Find the Longboard Best Suited for Your Riding Style

Unlike skateboards, longboards come with a colossal range of boards to chose from, varying in size, shape, stiffness, camber profile, and concave style. In the light of this fact, it can get a bit confusing when looking for your first board. In order to find the right one, you need to ask yourself one very important question – What type of riding style do I plan to use it for? Depending on your answer you should get the appropriate longboard, and remember there are a ton of crossover boards between each riding style and many decks provide the option of multiple riding styles. So let’s take a look at some of the boards and what type of riding style they are made for.

Cruising and Carving

When most people think of a longboard, chances are they are thinking of this type of board. It was first made popular back in the 90’s by Sector 9 and is still holding its position among one of the top most popular boards out there. Its design was inspired by surfing and features a long overall board 101-114 cm long and it tapers from tip to tail. Combined with its flexible construction, this board mimics the feeling of splashing through the waves. These iconic boards are on the front lines of any longboard skateboard store and are the most popular boards currently.

City Transportation

A cruiser can get the job done and help you get around campus. However, if you find yourself having trouble avoiding cars and pedestrians, then you might need an upgrade. Decks that are best suited for city transportation usually range from 71 to 101 cm in length and their wheel bases range from 38 to 55 cm. Shorter boards are perfect for riding around town as they give you the sense of more control and a tighter turning radius as to avoid obstacles with more ease. You can find these types of decks in almost all longboard skateboard store fronts.

Long Distance

Believe it or not, there are longboarders with which you can embark on epic journeys. They are often quite long (96-106 cm) and are designed in a way that makes it attainable for the deck to be close to the ground as possible. The reason this is done is to reduce the distance the rider needs to step when pushing the board forward. This way, the stability is increased, allowing for faster speeds and reducing the rider fatigue. Although you may sacrifice some manoeuvrability, these decks can also be a great option for commuting.