Fingerboard Decks

Wooden fingerboard decks: Blackriver, Berlinwood and Yellowood

The fingerboard deck is the part that most defines how a setup feels: the width, the concave and the shape of the kicks change your control over ollies and flips. This category holds the loose fingerboard decks in our Madrid warehouse, for building your own setup or replacing the deck on a complete. They are pressed wooden decks, handmade in the case of Blackriver and Berlinwood.

Decks by width

How a wooden fingerboard deck is made

A wooden deck is made by gluing thin veneers and pressing them in a mould that gives the concave and the kicks; it is then cut, sanded and drilled for the trucks. Blackriver and Berlinwood use five plies (Blackriver specifies Canadian maple and also has seven-ply models) and carry out the whole process by hand in Germany. Their decks are 98 mm long and the nose is slightly longer than the tail, like on a skateboard.

Width, concave and shape

Fingerboard deck widths range from 29 to 36 mm depending on the brand. Blackriver calls the 32 mm deck Wide and the 33.3 mm deck X-Wide. The concave is the side-to-side curve: Blackriver offers it low or medium. For shape, Blackriver works with profiles such as the classic or the popsicle; each model's name tells you which one it is.

Grip tape

Blackriver decks are sold with a sheet of Riptape and Yellowood decks also come with riptape. If you want a different one, there is the pre-cut Riptape Classic, self-adhesive foam rubber with a rough feel.

Deck brands

Blackriver was founded in 1999 in Bavaria and handmakes decks, trucks, wheels and ramps. Berlinwood started in Berlin in 2002 with Timo Lieben and is now part of Blackriver. There is more background in pro fingerboard brands and in the complete fingerboard guide. To combine deck, trucks and wheels, take a look at the fingerboard setups by level.

Fingerboard decks: frequently asked questions

Which deck width should I choose?

To start, 32 mm. If your fingers are big or you want more support, 33.3 mm. What matters is pairing it with trucks of the same width, or 34 mm trucks in the case of the X-Wide.

Does the deck come with grip tape?

The Blackriver and Yellowood decks we have come with riptape. In any case, grip tape can easily be bought separately.

What do I need to set up a loose deck?

Two trucks of the right width, four bearing wheels, eight screws with nuts and grip tape. It is all in trucks, wheels and accessories. If you would rather not assemble it, take a look at the complete fingerboards.

How many plies does a fingerboard deck have?

The Blackriver and Berlinwood decks we have are five-ply wood. That is the usual construction for professional decks; Blackriver also makes some seven-ply models.

What is the difference between a Berlinwood and a Blackriver deck?

Berlinwood is part of Blackriver and the two share the same construction: five plies, 98 mm long and handmade in Germany. What changes are the moulds, the graphics and each brand's pro models. The Berlinwood Afrobi, for example, is that rider's signature model.