Creature Skateboard Deck

It's always great to acquire and set up a new skateboard deck. I'm talking about a deck that will actually be ridden, not some hand-painted work of art. This is actually my THIRD deck I've ridden in the last week, because I'm pretty much a poster boy for OCD when it comes to the dimensions and specifications of my skate decks. Before I get to that, let me share a couple of pictures of this new deck by Creature Skateboards.

                       

The deck is part of Creature's "Heathen" series, and I got the large size (8.5 inches wide, 32.25 inches long). 8.5 inches is usually too wide for me, but this particular deck actually measures in at around 8.25 inches wide, which is my preference. The all-important wheelbase dimension (close to 14.5 inches), however, is nearly perfect for me. The wheelbase of my last deck, which I rode for only a couple of days, was too short and caused numerous issues involving gravity, momentum, inertia, and centripetal force. Now, this deck isn't really ideal, but it's the closest thing that I could find in my local skate shop. Besides, the graphics are sick!

The bright green colorway seems to be a trademark of Creature Skateboards. The deck appears to be dipped in green paint, which covers both the top (see above picture on the left) and the bottom (see above picture on the right). The artwork is by Brandon Holt. The Internet tells me that Mr. Holt is a tattoo artist, and that the skateboard graphics you see here are indicative of his style.

Here is a closeup picture of the "Creature" graphic that appears on the top of the deck. I plan to keep this graphic exposed rather than cover it up with griptape.

And here is a closeup picture of some badass four-legged dragon-winged lizard-tailed buzzard creature perched atop a mountain of human skulls. The dripping saliva/blood is a nice touch that really punctuates the image. Too bad it will be completely obliterated after a few days of skateboarding.

This beauty should keep me occupied for a while. That said, I'm thinking of pushing the envelope beyond my comfort zone and trying a deck that measures a true 8.5 inches wide with a true 15.0 inch wheelbase. Unfortunately (fortunately?) that might require the acquisition of new trucks and wheels, too. Stay tuned.