flex-trol

Weird old board of the month: Flex-trol

A Flex-trol skateboard, apparently the first one on the Interwebs, as I couldn’t find a single image of one anywhere. I’m guessing the name is combination of “flex” and “control.” Yeah I know, wild guess.

This skateboard is fitted with a tension and torque control bar. The trucks are held at a fixed distance by the bar and as result:

  1. Has a sharp turning radius. It takes less lean to do a turn.
  2. Fewer skid-outs. The control bar tends to keep all 4 wheels on the ground during maneuvers.
  3. Board flex is controlled. As the flex increases, the board stiffens. This eliminates any “mushy” feel.

Manufactured by the good folks at A.E. & Co out of Tarzana, Ca. I’m tempted to look it up and see if that patent ever got awarded. List of possible subtitles for this post:

It takes less lean to do a turn.
Fewer skid-outs
As the flex increases, the board stiffens?

Danimal picked this up recently at a Good Will!

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Discussion

4 thoughts on “Weird old board of the month: Flex-trol

  1. Griffin Skates has something like this.
    I also found some pics of early Nash with a metal base plate running from front truck to rear.

  2. So does the tension bar work? How’s the ride?

  3. Richard Saunders on September 13, 2023 - Reply

    Oh wow–blast from the past! That was my first board in 1975. The deck was about as flexible as a sidewalk. The manufacturer evidently did no materials testing, because the plastic used for the deck was entirely wrong. The Flex-trol bar held the trucks together to literally keep the deck from snapping when one stood on it. Ask me how I know.

    1. “Ask me how I know.” – love it!

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