The Dervish is a subtle beast. At first, I thought "nice board, nice flex," but I didn't quite get what all the fuss was about. Five minutes later, I'm starting to feel it. Ten minutes later, I'm flicking in and out of carves with knees and ankles rather than leaning and creaking into carves. And after an hour, another pleasant surprise: my legs aren't doing the aching-and-shaking thing that tells you to call it quits, and my feet haven't gone numb from vibration.
A lot of reviewers on a certain longboard site rate the Dervish a 4 or 5 (out of 5) for stability. They are confusing controllability with stability. The Dervish is controllable and precise in spades. It's a finely-tuned carving instrument that flicks and weaves with small inputs. But stable? Please. Stability is the enemy of maneuverability. Yes, a long wheelbase and low center of gravity add stability, but mad flex and loose trucks make sure it's a party right up to a 30-mph sanity check. As a wise man once said, "You want stable? You buy horse. Or speed board."
That said, the board's limits aren't sudden or scary, but progressive (Being an idiot, I felt the need to find them). Somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 mph, my attention was about 80% on trying to keep the board under my feet and about 20% on looking for a place to bail. This is Dervish for "You want faster? Really?" Yeah, it might be more than you've ever spent on a longboard, but give it a half hour and you'll be so hooked you won't let any of your dumb friends near it.
A lot of reviewers on a certain longboard site rate the Dervish a 4 or 5 (out of 5) for stability. They are confusing controllability with stability. The Dervish is controllable and precise in spades. It's a finely-tuned carving instrument that flicks and weaves with small inputs. But stable? Please. Stability is the enemy of maneuverability. Yes, a long wheelbase and low center of gravity add stability, but mad flex and loose trucks make sure it's a party right up to a 30-mph sanity check. As a wise man once said, "You want stable? You buy horse. Or speed board." That said, the board's limits aren't sudden or scary, but progressive (Being an idiot, I felt the need to find them). Somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 mph, my attention was about 80% on trying to keep the board under my feet and about 20% on looking for a place to bail. This is Dervish for "You want faster? Really?" Yeah, it might be more than you've ever spent on a longboard, but give it a half hour and you'll be so hooked you won't let any of your dumb friends near it.
By Nathaniel C.Moffat "Nat" (Bethesda, MD United States) - Loaded Dervish Flex 2 Bamboo Factory Complete Longboard
