How to Choose the Right Professional Fingerboard for Your Style

Fingerboarding isn’t just a small version of skateboarding — it’s its own world. The tricks, the control, the creativity, and the setups all matter. If you’ve moved past basic plastic boards and want better performance, choosing the right professional fingerboard can completely change how you ride and progress.

But with so many options out there — different deck sizes, shapes, trucks, wheels, and materials — it’s easy to feel confused. The truth is, there’s no single “best” professional fingerboard for everyone. The right one depends on your style, comfort, and goals. Let’s break it down in a simple, real-world way.

Why a Professional Fingerboard Matters

A professional fingerboard is built for control, durability, and realism. Unlike toy fingerboards, pro setups use wooden decks, metal trucks, and quality wheels that feel smooth and responsive. This means:

• Better pop and flick
• More stable landings
• Smoother grinds and slides
• A more realistic skate feel

If you’re serious about learning tricks, filming lines, or just enjoying fingerboarding more, upgrading to a professional fingerboard is a smart move.

Start With Your Fingerboarding Style

Before choosing a setup, ask yourself how you like to fingerboard.

Do you enjoy:

• Technical street tricks?
• Rails and ledges?
• Big drops and gaps?
• Flowy lines and manuals?

Your answers help guide your setup choices. A professional fingerboard should feel natural in your hands and support the way you like to ride.

Choosing the Right Deck Size

Deck size is one of the most important parts of a professional fingerboard.

• 32mm: Great for beginners or riders with smaller fingers
• 34mm: The most popular size, balanced and versatile
• 36mm+: Wider decks for more stability and control

If you like flip tricks and fast combos, a mid-size deck often feels best. If you prefer solid landings and control on rails, a wider professional fingerboard deck may suit you better.

Deck Shape and Concave

Concave refers to how much the deck curves upward on the sides.

• Low concave feels smooth and relaxed
• Medium concave offers balance and control
• High concave gives strong flick and precision

There’s no right or wrong here. Many riders choose medium concave because it works well for most tricks. A professional fingerboard with the right concave should feel comfortable, not forced.

Trucks: Stability and Grind Feel

Trucks affect how your professional fingerboard turns, grinds, and lands.

Look for:

• Proper width matching your deck
• Solid metal construction
• Smooth pivot movement

Loose trucks are great for flow and style, while tighter trucks offer stability for technical tricks. Adjusting your trucks is part of dialing in your perfect professional fingerboard setup.

Wheels: Shape and Material Matter

Wheels play a huge role in how your board feels.

• Urethane wheels: Smooth, grippy, and realistic
• Plastic wheels: Faster but less control

Most riders prefer urethane wheels for a professional fingerboard because they roll quietly and grip well on most surfaces.

Wheel shape also matters:

• Rounded wheels roll smoothly
• Flat-face wheels help with balance on rails

Bearing Quality and Roll Speed

Good bearings make a noticeable difference. A professional fingerboard should roll smoothly without feeling slow or stiff. Quality bearings allow clean lines, better manuals, and smoother landings.

You don’t need the fastest wheels — you need consistent roll.

Graphics and Personal Style

While performance matters most, don’t ignore looks. Your professional fingerboard should feel like yours. Graphics, colors, and designs add personality and motivation. If you like your setup, you’ll want to ride it more — simple as that.

Some riders also choose a custom fingerboard to match their exact preferences, which is a great option once you understand what you like.

Beginner vs Advanced Setups

If you’re still learning basics, don’t overthink it. A solid complete professional fingerboard is more than enough to progress.

Advanced riders may prefer building their own setup by choosing:

• Deck
• Trucks
• Wheels
• Grip

There’s no rush. Your preferences will naturally develop as you ride more.

Comfort Is Everything

The most important rule: choose what feels good.

A professional fingerboard isn’t about copying someone else’s setup or chasing trends. It’s about comfort, control, and enjoyment. If your board feels right in your fingers, your tricks will improve faster.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right professional fingerboard is a personal journey. Pay attention to deck size, concave, trucks, and wheels — but most importantly, listen to your hands. Experiment, adjust, and have fun with it.

Fingerboarding is about creativity, progress, and style. The right professional fingerboard won’t make you perfect overnight, but it will make every session more enjoyable — and that’s what really matters.