Pantheon – Genesis – Deck

Pantheon Longboards – Genesis – Top Mount Long Distance Pumper Deck

The Genesis is a top mount long distance pumper deck. This is a sort of specialty deck designed specifically for LDP and general pumping for fun. Pumping is the act of using a turn to accelerate and happens as weight is loaded into a turn, and then you use the resistance created by the force of turning to push against the board and create acceleration. This is an intoxicating way to ride a longboard, and while it takes a bit of practice to get the hang of it, it is a type of riding that just about anyone can do.

What is it about the Genesis that makes it exceptional as a pumper? First, let’s be clear that we strongly believe in standing on the trucks when it comes to this type of riding. The front of the Genesis is very wide–about 10 inches exactly at the innermost front bolts, which is likely right about where your heel will fall if you are nose riding. And while many top mount pumpers will find themselves riding with a footstop, the Genesis comes equipped with concave flares right at the front, which fairly drastically tell you where the end of the board is, so that you don’t ride over the front of the deck. This gives a more free feeling to the front of the board, because you have all the foot space you need and ride the absolute front of the board without a footstop cramping you up over the long haul. You will find yourself moving around on this board very comfortably, riding directly on top of the board to sliding back and playing with the flex in your pumps.

The wheel wells on the Genesis are set in from the edge of the board. Some older model pump decks tend to do no wheel wells at all or they will run the wheel well super thin toward the edge of the board. Because pumpers are so focused toward nose riding, riders will sometimes flex the wheel wells and cause wheelbite, or even crack the wheel wells over time along the grain of the board. The Genesis alleviates this flex by cutting the wheel wells in from the edge, so that when your trucks turn in deep, your wheels will tuck into the board and the edge of the wheel will fall into the wheel well without flexing the board out. This will be a longer lasting board, and rigidity around this part of the deck will give you more power in your pumps.

The concave and flex of the Genesis is built for pumping. There is an extremely mild concave through the length of the deck, built for distance without cramping the foot, with the exception of the harsh flares in the front, which is simply built for a footstop and does not affect the foot when you’re using it as such. There is a very mild camber through the length–just enough to provide a little bit of energy load when standing on the deck. Because the deck is nearly flat already, the flex profile does not need to be quite as tuned for the weight of the rider, as riders between 130-200 pounds will flex the board to flat, and any additional energy will go into flexing the board further down and going into the return of the board. It is not an overly bouncy deck, but the fiberglass does provide for solid energy return. This is not an overly complicated deck. It is simply effective and very comfortable throughout the length of the platform. You can ride it all day, and you’ll want to!

Many long distance pump decks, historically, have maxed out the wheelbase somewhere around 29.5 inches. The Genesis starts at 28.5 inches, which is right around the wheelhouse wheelbase for easy pumping at a relatively low speed. Longer wheelbases provide for more flex and higher speeds, and the Genesis maxes out at 32.75 inches, which is quite long. While it will take a little extra energy to accelerate the deck at the outer wheelbase, higher speeds are reachable and more easily maintained with less effort at the longer wheelbases. Riders will likely find themselves comfortably pushing up to a comfortable speed and then pumping to maintain when the wheelbase is maxed out. This is a very fun way to ride, as it is fast and provides the most flex out of the board.

Make sure to set up your Genesis deck with a high degree turn in front and a lower degree turn in the back. Many riders will likely choose DontTrip Slalocybins or Poppys or the Bennett 5.0/Tracker combo for front and rear. You can even wedge/dewedge a Paris 150mm 50 degree front and 43 in back. With two 10-degree wedges, you can run a 60/33 setup, and if you tune the bushings right, that can be a very fun and less expensive way to set up one of these decks. Top speeds will most assuredly end up on the DontTrip or Rool options, or some other specialty trucks out there. Tuning a pumper is a lot of fun, and once you have it fully dialed, it is one heck of a machine!

Dimensions
Length 39.25″ (99.69cm)
Width 10.15″ (25.78cm)
Wheelbase
28.5 – 32.75″ (72.39 – 83.18cm)
Construction
6 Ply maple core with Triaxial Fiberglass on top and bottom, encased in wood veneer.