Thousands of Darkstar options out there and your eyes started to get strained? We know! This Darkstar Skateboards Review will fix your eyes on some of the most worth buying.
Now our job is to narrow down the list of promising Darkstar candidates. It’s sure gonna be a hard job, but it’s not impossible. With that being said, the list makes no sense if you don’t know what criteria you want to align your buying decision with.
So here it is, a guide that walks you through all the steps of choosing the best Darkstar skateboard for yourself.
Things To Know Before Buying A Darkstar
Choose Your Skateboard Size
Once you find a board size that fits, you tend to stick with it either forever or quite a while. But if this is the first time you ever buy a skateboard, learning about the board sizes and the pros and cons of each is a must-do.
Most skaters choose between 7.75, 8.00, and 8.125. The number shows you how wide the deck is, in inches. If you force us to give out only one answer, we would say 8.00. But it should not be a set answer for all.
Generally, the bigger the deck is, the more surface and stability you have on the board. And the thinner it is, the more flexible you can become when doing skating tricks.
Think About Your Budget In The Ballpark
How much are you willing to pay for a Darkstar skateboard? Break down your budget for deck, trucks, wheels, bearings, hardware and all other accessories in need.
The advice is that deck, truck, and wheels should be the top priorities to spend your money on. So we are talking about the quality and durability of the materials. You pay more to have more time using and less time maintaining.
Get Into All The Product Specs
Yes, all of them. Deck measures, concave type, material, graphics, popping quality, included accessories (if any). Scrutinize them, project them with your personal preferences.
Make sure it is something that you want and you think it fits your needs, your skating level, and your budget. Also, unfortunately, this writing will not help you to choose one that looks cool on your bedroom’s wall.
Stay Away From Walmart Darkstar
Last but not least at all, Walmart is not a place to buy a quality Darkstar skateboard. If you are in the mood of breaking something to release your frustration after multiple fails, a Walmart board could help. But it’s the only case you will need it.
It remains unsure if those Darkstar skateboards in Walmart are the authentic ones. But it is proven by many pros and skating enthusiasts like Aaron Kyro, John Hill, and Bryan Arnett that the quality is not really up to standard.
Darkstar Skateboards Review – The Best Darkstar to Skate on
For many years Darkstar has been under Dwindle’s manufacture and distribution. The quality is thus consistent from product to product.
We chose 5 names in our Darkstar Skateboards Review as the highlights of the brand. And here they are.
Darkstar Grand Soft Wheels
The Darkstar Grand comes out with an 8-inch deck, which is an ideal size for skaters of all levels. And as it is a complete board, all the eligible accessories are already in the box. We have a deck of high-quality maple, T5 trucks, wheels of 51m 95a, carbon steel bearings, and grip tape.
It’s ready to skate right out of the box, the assembly is decent. Soft wheels allow for almost all skating scenarios like in the park, vert, street, pool. The stiff glue extra on the deck will make it through any reasonable stomp test.
This Darkstar Grand can be around for quite a while. So there’s really no need to treat it like a lady. It will stay firm to be your buddy for a long time.
This Darkstar Grand is one of the brand’s classics. The deck graphic is simple yet iconic with a black Darkstar logotype on a red background.
Pros
- Decent assembly
- Versatile skating purposes
- Easy-to-notice Darkstar graphics
Cons
- 51m wheels can sometimes give a rocky feeling
Darkstar Roses Lime Green
This is another popular complete board from Darkstar. But as compared to the Darkstar Grand, the Darkstar Roses Lime comes with a smaller deck. While the Grand has the standard 8-inch wide and 31.6-inch long deck, the Roses Lime is smaller with the measures of 7.75-inch width and 31.2-inch length.
Enough for the number, what does it mean? A smaller deck allows for more flexibility while you are skating. Ollies, kickflips, or any other trick that you need to lift your feet out of the board will be a bit easier.
But it is not the case when it comes to landing. As your feet have less room to land, the trick can be harder to complete.
It’s quite true to say that the Rose Limes is more of a youth skateboard or for skaters that have prior experience in doing tricks.
Pros
- Smaller deck for more flexibility
- Elegant graphics of neon Roses Lime
- Suitable for young/kid skaters
Cons
- Can be harder to land
Darkstar Magic Carpet Black
It is another 8.00 skateboard from Darkstar. Yet it is not quite standard as the length is a bit more excessive than the Grand and of course Roses Lime – 32 inches.
The difference in number is not quite significant. But when it comes to actual skating, you will feel it. Darkstar Magic Carpet Black provides more stability while skating. It is an ideal choice for a beginner, especially when skating in hallways and staircases is preferred.
However, a longer deck can be a little bit tricky when doing kickflips. It is also more likely that the deck tail will wear out faster than other 8-inch decks.
Pros
- More stable feeling on deck
- Suitable for beginner
- Ideal for hallway and staircase skating
Cons
- Deck tail can wear quite fast
Darkstar Dave Bachinsky Heavy Metal
Dave Bachinsky Heavy Metal is a hot and sexy option from Darkstar. The graphics include gorgeous comic-style artwork. The female protagonist stands out from the emerald background, fierce-looking and stunning appearance!
The vibrant graphics blends well between trucks, while the deck’s nose and tail are green. Strong glue for good durability, colorful graphics, and high-quality deck giving stable pop, these are the most significant features.
Similar to the Grand, this Darkstar Dave Bachinsky Heavy Metal measures 8.00 and 31.6 inches. All the best of Darkstar are still on this deck – standard deck, strong wood, stiff glue extra and grip tape. You will need a bit more time and money to assemble it as the deal does not include trucks, bearings, and wheels.
But it’s not really bad news as you have several choices of accessories from Darkstar. One quick fact, Darkstar used to be a wheel company before evolving to a skateboard brand.
So there’s no doubt about its accessory quality, and there’s no need to find the accessories in any other brand. The Darkstar has them all, if you already have a Darkstar deck, it’s best to use all gears also from Darkstar.
Pros
- Beautiful comic-style graphics
- Have more choices for accessories
Cons
- Deck only
Darkstar Lockup Royal Blue
The last Darkstar on the list is quite an unusual board. We are all familiar with 8.00 x 31.6 or 7.75 x 31.2 boards. But with Darkstar Lockup Royal Blue, the measurement is 7.875 x 31.7. So it will be a little bit thinner yet longer than a Darkstar Grand.
It seems that the manufacturer tries to make a hybrid having all the advantages of both 8.00 and 7.75 boards. Still, there is no significant difference in numbers, but it breaks down to the feeling.
The only difference of this board separating it from all complete Darkstar boards above is the deck size. It also comes in a complete version, which means that it has all the gears it needs to be ready-to-skate right out of the box.
Deck, grip tape, wheels, trucks, bearings, they are all in there. Despite the difference in deck size, Darkstar has no change to the size of wheels in this version. It still includes the 95A 51mm wheels in the set.
Pros
- Better balance in trick efficiency and stability on deck
- Complete board to skate right away
Cons
- Not many are available on the market
Things To Prep Yourself Up For Skateboarding (Not Only Beginners Need This)
How to Fall Correctly
When you fall, it hurts, duh! But if you don’t know how to fall, you won’t be skating very long. And you definitely don’t want to be like in those cringy skateboarding slams videos.
Enough for the warning. Here are some tips:
- While you are cruising, jump out of the deck (either both feet on the same side or on the opposite of the deck).
- Steer your board to grass areas so when it stops, you can learn how to fall out of the deck with no harm.
- When you fall, bow a little bit and try to always land with the side of your body, tighten your core and tuck yourself into a ball-like shape.
- Make the landing from a rolling position to a stop position. Bend your wrist, arms, shoulders, back, and legs.
- Get used to the falls by actually practicing the falls.
- Fun Fact – Experienced skaters are better at falling than they are at skating.
Do It Right Before Do It Impressively
Everyone wants to do a kickflip. But don’t jump right into it if you are not doing well with the beginner tricks. Your skating skill foundation should include knowing how to manipulate the board, being comfortable on it, and at least knowing how to ollie.
Don’t Compare Yourself With Anyone
Skateboarding is not a one-to-one competition. As long as you are having fun, that’s enough. Different people learn things at different rates. Comparing yourself with others will only drag you down in frustration.
Injuries Won’t Impress People
We should all agree that being safe is a lot more important than looking cool. Helmet and protection gears, they give you more confidence and less harm while practicing tricks. Skater, yes; poser, no.
Watch, Learn And Improve
The best way to improve in skateboarding is surrounding yourself with other skaters. Don’t get shy to be around with people whose level is miles above from yours.
You can also be a supporter of your skate buddies. Even if it is just an ollie but they took time to make it, show them your encouragement.
The Best Feeling Worths The Countless Fails
Don’t set a bad note on any skating day. You are gonna have some bad days with the progress not seeming to have any positive sign. But don’t let a failed trick ruin the whole experience.
It is not that you or the equipment is not good enough. Give it a break if a trick doesn’t turn out well. Come back to it later, try something different, don’t get discouraged, and always have fun!
Made Up Your Mind Yet?
Now our Darkstar Skateboards Review has come to an end. And not only reviewing different options, but we also give you the walkthrough to choose your own Darkstar skateboards.
Overall, Darkstar is a brand with long-lasting and positive exposure on the market. Both deck and accessory quality are all good, many of our recommendations above are complete boards. Especially if you are not quite used to assembling a skateboard, there will be no more struggles, complete boards answer straight to the point.
We have done the review, now the task passes on you. It’s time to pick a Darkstar and prep yourself up to skate on it.
