The Sector 9 Dropper
is a unique longboard designed by the renowned longboard company Sector 9. Made from a rocker mold with cutouts for the wheels, this longboard is a carving and freeride machine. Below we go into what makes this longboard so great.
| Product | Best For | Price |
|---|---|---|
Sector 9 Dropper Complete Skateboard | Free Ride Sliding Carving |  |
The Board
The Sector 9 Dropper features a 41-inch long deck with griptape already applied. The deck is made out of 9 ply cold pressed Maple which gives the Dropper very little flex and makes the longboard feel sturdy.
The board is made using 0.625-inch drop rocker mold which means that while this longboard does not look like a drop down longboard, it acts as one. The main advantage of drop down longboards and drop down rocker molds is that it creates a lower center of gravity for the deck of the board which makes the longboard more stable.
One feature that makes standing on the Dropper deck more comfortable is the concave from the sides of the board. In essence, this creates a little crease for riders to put their foot on and comfortably push for miles.
The deck also features an extended nose and tail which are designed specifically to allow free riders to perform tricks on this longboard. While the nose and tail are not extended by much, they give just enough space for a rider to place his foot there and pop a quick manual as they are riding down the road.
To give this longboard it’s renowned carving and sliding ability, the complete setup comes with 10” GullWing Charger Trucks. Written about in our best longboard trucks on the market today, there’s a reason they call these trucks Chargers: they supercharge this longboard!
The wheel choice for the stock setup is what really gives away the Sector 9 Dropper as a free ride board. Our favorite sliding wheel of the year, the Sector 9 Butterballs, are included to round out the essential components of this longboard.
The Sector 9 Butterballs are known for producing smooth and “buttery” slides easily. Every rider I have ever talked to about these wheels has nothing but good things to say about them and their sliding performance.
Some common advantages to these wheels that I have experienced and heard about are that they produce an “icy” feeling which is totally controllable during the slide. Also, these wheels are durable, holding up without signs of coning or wear after some long days of sliding.
Riding the Sector 9 Dropper
Stepping onto the board, I really felt the effect of the cold pressed maple. This longboard is stiff and didn’t give at all when I stepped on it. See below for a flex test of the board.
I’m typically used to riding longboards with big and obvious drop downs from the trucks to the main deck. On this longboard, the drop is very slight and subtle. You can definitely feel it but it is not blatantly obvious from a casual glance at the board.
Taking the Sector 9 Dropper out on the road, I was very impressed at the carving capability. With the slightest shift of my weight, this longboard instantly responded turning quickly and smoothly. The video below is from one of my friends who took out his board for a longboarding session over the weekend.
I also attempted some slides with the Dropper because whenever a longboard has Sector 9 Butterballs, it’s a requirement that you have to slide with the board to get a full feel for it. I was not surprised at all at how easy it was to kick out the back end and initiate slides on the Sector 9 Dropper.
The rocker mold helps keep the longboard stable during the entire sliding process from initiating to coming out of the slide. One advantage that I forgot to mention before is that this longboard is twin-tip which means it can be ridden forward and backward equally which is definitely an advantage for sliding.
Who Should Get the Sector 9 Dropper?
With a rocker mold, twin tip design, and butterball wheels, the Sector 9 Dropper was made for free riders looking to throw some tricks or pull some long, insane slides on their board.
That is not to discount other riders though. The Sector 9 Dropper performed superbly in carving and downhill and would make anybody happy with its overall performance.
If you are even thinking about wanting to slide or you simply want a very responsive board that’s excellent at carving and is very stable, this is the longboard for you.
For some, the price might be a factor. In that case, I recommend Sector 9 Mini Shaka as that longboard excels at much the same areas that the Dropper does.
