36" Flowlab DCS Longboard Hybrid

The Flowlab DCS (short for "Deep Carve System") is a new concept of riding dynamics that is highly innovative and smart - yet somehow unfinished. The flowlab is truly an engineering achievement, benchmarking an entirely different method of turning - not to mention sheer turning ability - but just like Edison's light bulb, this marvel has a few wrinkles that need some ironing out.

Our first impression of the board was, in all honesty, perplexity over how slow the board actually is. We changed up the wheels after the first ride, converting to the faster-rolling wheels right off the bat. The difference was immense - but there was still a definite lag, hampering the full potential of the board.

Riding Impressions

The Flowlab is not hard to ride. At all. In fact, compared to other hybrids in its niche, like the Tierney or the Freebord, the Flowlab is very beginner-friendly.

You can ride the board just like a regular skateboard in terms of foot placement and stance. Turning the board is simply a matter of leaning, and allowing the board to sort of "carry" your lean, which requires some speed, and alot of traction.

The Flowboard can turn amazingly tight (we're talking like a 4 foot turn radius, no joke), and it can carve at an angle unmatched by anything out there currently, even by Tierney's 2-wheeled hybrid. The board is very responsive, and in some senses, does feel like a snowboard carving on edge through powder.

However, there are a few flaws about the Flowboard that keep it from reaching its full potential - and it has ALOT of potential, but it needs to be perfected.

The Flowlab is very slow, because of the size of the wheels, and the fact that there is a lot of drag from "switching wheels" when turning. In essence, a newly activated wheel goes from "zero" to full speed instantaneously. Since this event occurs during a turn - which itself bleeds off speed - the result is a very slow moving board due to a lot of friction and mechanical drag.

The other issue in regards to this is the "jerky" sort of turning feeling - especially on the harder wheels. The flowlab turns in exact increments - which can also be sudden, and often somewhat surprising. This is noticeable more-so at higher speeds.

The flowlab can handle 45 degree carves with a great deal of force and inertia - but it struggles with normal "adjustment" turns, especially at speed. We noticed that if we wanted to make a slight turn, the flowlab would sort of "wobble" back and forth, between "straight" and "next turning point". This was permissible and not too intrusive at slower speeds, but the effect can dangerously amplify at higher speeds, resulting in a "rebounding" sort of speed-wobble that is anything but comforting.

After riding, adapting to and learning the flowlab, we did in fact have a lot of fun with it. The Flowboard is a total blast on small hills or pathways with smooth pavement, and is king of snake-runs and terrain parks. It is the only hybrid that you can effectively olley without the risk of shattering either the board or several bones, and it is highly innovative and out-turns ANYTHING.

Verdict: The Flowlab is a glimpse of an ultimate riding machine if the developers keep trying, testing and striving to innovate something totally new. Currently, the flowlab remains an amazing board which we reccomend to anyone who enjoys hard carving - but is not yet suited for higher speeds on larger hills.

-Chris Rempel, LongboardDirectory.com

Check out these related websites for more information on the Flowlab, click on one of the sites below:

www.flowlab.com - US site

www.flowlab.ca - Canadian Site

Lefty International - Official distributor in Canada (they provided us with the board)

 

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