Maple Skateboards Vs Bamboo Skateboards

Let me give you some valuable information about this topic.  First you need to that bamboo grows in Asia.  This is the same area of the world where all the top brands in the skateboarding industry went to when they wanted to make more money.  I believe it all started back in 2000 when I started to notice that many USA skateboard manufacturers were dropping off the face of the earth.  I have seen some really big factories right here in California that were making all the top big name brands go under within a few years of each other.  Why did they go under?   Simple the corporate big brands needed to fill their pockets.   

This was a switch that really changed the industry and they ones that did make the switch did not know how it would backfire.  So overseas decks started flooding the market and the factories overseas started to sell the blem and extra decks they made to other places other to the brand themselves.  Asia became more advanced with the knowledge of making skateboards because all the top riders found that the decks just were not as good as what they were used to when it was all done in the USA.   So more information was sent overseas about making a better quality deck because mass production overseas was just not cutting it for the pros.  The brands started buying decks made in the USA for the top riders and giving the shops the lower quality imported decks.  This started a chain reaction to this industry the top brands were not expected or took in account that may happen by sending their orders overseas.  First you have to understand that the people here in the USA that knew how to make decks and did it for the love of the sport was just not going to roll over and stop.  So a bunch of new wood shops stared up here in America.  Hard core skaters that had the work taken away from them when the big brands left.   The new wood shops were hungry for work they would make boards for every kid on the street and since the newer generation were using imported decks for so long they thought it was normal to have a board break the first day.  Once the word go out that they could buy a USA made deck from a local factory they found out that the decks lasted longer and was even cheaper then the big brands.  What came next blew the door open for new brands to start up all over the nation.  The hard core skaters all wanted to have their own skateboard company.  It was like a virus that spread and every skate park you would go to would have skaters with their own brand and selling to all the skaters in the park.  This had a major impact on the big brands that we all used to buy and skate.  Still overseas takes up about 90% of the market but take away a portion from each and every top brand and they started feeling the pressure.  Blanks and new shop logo decks along with companies springing up all over it took up more of the market.  The consumers had enough they were tired of cheap low quality imported decks and found out that if they bought local they would get more for their money.  The overseas factories had to find a way to get back the portion of the market they lost so they started working hard at making a stronger skateboard that would last longer.  Quickly they turned to Bamboo as a solution to their problem.   Yea Bamboo decks started a new trend for consumers.  Bamboo grows like a weed in their back yard it was a no brainer.   The only problem is that Bamboo is more expensive.  I had people calling me on a daily basis wanting to know if we made bamboo decks.  Once I gave them a price on a bamboo deck for a run of decks they quickly jumped back on Canadian Maple decks.  I have seen all the stress test done on bamboo decks and maple decks.   These test would show you that the bamboo was stronger but what were they really comparing it to?  Was it a imported bamboo deck vs a imported maple deck?  I am sure it was because if you put the decks we manufacturer right here in the USA agains a bamboo deck you would find they will last the same or hold up better then a weed grown deck.  What really makes a good maple deck is where the tree is located that is used to make skateboards.   Overseas companies will trick you and use a Siberian Maple and these trees don't come from a high elevation as the Canadian maple logs that are turned into decks.  The higher elevation a Maple tree grows the more dense it is with its fibers and growth rings making it harder, stiffer, simply a better product then a bamboo deck.  So in my opinion a maple deck made in the USA with the right glue and wood with the knowledge of a skilled professional making them will exceed the expectations of the consumers.  Buy American USA made decks.