Customer Reviews

Based on 1 review
0%
(0)
100%
(1)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
M
Michael
SO Close to being the Perfect Freeride Board

Zenit's Marble 38 is a great deck. It has a number of great features squeezed in here: flushmounts, micro drops, radial concave, prominent wheel flares, and a large kick. For some people, this combination will create a locked-in pocket that allows for stellar control while sliding, as well as lots of pop for tricks.

For me, however, it has one too many features. I wish one of the flares, prominent kick, or micro drops were eliminated. Rather than creating a clean, comfortable pocket that allows me to easily initiate slides while also locking my toes in while getting sideways, the crammed features leave my foot at a somewhat awkward angle in order to keep my foot in a stable position. I'm glad the new flares and kick have been mellowed out, and I hope they get even more mellow on future versions. If I could pick, I'd take the wheel flares down a good bit more and just sacrifice the ability to use extra-large wheels. I think there's space to soften those flares without losing wheel clearance to a harmful point.

That criticism aside, the board is still amazing. It has loads of pop and thrives most as a freestyle-freeride hybrid. If you like to use the tail when sliding, this board is going to feel wonderful. Some people will love the pocket for downhill tucking, even though I don't. The kick is a bit too long so I struggle to keep my rear foot in a nice, secure spot while tucking. As with any downhill board, though, a lot of that is just personal preference. I don't mind a boaty feel, I think it's a great design that maximizes the standing platform while still giving room to move my feet around. I just think the kick is a bit too long and prominent.

Overall, the Marble 38 is THIS close to being a perfect freeride board, imo. Mellower wheel flares and a shorter tail would make for a much more comfortable rear foot pocket without losing security. I highly recommend this deck for anyone getting into freeriding, especially if that person also wants to do a bit of freestyle. Few single kick topmounts will ollie as easily as this thing. Zenit continues to push themselves and respond to rider feedback in their designs. The Marble is here to stay, thankfully, and it continues to get better with each new edition.