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When choosing a longboard, the first aspects you’ll generally look at are deck length and width. Flex, however, is also an essential variable to consider. Flex can make a HUGE difference in the way a longboard will ride, and how well it will match your needs.

Just how much should a longboard deck bend? Longboards range from super-stiff to uber-flexy – to the point where the deck may touch the pavement in some situations.

The amount of flex in a longboard is no coincidence, it’s one of the key choices manufacturers made when designing and producing a deck.

Flex is your friend for carving, pumping, and pure dancing, but can get in the way of stability at speed, urban sidewalk hopping, and freestyle tricks. Stiffer decks also work best for freeride and sliding. Distance pushing can be done efficiently on a deck with or without flex.

How much flex you need depends on your riding goals, terrain, and skills. In this article, I go over the main pros and cons associated with flex and zoom in on different longboarding scenarios, and how deck flex relates to them.

See also: What Size Longboard Skateboard Should I Get?

Table of Contents

Flex is the amount of vertical deformation a longboard deck undergoes under stress when you apply weight to it. A stiffer deck will not deform much, if at all, even if a heavier rider jumps on them. A flexier deck will bend significantly, with the middle section getting close to the ground when riding.

A few factors determine how much a deck will flex:

The flex in a longboard comes from the materials it is composed of, as well as the manufacturing process. Many longboard decks are built from hardwood Canadian maple, by pressing together multiple layers.

Pure hardwood maple results in a stiff construction. The more maple layers included in the layup, the stiffer the deck – 8 or 9-layer decks are stiffer than classic 7-layer construction. Some decks have thicker cross veneers (layers) for added stiffness and pop.

Some decks are made from maple with a bamboo veneer on the top and bottom. Bamboo is light, strong, and very flexy. When combined with maple or other materials, it can result in a nice controlled flex for the deck.

Another type of combination allies maple with fiberglass or carbon inserts, which results in a strong deck with a lot of flex.

Some advanced longboard decks nowadays use composite construction, e.g. one (or more) vertically laminated bamboo core sandwiched between layers of fiberglass, epoxy resin, and bamboo veneers. This results in a light, strong, and poppy deck suitable for certain styles of riding (keep reading).

For more in-depth details about deck construction, check out this cool post from Lush Longboards.

So how stiff or flexy should your longboard be? The following table lists the main pros and cons of each.

It’s important to note that there are different degrees of flex – e.g. mellow, medium, or stiff flex. A longboard with medium flex like the Loaded Chinchiller can be quite versatile and work well for many types of riding.

Also note that longboard decks will naturally gain some flex over time. A medium flex board may become a lot softer after a few weeks or months of riding, especially if you do a lot of hard landings or hard carving/pumping.

Some high-end longboard models come in different flex versions to choose from. The version you choose will depend on the type of riding you will be doing, and should also take into account your weight. Let’s go over the different riding styles and how flex affects them.

if you’re looking for a longboard you can use for commuting to work, the amount of flex you want depends on the path you’ll be riding through. If your commute involves small streets and alleys with lots of cracks and bumps in the pavement, a board with a bit of flex can better absorb ground imperfections.

On the other hand, if you do a lot of sidewalk riding and curb hopping, you’ll need to pop/ollie your longboard or cruiser often. If so, a stiffer deck with good pop (e.g. the Loaded Ballona) may be a better option.

Likewise if you’re going up and down hills – a flexy deck might bottom out and touch the ground.

If you plan to push long distance on your longboard, either for fitness or for long commutes on roads or bike paths, a stiffer board will give you a more stable ride and support when pushing (or slogging), especially at higher speeds.

That said, some experienced riders might choose a flexy board for pushing on flats as the flex can provide a nice energy return leading to more speed (albeit at the expense of some stability). Some deck flex also gives you additional vibration dampening when riding on rough surfaces.

The combination of a flexible deck and large, soft wheels turns rough surface riding into comfort for longer sessions.

Too much flex, however, might result in your deck bottom scratching the ground when going over bumps, which results in an unpleasant ride. Certain routes are just too bumpy for a really flexy deck.

See also: Loaded Fathom review: high-performance distance & commuting bracket setup

A flexy board will give you great momentum for carving and pumping. If your technique is good, this can result in a lot of speed, gaining speed in every turn.

“Flex pumping” allows you to ride fast on bike paths and flats without pushing. You gain energy and speed from your carves and compression/offloading motion.

For this type of riding, flex adds speed and control once you master the technique. A flexy deck is also great for pump track riding. The Icarus is a great example of a flexy board for carving and pumping.

Note that the amount of flex you want will depend on how hard you carve and how much you weigh. Really hard carving by a heavier rider might make a super-flexy deck bottom out as well as cause wheelbite, so in this case, you should opt for a somewhat stiffer deck. See below for more about heavy riders.

Check out my articles on longboard pumping and Longboard carving for more on this.

Some dancing longboards have more flex than others. Flex helps you make longer carves and smoothen out your ride, as it reduces torsional stiffness thus making turning slower. Too much flex, on the other hand, can get in the way of balancing when doing dance tricks.

Riders who like to combine freestyle tricks with dancing often choose a stiffer board for more pop. Ollies and kickflips respond well to a bit more stiffness, and flexy boards are less predictable when popped in the air.

If on the other hand, you are mostly carving, cross-stepping, and pirouetting, a slight flex will be more fun and make it easier to keep the board carving while you move around the deck. Flex also makes for softer landings when jumping on the board. 

Stiffer decks are generally the best choice for freeride or downhill riding. Stiffer decks are more stable at speed and you’re less likely to get wobbles. You’ll be a lot more confident sliding and drifting on a solid and damp board. More flex equals less stability when going fast downhill above 20mph.

If you’re still learning to slide, however, a longer, lower-riding, slightly flexier board like the 34″ Chinchiller (topmount, slight flex) or even the 39″ Tan Tien (flexy drop-through) will give you that secure feel you need to initiate a slide when carving down moderate hills.

As a general rule, heavier riders (e.g. 250+ lbs) will want to go for a stiffer deck, especially for carving and light freeride.

While you may feel like a thin and flexy deck might snap on you if you ride it too hard, quality decks (Loaded, Landyachtz, Arbor, Sector 9, etc) are very strong, particularly the hybrid bamboo/maple or bamboo/fiberglass ones. You can generally ride them for months without seeing signs of stress.

Flex reduces the chance of the deck snapping. Similar to car suspension, it absorbs hard impacts that would otherwise make a stiffer deck snap.

However as I mentioned before, a flexier deck may touch the ground or the wheels despite the wheel wells/flares. When ridden by a heavy rider, a deck might flex 4 to 5″ and hit the ground when jumping in the middle – including with large wheels and thick 1/2″ risers.

One way to prevent the deck from touching the ground is to make your stance a bit wider (feet further apart) when going over bumps.

Heavier often riders find that a maple deck provides just enough flex for them.

Pintail longboards are generally meant for relaxed cruising and carving. These boards are very responsive and tight turning as a result of their narrow tapered shape, wheelbase, and RKP trucks.

Pintails generally have some amount of flex for responsive energetic carving and pumping. Those on the longer side (e.g. 40 – 44″) tend to be flexier. While bamboo pintails will have more flex than full maple models, some maple boards like the 41″ Landyachtz Condor still offer a decent amount of flex.

Overall, pintails should have at least a bit of flex to offer a nice ride when cruising along the boardwalk.

Besides board shape and ride height, flex is an essential aspect of how a board feels and whether it’s a good fit for your specific style. Flexy boards give you more rebound when carving and can add efficiency to your turns.

A bit of flex can also help absorb shocks and make distance pushing and commuting more comfortable and effective.

On the other hand, too much flex can make a board less stable at higher speeds and less performant for freestyle kick and flip tricks.