Are Tech Decks Good Fingerboards?

If you were an early 2000s kid then this article is a nostalgic trip for you. I remember when the boys in my class went crazy over these miniature skateboards. They used to perform tricks on tech decks with their fingers that were unimaginable. But ever since that, the popularity of tech decks has decreased.

Are tech decks good fingerboards? Although they are budget-friendly and the most affordable option available in the market, they are not good. Unfortunately, the wood is of cheap quality and the fingerboard requires more force while performing tricks.

So let’s get into the article to know more about tech decks and the best fingerboards you can buy. Read on to know more!

How Do Fingerboards Work?

It may seem like a child’s play but fingerboards are pretty complex to master. These miniature fingerboards are as difficult as the real skateboard. It is the task of maneuvering your fingers to mimic the movements of feet on a skateboard.

So, I will teach you a couple of tricks to ace in your next fingerboard competition.

Ollie

Ollie is an essential trick to learn because all other tricks are based on this. You use it to jump over things. Follow these steps to know how to do an ollie:

Place your index finger on the middle of the board and the middle finger on the center of the tail.
Next, ride it over a smooth surface to get the hang of it.
Then, slowly push on the tail with your middle finger to let the board be in a slant position. Try this step a few times.
Finally, place your middle finger on the tail and as it goes in the air, place the index finger on the nose to pop it into the air.

I know it may seem complicated but you can master this technique with a few tries.

The Kickflip

Another foundational trick but you need to learn how to do an ollie before this. In this, the board rotates at a 360-degree angle in the air. The same technique is famous among snowboarders and surfers. Let’s see how you can do a kickflip:

Place your index finger behind the nose and the middle finger on the tail. This is the same position of an ollie.
Then, pop the tail of the board with your middle finger. The board will lift up and then slide the index finger on the nose to let the board gravitate towards you.
This is important so that you can have control over the board.
Next, as the board goes for a 360-degree rotation, use the middle finger to catch the board to bring it back to the ground. If you don’t catch the board, it’ll go for multiple flips rather than just one.
For a kickflip, make sure you catch the board after one rotation.

The Shove It

Shove It is similar to kickflip but the difference lies in the height projection. Shove It happens near the ground whereas, kickflip happens well in the air.

Additionally, the force also depends on it. If you place a lighter touch then it’ll rotate near the ground but with a good force, the board will go into the air.

Place the index finger on the logo and the middle finger on the tail.
Then, with light pressure, pop the tail of the board.
As the board lifts up and does a rotation catch it with the middle finger and push it back to the ground.

Hospital Flip

I know, the name may sound weird but this is a pretty impressive trick to master. You should know how to do a kickflip properly, then you can give this a try.

Place your index finger behind the nose and middle finger on the tail.
Press your middle finger with a force so that the board goes in the air.
Then, keep your index finger beneath the nose and then turn the finger backward to let the fingerboard do a 180-degree rotation.
You’re only doing a half kickflip in this trick.
Make sure that you do not move the index finger far away from the board otherwise, it’ll do a 360-degree rotation.

Heelflip

This is the last and the most difficult trick. Additionally, it is the opposite of kickflip. In kickflip, you move the board inwards but in heelflip, you move the boards outwards or away from you.

As you place the middle finger at the tail, press it down hard to get a flip.
Then, as you pop the middle finger, use the index finger to flip the board away from you. This is a bit difficult to master because the board naturally gravitates towards you.
Next, curl the finger slightly and then catch the board in the air after it completes a full rotation.

Tricks are pretty difficult to master and you’ll require a lot of patience to do them properly. Practice more and more to be perfect in this sport.

When Were Tech Decks Popular?

What started as a fun craft activity for the kids, developed into a full-blown business for companies such as Tech Decks. Fingerboarding became popular in the 1960s.

Then observing the excitement among kids, the toy companies introduced a fingerboard keychain to go with their dolls and action figures.

But it wasn’t until 1999 that fingerboard became a proper professional sport. With the emergence of the Tech Decks company, fingerboards became the next best thing among both children and adults.

They would collect the different models, stickers, accessories, and styles to make a collection. Even I had a huge collection of these back in the day. I loved the graphics on the boards as they resembled the quirky designs of the skateboards.

Some professional skaters also joined their hands with the Tech Decks to make them affordable and look-alikes of the skateboards.

I found Tech Decks the most interesting thing. It isn’t just a child’s toy, there’s a whole emotion involved in this. A lot of my classmates held competitions to see who performed the best trick, while others just saw it as a hobby.

Tech Decks vs. Professional Tech Decks: Which Is Better?

Tech Decks started with fingerboards to make them available to the customers in bulk. The mass production led to the boom of fingerboards. Tech deck promised to revolutionize the experience of fingerboards for people.

The best part about tech decks is that they are extremely affordable. You can get them at a minimum of $3 and a maximum of $12. But it comes with some disadvantages such as it has less grip than any other fingerboards available in the market.

Due to this reason, it is hard to perform some tricks. The thin grip leads to more falls and harder movements. Additionally, it does not let the board glide over any surface smoothly.

Moreover, customers have complained about missing parts, wrong styles delivered to them, and poor quality in terms of material used.

On the other hand, customers have been raving about the Professional Tech Deck series. It uses real wood to replicate the feel and style of the real skateboard. Moreover, it comes with foam tape which has a good grip and the tricks are easy to perform on this.

Additionally, it comes with soft grippy wheels which helps in smooth and easy gliding plus agility. It is available within the range of $20-$25. Overall, the Professional Tech Deck series gives a real-time experience to the customers with its improved control and handling.

Although, the Professional Tech Deck series is a bit more expensive than the normal range, yet its overall benefits are more. I would always suggest a product that is more durable than affordable as you’ll nevertheless have to spend money on buying it again.

Best Pro Fingerboards

Let’s take a look at some of the best pro Fingerboards:

1. Teak Tuning Prolific Complete Fingerboard

The Teak Tuning Prolific fingerboard comes with a wood veneer that ensures maximum strength and durability. This is one of the most loved fingerboards among the fingerboard community. People have been using it for years without any complaint.

With a 32mm truck size, you can be sure that your fingerboards will do the best flips. Moreover, the nuts come with a nylon insert that ensures the wheels do not fall off while using them.

Additionally, it comes with upgraded components which is honestly a huge advantage. People especially love the grip foam tape which gives them the feeling of real skateboarding.

You can purchase it here, on Amazon, for $17.79

2. P-REP Solid Performance

This fingerboard has the best wooden quality which will not have any wear and tear for years. Most people found this the best upgrade after using Tech Deck.

However, it does not come assembled, so you’ll have to assemble it yourself. But don’t worry since they send the trucks, screws, and the necessary tools along with them.

Additionally, it comes with two extra grip tapes and one extra bearing, so even if there is some wear and tear, you can change it easily.

You can buy it here for $22.89

3. Noah Wood Wooden Pro Fingerboards 8.0

I absolutely trust this product because it is completely made by professionals. This product has everything that is lacking in any other fingerboard.

The stainless steel makes it sturdy and less prone to breakage. Moreover, they changed the color of the bearers to white on customer demand, so you can be assured that any problem you have will be assessed by them.

Additionally, it is made with 6 Canada Maple plies to ensure strength and durability. It also comes with a lock nut technology that will not let the bearers fall off.

You can buy it here for $29.90

4. Prolific Complete Fingerboard

This limited range Midnight Blue fingerboard has five plies of wood to maximize the strength of the fingerboard. The entire board is in blue color including the bearings. This gives it a unique look apart from the other graphic fingerboards.

The bearings are of stainless steel to give agile movements and smooth glide strength. Usually, the other fingerboards have rubber or plastic bearings but the stainless steel adds an advantage since it does not tear easily.

Additionally, there is another advantage to this great product, as it comes with replacements if the product gets damaged during shipping.

You can buy it here on Amazon for $16.89

5. Tech Deck Performance Wood Series

The Tech Deck Performance series includes its best products. With wooden material and rubber bushings, the focus is completely on how to make the customer comfortable with the product.

Additionally, it has a foam grip tape that ensures maximum handling strength. I love the distinct and unique packaging as well. It is completely different from all the others plus it comes with all the tools and instruction manual for easy understanding.

The customers have been facing only one issue that is of delivery, rest the product is fantastic for its price and quality.

You can buy it here for $20.70.

Final Thoughts

Fingerboarding is an interesting activity and this article has definitely sent me through a nostalgic drive to my school days. Who knew that the competitions that the children had in the classrooms would be on the international level as well.

For this reason, it is important to invest your time equally into selecting which fingerboard works the best for you. I hope this article helped you to know about some tricks and which fingerboards to use.