Description
What Makes the Supersonic LDP Different
The inherent geometry of our Supersonic LDP longboard will allow you to run Bear 130mm, 155mm or Paris 150mm effectively. You’ll want either the 40 degree (Bear) or 43 degree (Paris) in back, and either the 50 or the 40/43 in front. Because of the very similar base geometry of these trucks, they will run within about 1.5mm axle height from front to back regardless of which truck position you use. You can run WITHOUT any riser with a 50 degree front up to 90mm wheels, and you may need to add a little bit of riser when choosing a lower degree front, depending on wheel size. Both are excellent choices.
Any further tinkering is certainly welcome, but this is an incredible starting point for a top of the line LDP longboard setup, with the stock setups already being super effective right out of the box.
The deck features a mild camber between the drops and incredibly tight curvature, considering the required curves necessary to make this geometry work. And we integrate very mild versions of our crescent drops in all curvature points (even the down-curve of the de-wedged back end!) on this deck, making them stronger than boards of the past and allowing us to control where the board flexes. Our concave is mellow, as it should be, so that you’re comfortable no matter what distance you’re skating. But the curves are subtle and strong, and there are no true flat spots on the board anywhere, resulting in superb board feel.
Supersonic LDP Longboard Design Explained
For LDP riders looking to pump, a classic wedge front, de-wedge rear setup is a must. You want high degree turning in front and a nice low degree solid back end to throw your weight off of and create power. For the Supersonic, the built-in angles provide a ton of riding options. Riders will have a blast dialing in this setup and even changing it around for different riding styles.
The front of the Supersonic mounts at a positive 15 degrees. That means that a Bear or Paris 50 degree truck will run at 65 degrees. A quite high starting place for sure, but a high degree front with soft bushings will pump super easily. It will also result in a more front-weighted pump on your LDP longboard. This is ideal if the P stands for pushing AND pumping, especially. If you’re looking to dial it down a little, a truck in the 40-45 degree range will be a little more forgiving for all-out pushing speeds, while still netting a high angle around 55-60 degrees for efficient pumping.
The rear of the Supersonic is where even more options come into play. There are two mounting options. Mounting is available on the high, 40-degree angled wedge or on the far rear -17 degree angled tail. The -17 degree rear is obvious enough. We will typically use a lower degree cast truck in this position—either a Paris 43 or a Bear 40. The wedged 40 degree rear is actually designed for a FLIPPED rear truck, netting zero or near zero degrees in the back. The zero degree rear option is incredibly stable for high speed pushing. It is also effective for top-end speeds in pumping, although more effort will be required than when using the conventional -17 degree rear.
Flex options explained
BAMBOO Light
The Bamboo light flex is ideal for riders under 170 lbs. You CAN ride this up to 190 pounds, but you’re going to have an easier time bottoming it out. Heavier riders are going to stress this board more, so this is something to keep in mind when riding. If you’re a rider who really wants to ride a flexiible board, we recommend pairing the Bamboo light with risers and our large 102mm Hoku Wheels. That will get you off of the ground further and allow more space between the bottom of the board and the ground for the board to flex. The Bamboo light is not as flexible as the 6 ply maple + glass version of this deck. We wanted to tighten up the flex profiles so that they would be more usable for a greater number of riders. Consider the flex profile to be more akin to a 6 1/2 ply version of this deck, if you are familiar with the maple versions.
BAMBOO Medium
The Bamboo medium is the standard. Equate the amount of flex on this board to be similar to the maple 7 ply version of this deck. This is the board that will work the best for the most amount of riders. Anyone between 150 and 210 pounds should be able to ride this board, and riders at the top of this limit should only choose this board if they want a lot of flex. Please note that the more you weigh, the more force you will put on these boards, so if you’re near its upper limit, consider how you manage dropping off of curbs, for example. Riders toward the bottom of this limit may choose this board for a more snappy flex and a little less sag. You can create more space between the board and the ground by adding risers and larger wheels like our 102mm Hoku Wheels. I (Jeff, the owner/designer of Pantheon boards) am 190 pounds and I ride the medium flex. The board has a comfortable flex under my weight.
BAMBOO Heavy
The Bamboo heavy is stronger and stiffer than the medium flex. Riders up to about 240 lbs should be able to ride this deck flat with the 92mm Karma wheels and a 50 degree truck up front (rear would be 40 or 43 based on current options). Heavier riders may be able to get away with riding this deck by compensating with larger wheels and some risers to create more space between the ground and the low point on the board. This deck is not as stiff as our 8 ply maple / glass version. Consider it more like a 7 1/2 ply, if you are familiar with our maple versions of this deck. If you’re above 230 lbs, you may start to consider the 8 ply maple version of this deck, as it is a bit stiffer and will still be able to hold your weight without any fear of failure. OR if you just want a stiffer setup, the 8 ply is still available–until it’s not!
James (verified owner) –
Purchased the medium flex Supersonic bamboo deck. Built it up with 130 Bear front, 150 Paris rear, riptide cannon bushings, and mango Speed Vents. I’ve owned at least 15 skateboards over the years…pool, downhill, freeride, and surfskates. This is by far the fastest board on the flats I’ve ever ridden. I considered opting for the heavy flex because I like stiffer and wider decks for more responsiveness and leverage pumping. I’m around 177lbs and don’t regret the medium flex. I quickly adjusted to the width and it isn’t too springy. I think I would have been just as stoked with the heavy flex though. I’m brand new to LDP and Jeff was SUPER helpful answering questions. I’m planning to order the Pantheon Karma wheels for rougher roads. Unless you have the other parts I’d recommend ordering a complete so you know its set up right, only reason I didn’t is some truck options were out of stock at the time. It takes some effort to figure out bushings/risers on your own and the hardware should be panhead not countersunk.
David Blackmon (verified owner) –
I’m a 210lbs rider, and the heavy flex option is perfect. I’m running Paris V3 150mm on both front and rear, with a 1/8 rise on the front and Karma wheels.
Took some trial and error to get the bushing stiffness how I liked it without wheelbite (hence the short spacer up front too), but the payoff is a board thats super stable at speed, can carve, and loves to just keep rolling. This is such a comfortable deck to put some miles on.
I’m a tall rider with size 11 shoes, and I have no issues with foot room for quickly swapping between regular and mongo push.
If you want to log comfortable miles, and you want versatility, this board is amazing for both.
R. Taylor (verified owner) –
I have several different setups, mostly bracket boards with precision trucks and multiple fine-tuned tweaks, but I bought this deck in heavy flex as a complete from Pantheon (with regular old Bear trucks) and as-delivered, it has quickly become my “go-to” set up. I had planned on switching the angled rear truck position to zero degrees and possibly chopping the deck, but the shallow turn and low-end pumping torque available from that position is just too fun. The deck does a great job of damping high-frequency chatter and vibration which helps with endurance and comfort and it’s stability and non-intrusive-but-great-board-feel concave really helps with switch pushing, stability, and one-foot steering through tight twisties and up curvy hills. It pumps great from the front at speed and the angled rear truck position allows powering over short, steep obstacles (railroad crossings, bridges) without the need to push – just a slight shift of weight to the rear. This deck is definitely the high-water mark of thoughtful, intentional, and efficient LDP design.
Richie_75 (verified owner) –
Very stable and fast pusher.
Only a couple of outings under my belt so far.
I expected the Supersonic to outperform my other boards for pumping. Yet I feel like I have an easier time pumping my Trip and Prana over this one. The Supersonic takes a lot more effort and energy to get a good pump. Not practiced in ‘wiggling’, maybe that’s what this board and set-up is better suited for?
Enjoy pushing it regardless. Decent foot space for my large feet and switch pushing (which I struggle with a bit on my Trip and Prana). I appreciate the amount of flex in the deck too.
Set us is Paris 50’ front, 43’ back. Orange nipples front, purple nipples back. Karma wheels.
Jeff Vyain –
Hi Richie, my guess is this is mostly about speed and technique. It may be that you need to increase your speed before you really start to feel the pump. It also may help to dewedge the front to increase your leverage over the kingpin and balance out the front and back a little bit. My guess is you’re used to pumping off the rear a bit more (as is the way a typical symmetrical setup would pump) and you just need to get your sea legs here. Happy to help with any specifics.
Two videos to check out:
How to Set up your Supersonic: https://youtu.be/bsp2NrjgVCc
How to Pump: https://youtu.be/xUHohKDiMNc?si=8FnWhs3CYux6sFIk
Walt –
Can you set this up with dt SLALOCYBINS? 125mm front & 100mm back?
Jeff Vyain –
There is no reason you can’t set it up with Slalocybins. EXCEPT it may be an issue if you’re doing the adjustable baseplates. I know those plates are quite large. I can’t speak from experience on whether that will fit or not. There is a chance the adjustable plates will fit, and there’s also a chance you’d have to bump them up with a little bit of risers to keep the plate from digging into the curve of the deck. But the width is not an issue, since the board is a top mount.