Unlike a conventional street style skateboard where doing tricks is the primary use, longboard skateboards are generally used for cruising, hill bombing, and transportation purposes. You can do tricks on a longboard however, check out LoadedBoards for some great videos of the technical side of longboarding.. I used to skate with a guy that rode a longboard on mini-ramps for example but few people choose to go that route because it is a lot harder to do. On the other hand trying to ride a mile or two around campus or to the store on a short board can be pretty painful. Cracks, rocks, and dirt can make you slam faster than you can say "Ollie!" not to mention trying to carry any kind of load on a short board can be very difficult. Longboards with wide wheel bases, big decks, and soft wheels can roll right over most obstacles like rocks, dirt and leaves without missing a beat, all while keeping you and what ever you are hauling safely on board.
What is the difference in the sizes of longboards?
The length of your longboard has a great impact on performance. For downhill longboard skateboarding you typically want a board that is 40" to 46" in length. This size longboard will provide greater stability and control at high speed than a shorter style board. Many of the boards in this size range feature a nice flex that will emulate the feeling of making a turn on your surfboard or snowboard. Basically the shorter the board the more maneuverable (and harder to control) it is.
Longboard skateboards that are 40" and shorter tend to perform better on flatland and mild downhill scenarios. The shorter length allows the longboard skateboard to carve a sharper turning radius, giving the rider greater maneuverability. If you are looking for campus transportation or a board that is easy to stow in the car for a lunch break cruise, choosing a longboard in the 40" length or less will be a good choice.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I love my longboard. My poor bike is currently collecting dust because I’d just rather hop on the board to get around locally, than my bike.
This article seems like a nice start, but beyond size, didn’t really offer much in the way of helping someone choose a new board.
Thanks for the feedback Bob. This is the start of a series, I should have probably made that evident!
It’s a good start, keep up the good work!
hay, very interesting artical. I have a 4 year old kid and he loves to play with his mini skate board, but the older he gets the more he needs some a proper board to learn skills on thats not just a toy. I figure riding and turning would be a good place to start. Would a long board be a good starting place to learn basic skills ect? And if so do i just get the smallest one i can? Any info welcome. Megs
@Megs - to your 4 year old a “normal” board will be like a long board. by normal I mean something around 7.25-7.75 inches wide and between 30″-32″ long. Something like this Almost Rodney Mullen on Ebay. Complete with everything you need for around $50 would be fine for them to start with.
Rodney Mullen Complete Skateboard
Hey, there is actually a whole different world of tricks centered around longboards (for examples check out trick tips on http://www.loadedboards.com) so saying that it is just for “cruising, hill bombing, and transportation purposes” is a pretty narrow view. There is also downhill skating wich is very different from just bombing a hill. Not to mention entire events are devoted to technical sliding and slalom competitions
You are of course correct Chas, I updated to the post to make my statement a little more clear. It was not my intention to imply that that was the only use.
hey i am new to the world of longboarding and was thinking about buying my own. my friend let me try his out for a little while, it is a landyatchz drop wegde, it is like 38 in. long and i am not sure of the width. he also has 76mm wheels from abec. my problem with riding this board was that i felt uneasy on it because our school where i rode it has some mild hills and the speed just seemed a little overwhelming from a beginner. what board and wheel size do you think i should get as a beginner who just wants to get to and from class?
I was hoping to find out more about the difference between quality of longboard brandname and generic longboard decks. My son and I have two normal skateboards and his board is only about a month old and has already started to delaminate from him dragging the back end over pavement. He does the same with mine and mine shows no hints of delamination. How do I know where to start with choosing a board when the prices range from $40 - $200+?
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