Almost Skateboards Review: The Best Bang for Your Buck?
Are you in the market for a new skateboard, but don’t want to break the bank? If so, then you should check out Almost Skateboards. Founded by Rodney Mullen and Daewon Song, they offer some of the best boards at a fraction of the price of other brands.
In this article, we will take a closer look at what Almost has to offer and see if they are really the best bang for your buck.
History of Almost Skateboards
Almost Skateboards was founded in 2003 by skateboard legends, Rodney Mullen and Daewon Song. Both skaters left their companies to create Almost. Before Almost, Mullen was co-founder of Enjoi while Song was founder of Artafact, a short lived skateboard brand.
The initial team consisted of Cooper Wilt, Chris Haslam, Ryan Sheckler, Greg Lutzka. That being said, Sheckler left Almost in 2007 to join the Plan B Skateboards team.
Rodney Mullen is still a member of the team to today. However, some of the former Almost Skateboards lineup include:
- Daewon Song
- Chris Haslam
- Ryan Sheckler
- Torey Pudwill
- Greg Lutzka
- Lewis Marnell
- Sky Brown
Quality of Almost Skateboards
Aside from the brand name, Mullen and Daewon’s ownership is seen as a guarantee to the quality of Almost skateboards. Both hard-core skaters put their decks through a lot, and so people that trust Almost know that their decks are durable enough for that type of skateboarding.
Almost skateboards tend to use carbon fiber around the truck mount (Impact Series) to prevent pressure cracks, as well as specialized resin. They also keep tight control over their manufacturing quality by operating their own facility, resulting in more durable decks for less cost.
Although Almost decks cost nearly twice the amount of blank skateboards, they should last you much longer.
How Does Almost Compare To Other Skateboard Brands?
The key features of an Almost Skateboards deck is lightweight, durability, and pop. Being another skateboard produced and distributed by Dwindle Distribution, Almost Skateboards are among some of the best decks, especially the Impact Series. Some skateboarders consider the Impact Series the only strong enough decks for hardcore skateboarding.
An Almost skateboard will compare with any of the companies under the Dwindle Distribution umbrella, including:
- Almost
- Enjoi
- Daylight
- Blind
- Darkstar
- Dusters
- Madness
- New Deal
- 101 Heritage
Another reason to trust Almost is because of their product defect guarantee, which varies from 15 days to 90 days depending on deck material and construction. This guarantees that you will get a replacement deck if there are any manufacturer defects.
Deck Construction of Almost Skateboards
Almost Skateboards are made out of Canadian Maple wood and often come with Impact Support. The Impact Series skateboards have reinforced carbon fiber laminate discs around the truck mounts, and eight plies of wood instead of seven, and pressed with epoxy glue.
DSM Premium Woodshop, a subsidiary of Dwindle Distribution, produces the high-quality skateboard decks for Almost Skateboards. DSM works tirelessly to develop better manufacturing processes and materials in order to offer better deck shapes and performance based on the pro teams’ ideas.
Almost Skateboards and other Dwindle brands benefit from vertically integrated DSM’s use of its own high-quality Canadian maple wood sourced from the Great Lakes Region. This consistent sourcing, transit, and storage produces greater quality products for Almost Skateboards.
The Light version of the Impact technology uses only 7 plies rather than 8 to make it lighter, but instead of just discs, it has a full carbon-fiber top laminate for even more strength. The Impact Plus features not just the whole 8 plies, but also both disc inserts and a top carbon fiber laminate for maximum protection. The Impact Plus has the longest-lasting pop and lifespan out of all of the Almost decks.
Best Almost Skateboard Complete Review
This Almost Skateboards complete comes fully assembled and ready to ride right out of the box with everything included: grip tape, deck, trucks, bearings, wheels, and hardware. The deck is made from 7-ply Hardrock Maple and Stiff Glue Extra, the strongest water-based glue. Almost skateboards have amazing pop and longer lifespans to withstand any trick.
Features of Almost Skateboards Complete:
- 8.0″ Almost Skateboards deck
- ABEC 5 carbon steel skateboard bearings
- 52mm Almost Skateboards wheels
- Raw 5.0″ skateboard trucks
Why its Better:
- Shape has been scaled for beginners and young skateboarders.
- Increased control due to custom concave.
- Improved wheel formula that works well for both the park and street.
- Softer bushings for more relaxed and easier turning.
- Comes with a 30 day warranty against manufacturing defects.
Conclusion
Almost Skateboards are a great investment for the beginner or experienced skateboarder. With their wide variety of decks and almost unbreakable construction, you can’t go wrong with an Almost deck. And if something does happen, Almost has you covered with their product defect guarantee.
So, whether you’re looking for your first deck or an upgrade, Almost has you covered.