Powell Danny Wainright Dragon Head

Powell Danny Wainright (Dragon Head)

O.K. so I ditched my Zero, Jamie Thomas, skeleton (see review). I decided that due to the fact that I'm very tall and have big feet, I needed something a little less twitchey. So being the sort of chap I am I got to doing some research.

I ve always fancied a Powell but in the past they have not been the best of quality. Ive had plenty of mates who have been disapointed by the performance and quality of a nice shiney powell board. However theyre boards are now all home made at they're factory in Calafornia. The Dragon Head series is hand screenprinted which makes the grafics more durable and is a very nice touch, even if I do think graphics are largley irrelevent.

When I got the board it screamed quality and I suddenly felt a lot better about shelling out that extra £10 over another make. But then another make would have probably been mass prodused in China. I'm not saying every other manufacturer does that but a lot do.

It is 7.75" wide and 31.375" long. I frightened myself the first time I ollied it as it has a HUGE amount of pop. Lest we forget that Mr Wainright (a British pro from Bristol), holds the world record for the highest ollie. If you get the chance to witness his kung-foo style skating then sit down ignore everyone else for ten minuets and appreciate an artist at work.

Anyway enough fawning, the board is perfect, so solid and strong, the wood is just fantastic the best quality maple, layed and sealed with water proof glues that protect the deck and those precious wood fibres against the elements. All the grain on the wood top and bottom runs the right way (haleluya!). When I first inspected it I thought the truck holes were not in line, but after careful measuring I was reasured that this was a disturbing optical illusion created by the graphic. Riding the board confirmed this. The nose is broad and wide with a mellower kick than the tail making front easily distinguishable from back. The tail itself is shorter and narrower but this is not detrimental, it is just nicely shaped.The kick starts quite a way back from the truck and I think this helps the gravity defying pop. The concave is a pleasent middle road between pancake flat and captain aggresive, it is flat valley in the middle with symetrical even sloping rails. It is super stable on boardslides and rails and helped me to stop sketching around like a gipper in the middle of afore mentioned slides.

Look Ive had this deck for about a week now and have skated more and progressed more than I have in the last three months, it has inspired me and I dont know that I will ever buy another make or model again, it relly is that good.I guess time will tell and Ill report back if my opinion changes. But to my mind if your a big one or prefer a slightly wider more versatile board then just buy one you won't regret it!