Moonshine MFG Spirit
TLDR: excellent board with superb construction. Premium price with premium features
Specs: The deck is 34” x 9” Adjustable wheel base from 22.5” to 25.5” Waterproof deck 60D urethane rails Radial concave/microdrop How mine is set up: Paris V3 43° Trucks Powell Peralta Krime Purples 72mm 75a Pig Wheels 1” Allen Anodized Hardware Heady Shake Pro Built In Bearings Human setup: 5’4” @135 pounds Mens size 8-9 shoes Thicc legs, not so thicc upper I mainly use this board for downhill, some free ride, and a little bit of cruising. DM me on Instagram @kbwarriors if you want to know my bushing/washer setup |
Blunt tail of the Spirit
My motivation for buying this board was simple. I wanted a deck that could withstand daily punishment, go fast, and be light enough to carry. Moonshine certainly delivered in every department. When we still had school(before covid), my daily “commute” would consist of a bomb down the hill, hitting 30-35mph, shutdown at the bottom. I would then have class for a couple hours. Then after class walk up the hill back to the dorm. My main gripe with most downhill boards is that they are pretty heavy. Carrying a 10+ pound dh board from class to class and up the hill everyday can get a bit tiring. Now that my board is half that weight, my old daily routine becomes much more enjoyable. It amazes me how it can be half the weight, just as stiff, and not be made of carbon. Simply brilliant.
Urethane:
60D urethane surrounds the exterior of the board. Providing excellent impact protection. I accidentally curbed my board at low speed(around 15 mph) and the only wear noticeable was a little white mark. This is in stark contrast to boards without a urethane rail which tend to split with hard impacts. For example, my Prism Origin V2 has begun to split in a couple places due to repeated impacts(not the fault of Prism, just something to be aware of when buying a traditional wooden deck). Moonshine mentions the inclusion of urethane truck mounts. While it adds some form of dampening. Don’t expect it to be a night and day difference from a board without urethane truck mounts.
Waterproofing:
The deck is sealed and waterproof. Perfect for those who live in environments that are constantly wet. I bounce between San Francisco and Los Angeles quite a lot. It is pretty dry and doesn’t rain often in LA, but San Francisco can be a damp environment. Especially on foggy or rainy days, the sealed deck holds up much better to moister than a traditional wooden deck. This only really becomes apparent after some use as wooden boards tend to delam at the edges becoming susceptible to moisture. In the end it's not a huge feature, but does provide that extra level of durability.
Size: 34 inches is plenty of space for my small stance. But might feel a bit short for bigger riders. The 9 inch width is perfect for my small feet. As the toes and balls of my feet are perfectly positioned on the rails. For me it is the perfect size for a go fast board.
I know a lot of people still ride 10 inch wide boards. But if your feet are on the small side I highly suggest getting a skinnier board.
Shape:
The deck is directional with a pointed nose and blunt tail, and looks pretty cool in my opinion.
Comes with W concave
The shaping is comparatively simple compared to boards like the Reaver or Monolith.
wheel wells the wheel clearance is pretty good for a top mount. Although the trucks are slightly recessed within the urethane truck mounts.
The deck has a subtle concave and micro drop. The fact that it is so subtle makes the deck very responsive and easy to feel. The way the deck shapes up towards the back almost acts like a torque block and feels comfortable for slides. The stock grip tape is pretty sick. Durable and tacky, one of my favorite stock grips to date. I am pretty sure it is some sort of Jessup. But don’t quote me on it.
Micro drop makes the standing platform slightly lower
Weight:
I don't know the exact weight, but it is significantly lighter than any of my maple decks.
Some people don’t really care about weight. But I do.
I cannot stress enough that the light weight of the Spirit is a game changer for my use case.
Cons:
In terms of cons, I really can’t think of many. At $209, it is more expensive than your typical Landyachtz or Prism board. But for that extra dough you get features you won’t find on cheaper boards. Again, it is a relatively small board compared to some others. So bigger riders might want to bump up to an Outlaw or Rum Runner
The drop and rocker is subtle and unobtrusive. If not a little flat depending on preference.
While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The shaping definitely caters towards riders with a bit more experience.
Verdict:
While I am singing praise for the Spirit specifically, my satisfaction for the Spirit speaks to Moonshines excellent construction. I have not tried all of Moonshines lineup. But I guarantee you will be satisfied with the lack of arm soreness and fear of the curb.
Weight:
I don't know the exact weight, but it is significantly lighter than any of my maple decks.
Some people don’t really care about weight. But I do.
I cannot stress enough that the light weight of the Spirit is a game changer for my use case.
Cons:
In terms of cons, I really can’t think of many. At $209, it is more expensive than your typical Landyachtz or Prism board. But for that extra dough you get features you won’t find on cheaper boards. Again, it is a relatively small board compared to some others. So bigger riders might want to bump up to an Outlaw or Rum Runner
The drop and rocker is subtle and unobtrusive. If not a little flat depending on preference.
While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The shaping definitely caters towards riders with a bit more experience.
Verdict:
While I am singing praise for the Spirit specifically, my satisfaction for the Spirit speaks to Moonshines excellent construction. I have not tried all of Moonshines lineup. But I guarantee you will be satisfied with the lack of arm soreness and fear of the curb.
*I took these pictures when the setup was brand new - This setup no longer looks as pristine ;)