Life Begins at 40
Original Skateboards Apex 40 Longboard
David A. Dodson

In the ever-dynamic field of skateboards, you either have to constantly innovate or get left behind in the dust. One company who gets this better than anybody is Original Skateboards. For years they've done an amazing job of seeing over the next hill and coming out with products that push the boundaries of the industry, and their latest offering proves that their vision is still as sharp as ever. Original's Apex 40 does an outstanding job of splicing the best traits of both freestyle and freeride boards into a single unique hybrid. With its "DoubleConcave" deck design, subtle ¼ inch drop, and 40 degree gas pedals, this ride promises to do it all.

But does it live up to its promises? Abe Lincoln should have been so honest. Original sent us one of their Apex 40 DoubleConcave decks outfitted with Bear Grizzly 852 trucks and 70mm Abec 11 Flashbacks and we were stunned by the sheer versatility of this board. Anything we wanted to try, the Apex 40 was up for it. Carving, tricks, sliding, bombing: the 40 handled them competently. The double concave provided amazing stability, though it did take a little getting used to. Between the concave, the twin kicks, gas pedals and drop, there are about a million ways to have fun on this board.

Constructed from three layers of maple with carbon and fiberglass mixed in to give it some muscle, it doesn't look like much until you get it under you. There's definitely some spring, but you can tell that the Apex 40 is plenty strong.

The bottom line is if you are looking for a single board that can move with your moods then Original Skateboards' Apex 40 DoubleConcave is as good as it gets. It's sturdy, versatile and, most importantly, fun! For about $300 and change you can get a complete or just a deck for about $200 at a skate shop near you or online at OriginalSkateboards.com.