop-through Deck

Jeff at Pantheon Longboards has been the mastermind behind many a successful distance longboarding deck and the Trip could be seen as the culmination of all his experience riding, racing and designing. A versatile and easy-to-ride longboard for distance, fitness, and freeride skating, the Trip is perfect for high-level athletes and casual riders alike.

The shape: The outline of the Trip has been thought-out to the nth degree. The slight taper to the centre of the board works together with the slight camber to create a comfortable dampening/suspension effect. Stiff enough that you don't lose speed or control pushing along, but flexy enough to soak up all the little cracks and bumps along the road that you'd really rather not be experiencing. Awesome.

The mould: Starting with the biggest, most noticeable feature - the drops! Pantheon developed the crescent drop, which instead of being a straight line across the board is bordering on a semi-circle. In the centre of the board the drop is closer to your foot, and it recedes back towards the shoulders of the deck. This shape makes it stiffer and stronger, as well as offering your foot a more precise marker for exactly where it is on the board. All regular advantages of drop-down decks still apply - a lower centre of gravity for stability, easier pushing and braking and super forgiving initiation of slides.

Concave-wise, it's a gentle radial concave. It's not trying to be something it isn't - for a board designed for distance you don't want too many features under foot. However when paired with the "moustache rocker" (rocker at the front and back of the board, and a light camber in the centre) you'll really feel locked in for pushing regular and mongo as well as always being right in the pocket for deep carves and slides.

The construction: A step up from your regular maple board, the Trip features 6 plies of maple sandwiched between fibreglass, with thin veneer topsheets. This one has applewood on the bottom which looks as juicy as it sounds. It's a lightweight board that's surprisingly stiff, a pushing machine that will eat up all the miles you can throw at it.

The graphics: What can we say, they're pretty Pantheon. Designed by Eddie Kihm alongside Jeff Vyain of Pantheon. Apparently it's to remind us that although from our vantage point we may see the stems and stalks, our higher consciousness can see the flowers and our connection to everyone around us. If you push this thing for enough miles, I reckon you'll start to believe it, too.

If you skate one of these from John O'Groats to Land's End (or vice versa, with the favourable prevailing winds) in less than 3 weeks, please let us know and Matt will buy you a beer.