The Top 5 Tech Skateboards: Fiberglass, Hemp & The Future of Maple
Today we’re diving into the weird and wonderful world of tech skateboards — boards made from stuff that isn’t plain old maple. For decades, 7-ply maple ruled the world, but lately, we’ve seen an arms race of new materials: fiberglass, carbon fiber, basalt, hemp, even aluminum (yes, really).
We grabbed five of the most talked-about tech decks on the market and compared how they stack up in weight, durability, flex, and feel. Because let’s be real — if you made a board out of steel, it would never break… but you’d also never get it off the ground.
SHOP DECKS
🥇 Powell Peralta Flight Decks
The Flight Deck is the OG of modern tech boards. When these hit, they blew up — the deck that really brought high-tech construction back into the skate world.
Construction:
Five ultra-thin plies of hard rock maple, all epoxy-infused, with two plies of Powell’s secret fiberglass tech sandwiching it.
Depending on size, they’re 5–10% lighter than a regular board and twice as strong. We’ve seen a 220 lb team rider flex these to the ground without snapping them — a guy who normally breaks seven boards a week.
Powell keeps things super hush-hush when it comes to their process. All we know: they’re made in Santa Barbara, they come in more shapes and sizes than anyone else, and they’re practically indestructible.
🏆 Award: Most Unbreakable Board on the List
🇺🇸 Made in: USA
🥈 Santa Cruz VX Decks
Not long after the Flight Decks dropped, Santa Cruz came out swinging with their VX Technology.
Construction:
Five plies of maple with two layers of their signature Quad X fiberglass/epoxy blend. The difference? VX boards have a woodgrain bottom ply — so when you powerslide, you’re not scraping raw fiberglass.
They’re made in China, but they ride great — maintaining pop and shape longer than traditional maple decks.
🏆 Award: Best “Natural Feel” Tech Deck
🌏 Made in: China
🥉 Girl Pop Secret
Girl’s Pop Secret decks came next — a more subtle take on tech construction.
Construction:
Seven thinner maple plies topped with a carbon fiber sheet. They’re a bit thicker and heavier than VX or Flight decks, but they feel the most like a normal board.
Bonus: because the carbon layer’s on top, they razortail and wear down like a regular board — no glassy weirdness.
Also, we once reviewed these wearing skinny jeans and Lakais… please don’t look that up.
🏆 Award: Most “Normal” Feeling Tech Board
📦 Made in: China
🔥 DLX DBX Technology (Anti Hero / Real / Krooked)
The new kid on the block. DLX’s DBX tech decks bring something totally new: basalt fiber — a volcanic rock material borrowed from surf and snowboard tech.
Construction:
Pressed with epoxy resin (not wood glue), single-pressed in Mexico. Ply order looks like:
Maple / Basalt / 2 Maple / Basalt / 2 Maple / Basalt / Maple
The goal wasn’t to make an unbreakable board — it was to make a high-performance one that flexes, snaps, and still feels alive. Guys like Gerwer have been regripping these over and over, which tells you something.
🏆 Award: Most Innovative New Material
🇲🇽 Made in: Mexico
🌿 Toy Machine Macho Tech
These are the newest boards on the list and maybe the most interesting story of them all.
When Cordano Russell was destroying two decks a day, Toy Machine TM Mike Sinclair called Professor Schmitt for backup. They started experimenting with thicker plies, new glue formulas, and finally — hemp-reinforced maple.
After some trial and error (Cordano kept breaking through the top plies), they landed on the magic formula: a hemp topsheet with water-based glue, tuned for the perfect flex.
They currently only come in 8.5" and 8.75", with more on the way.
🏆 Award: Most Eco-Friendly Construction
🌿 Material: Hemp + Maple
So… What’s the Best Material for a Skateboard?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.
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Want something light and indestructible? Go Flight Deck.
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Prefer a natural wood feel? VX or Pop Secret.
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Into weird new tech? DBX and Macho Tech are where it’s headed.
We’re living in the most experimental era of skateboard manufacturing since the ‘70s — and it’s only getting weirder (in the best way).
What do you guys think? Have you ridden any of these tech decks?
Drop your thoughts in the comments — we love hearing what’s working (and what’s snapping) out there.
And if you enjoy these videos — you already know: like, subscribe, and keep shredding.
