Description
What Makes the Supersonic LDP Different
For those who already understand this type of LDP board, let’s just get a couple key features out of the way that distinguish this board from any other deck of this type made before. Firstly, it has been designed around our most classic and readily available RKP cast trucks available. The intention here is to offer a super high functioning but cost effective setup.
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, WITHOUT RISER and our 86mm McFly wheels.
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
Supersonic 6 Ply
We believe the 6 ply option to be ideal for riders under 170 pounds. If you’re on the high end of this, we recommend picking this board ONLY if you’re intending to ride primarily on the zero degree rear option, and you want it to flex. You will likely need to be around 150 lbs or under to use the far rear option.
Supersonic 7 Ply
Our 7 ply option will be ideal for middleweight riders, around 160 to 210 lbs. This deck is effective on both mounting positions for LDP longboard riders in the lower ranges of this weight range. Up to around 200 pounds and beyond, riders should get this flex only with the zero degree rear mounting option. Keep in mind that riding style has a big component of flex. Riders that throw their body super hard into the board will flex the deck more. Less aggressive pumpers will likely be able to ride both mounting areas even if they’re above that 190-200 pound mark.
Supersonic XL 8 Ply
Our 8 ply XL is not only thicker and stiffer, but it is also a touch wider than the 6 and 7 ply options. Our max width on the XL is 9.5”, which is 0.3” wider than the more slender options. We are thinking about our XL riders, and often times, these riders have larger feet.
Supersonic XL Versatility
Equally, the 8 ply version is also an ideal deck for our middleweight riders doing up/down events. LDP longboarding doesn’t always have to be on flats! If you’re trying to mitigate flex for confidence at speed, the extra stiffness and width will add confidence. It’s also great for more technical rides! While this is not a speed stiff board for true downhill, it is stiff enough to manage most scenarios one could encounter on a distance ride. And it still offers a subtle flex for riders over 170 lbs so that distance feels comfortable.
Riders on the lower end of our weight range may notice a touch of camber underfoot. The camber may not completely flatten out if you’re pushing in the middle of the deck. However, it’s not so much that it is uncomfortable for these types of rides. If you’re a rider that really doesn’t like camber, we would recommend making sure that you’re on the upper end of the weight range. Most LDP longboard riders will likely find the deck quite comfortable regardless.
For LDP riding, we expect the 8 ply to be ideal for riders over 190 lbs. The 8 ply should be good up to around 250 pounds in both mounting positions. We cannot say with 100% certainty where this deck maxes out. In the zero mount position, it can certainly handle much more weight than in the -17 rear position. Above 250 lbs, we would suggest keeping this deck in the zero degree mounting position.
The deck has been tested up to 285 lbs in the far rear mount, but whether or not that works for you will largely be dependent on your riding style.
Setup for your Supersonic LDP Longboard
We are offering three truck options for our Supersonic. The deck has been designed specifically with Bear Trucks or Paris Trucks in mind. You can certainly use whatever setup you want to your liking. Setting up outside of our recommended setups may require risers or angled risers. This will depend on your truck choice and the angles of your baseplate. You’ll want to consider your wheel choice in correspondence with your trucks to keep your setup from getting bite.
Our stock setups with 50 degree fronts are your safest choice. With the 50 degree front (Paris or Bear), you cannot get bite between our 86mm McFly wheels or the optional 90mm Boa Hatchlings. This is as long as you have a stock cupped washer in the board-side position of your bushings. Once you start bringing down that front degree, wheelbite can start coming into play for the larger wheel option. This can be easily mitigated with risers and/or bushing and washer modifications.
We recommend 50 degree front trucks for most riders using the Supersonic LDP longboard for long distance riding and pumping. This will push the pump power toward the front of the board and make pumping more effortless.
For riders looking to max our their top speed, dropping the front angle may be considered. This can be combined with zeroing out the rear truck angle. Ultimately, between riding a 50 front or a 43/40 front for maximum pumping speed will come down to riding style. It is worth noting that a the lower degree front does feel a little more stable when pushing absolute maximum speed. Riders just looking to leisurely cover large distances will appreciate the efficiency of the higher degree front end.
Picking Between Bear and Paris Trucks
The main benefit of the Bear Truck option is that Bear offers a 130mm option. It is also quite stable at speed because of its insert bushing and the more restrictive bushing seat. While this is great for straight-on pushing, some (or many?) riders may prefer the more open free-flowing center feel of the Paris Trucks. We don’t have a favorite yet. They’re both awesome.
The Bear Trucks are a little bit more stable for all-out pushing. The Paris are a little more effortless to pump. That’s our hot take and we’re sticking to it.
Of course, there are many variables presented when changing around bushings and washers. You can change these to help drive more or less stability between the two trucks. We’re sure there’s plenty of overlap between the two options, depending on your variables. With 130mm trucks and Hatchling wheels, the outside of the wheels rail match quite well with the 9.2-inch wide models.
With McFly wheels, the trucks and wheels will be just a touch slimmer than the deck. With the wider 9.5″ Supersonic XL, riders will likely feel more comfortable on 150-155mm. That said, running the slimmer 130mm is totally fine for LDP longboard purposes. There’s really no wrong answer here.
John McGuire –
Another great board! The supersonic fits my explorer niche in my quiver. If I’m checking out a new trail, I choose the supersonic since it can pump and push equally well. The 8 ply works great for heavier riders in the upper 200s. I ordered this on up initially with the bears. Great pusher and pumped pretty easily with purple nipples in back and blues in the front, although a bit too squishy for me. I ended up putting a 50 degree 150mm Paris in front with purple nipple board side and fight now a 96? riptide APS fatcone roadside. Gives me push stability and pumps at higher speeds. Probably going to stick a softer krank fat cone on it soon. Rear bear is in the far position but the forward one works well too. Happy with the McFlys as well.
Nick (verified owner) –
Got the 7ply, 130mm 50 degree bears in front, 130mm 43 degree bears in rear. 90mm 74a megawatts.
Insane board. I’m just under 200. Lots of flex and control with the bears, pump speed of 25km at high end.
I bought the 150mm Paris separately to compare pumping against. Too squishy and a lack of tightness and control compared to bears. Easier to pump at lower speed, but bears are far more responsive putting weight into the board for wider more aggressive pumps without feeling like you’re losing control, bears are way more stable at speed.
74a 90 megawatts are awesome, definitely not as fast as mcfly (86mm 76a, but I prefer this duro because the grip into pumping and carving gives more confidence without fear of sliding out.
Have the pranayama, regular 30km Ldp pusher, but haven’t touched it since getting the supersonic. Turning radius is much wider, but the rear is more stable for switch kicking, and awesome to have the option to pump. Have done 45 km sessions with ease. This board is the real deal.
Pantheon nailed it. Get the bears.
Lavee Yang (verified owner) –
My supersonic is my go to board. It’s a great LDP and all around board. I’ve put over 100miles already. I have the 8ply XL with Paris 165mm 50deg and 165 43deg with SpeedVents Mango. I have standard bushing. I swapped out the standard bearing for ceramic bearing. What can I say? I weight 240# and it’s extremely stable. It has a bit of a flex but not too much. I sometimes wish I went with 7 ply but I felt that would be too flexy for my weight. After the bushing and bearing got broken into, this thing pumps very good. I can pump and push around 10-13mph easy. I’ve taken some mellow hills and it’s very stable. I highly recommend this setup for anyone looking for a LDP that can cruise and downhill because it is so versatile!
Albie Diezhandino (verified owner) –
What can I say? This board rocks!
I went with the 6 ply supersonic with 130mm bears 40 degrees in the rear 50 in the front, hard bushings in the rear and soft in the front. the wheels were the 90mm Mango megawatts. this became my favorite board once I stepped on it and rolled her out for a few miles. The board was fast, flexy, and great for pushing or pumping.
The turning radius is better than some boards I’ve ridden and the wheels rolled buttery soft over everything. Small pebbles, twigs and in some instances larger diameter hoses strewn haphazardly across sidewalks. the board rolled over it… I jumped and landed back on the board. I weigh about 150 lbs and landed nicely on the board, though I have the 6-ply and is very flexy the board and trucks were solid enough for me to land on confidently.
The board was also stable enough to withstand 18-20 mile an hour downhill with no wobbles. It probably would have done fine at 25 as well but I’m more of a pusher and pumper than a bomber. Just know that it can handle small hills and thus very versatile.
I have well over 100 miles on my supersonic now and it has been no problem. I have had zero issues with it and would highly recommend this board to anyone looking to get into LDP. I love it and hope to get many more hundreds of miles on it.
Franco V (verified owner) –
The Supersonic is everything I wanted: an easy to push, easy to pump, LDP set-up.
Pros: It’s just a great all around deck, and the rear mounting options provide versatility in terms of how you want to pump.
Cons (though less about the complete and more about the truck option I chose): I went with the Bear Gen 6 trucks, and while I love the ride feel of these trucks, I’m not a fan that the wider bushing seat means non-plugged barrel bushings require a bushing insert. 3 rides and 50 miles on my brand new deck and the front bushing insert is already shredded, and there are not many aftermarket insert options.
jsnhddck (verified owner) –
Ordered the 7 ply with Bear 130 50/40 trucks, Seismic 80/90 bushings and Karma wheels. I prefer running with the rear truck at zero degrees but I have pumped it pretty hard in the rear position with no problems. I feel like it would pump a little faster with 70-80mm wheels but the Karma’s are amazing. They just roll over everything and feel smooth as butter. Trucks are both stable and responsive. They like to be pushed hard and haven’t ever even thought about wobbling. Board flexes just right under foot when pumping and absorbs road vibrations. I like to push off mid board when sprinting. The board flexes really nice when sprinting.
I’m 50 years old and weigh 205 lbs. I am currently skating 10 miles a day or more with an average speed of 7-10 mph. On flat ground I can pump up to 12-14 mph. I am totally stoked! This is exactly what I wanted and I would definitely buy again.
Thanks to Jeff for an amazing board!
TomiTheHack –
Half a year after the Pranayama I bought me a Supersonic. I planned to get into LDP and therfore I realized I had to learn how to pump. And this board makes it really easy I have to say. Two weeks in and I can already pump quite a distance. Of course it‘s more kind of a wiggle pumping style, but it keeps me moving forward. Initially I had the 130mm Bears 50° up front but changed to 40° just to try it out once. It actually feels like I can put more weight into my pumps like this. But I‘m sure that‘s not where it will stay. I‘m still fiddling around. I have to admit it‘s simply a lot of fun playing around with bushings, wedging/de-wedging, all kind of things (Don’t Trip Poppy front truck is already on the way).
At the moment I ride the following constellation: 58°/20°, Riptide APS Canons 80a front and 95a rear, alternating with mango Speedvents in 85mm and Boa Hatchling V3 in 90mm. I‘m running cupped washers all around except a sleeved flat one front roadside.
I can push and pump reasonably well. But I‘m also aware that I‘m still a freshman. A 50-year old noob, haha. Anyways, as I already mentioned distance skating was my goal right from the start. I‘m kind of an endurance guy so this attracted me immediately. No wonder I oriented myself in the direction of Long Distance Pushing/Pumping. With the Prana I got started just right and with the Supersonic I’m now delving deeper into my new hobby. I’m extremely grateful to Pantheon. I know I owe my newfound passion to them. Their boards have enabled me to rediscover a kind of joy, childlike curiosity and long-lost passion that I would no longer have thought possible at my age. They‘re my divine vehicles feeding into my adventurous spirit.
So, thank you!…
Erick (verified owner) –
Amazing product! Mine is the maple 6ply with karma wheels and Paris 150mm 50/43 and I couldn’t be happier! It pumps great, super comfortable to ride, easy to push (with both feet). It’s a perfect LDP but also very versatile for commuting as wheel. It’s also my first pumping deck and I’ve learned it in the same day I got it. Amazing customer service by Pantheon as well. Recommended!