Why longboard instead of skateboard

Long Board…. Well, not always. There are so many different longboards available but they still vary in width, length, shape, and purpose. Some are good for just cruising long distances, some are great for dancing, some excel at speed and downhill, heck some are even great for technical tricks cruisers.

Longboards are excellent for cruising around town or riding long distances. I love the whooshing sound they make when you carve and compared to my regular skateboard, they are really quiet. Longboarders like different styles, make sure to know what you want to do before you purchase one.

Longboards are great for cruising using minimum effort. This makes a longboard a great option for beginners. Longboards can last for a long time compared to skateboards. They only thing you need to replace are the wheels and even they can last for a very long time depending on where, how and what you ride. Longboards are expensive, at least when you want a quality board with decent parts. Longboards are bulky and rather annoying to carry around and can be a hassle to travel with.

If you look closely at the shape of a popsicle skateboard you see that the nose and tail curve upward and that the deck surface curves inwards concave. A skateboard is built for tricks and the shape helps to make that happen. Sure you can just ride and cruise a bit but that would requirer softer and bigger wheels. Skateboards are meant to perform technical tricks like kickflips, ollie, and grinds. They excel at skate parks and street but require more effort to push around.

The deck trucks and wheels are designed to withstand impacts and are way more agile than longboards. Skateboards are easy to carry around and you can strap them on a backpack and some airlines even allow them as a carry-on.

They are very agile, build for impacts and it will change how you view the world stairs, rails, curbs. Skateboards are cheaper than longboards and are more popular though longboarding is the faster-growing sport. There are many parks and facilities for skateboarders and after years of decline, skateboarding popularity is rising again.

Skateboarding requires a lot of dedication and commitment. If you skip the basic steps you might injure yourself. Skateboard might seem cheaper, but when you ride often and do lots of technical tricks it can become more expensive. Shoes, decks, and wheels need to be replaced regularly depending on where you skate. Transition skateboarding ramps, parks, etc is usually less demanding when you look at equipment wear and tear, and your body.

Carving is almost impossible. Both offer tons of creative fun and share their own subcultures. Skateboarders and longboarders come from all walks of life and share a passion. As far as the boards go, they both have trucks, wheels, decks, bearings and some parts that are interchangeable. You can even slap longboard wheels on a skateboard and start cruising, make sure to add riser pads though.

You often find that skateboarders and longboarders share a passion for boardsports such as snowboarding, surfing or wakeboarding. Usually, a longboard is easier for beginners , longboards are wider and longer which helps you to maintain balance.

Additionally, the larger and softer wheels can handle small obstacles and rough roads much better compared to a skateboard. Longboards have no issues with large cracks and sometimes you hardly notice them. It really depends on how you position yourself on your board.

Leaning forward will make it more likely to get wheel block than if you lean backward. This will give you a quality deck, great wheels, and reliable trucks. Low-quality wheels and bearings need to be replaced more often. If your budget is tight, consider buying a used longboard or skateboard but make sure you inspect it before you buy. Check the deck for chips, delamination and water damage. Looking at it from a durability perspective longboards last longer.

Often longboard riders just want to cruise which means only your wheels will wear, your board and trucks can last for decades given you treat your board right and maintain it well. I got a year-old sector9 over here and it still has the original deck and trucks.

If you want to downhill, prepare to replace your wheels often. Technical skateboarders often need to replace their deck every few months and sometimes even after a couple of weeks.

Decks wear because of impacts, develop razor tail and chipped noses and tails. Caleb Thursday 22nd of April Jody Cameron Friday 29th of January Great article! It really is the best of both worlds! Big Kahuna Friday 29th of January We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits.

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Analytics Analytics. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Size-wise the longboard vs. Another difference is that longboards usually have larger and softer wheels , which makes riding easier even on rougher surfaces. Although the above variations might seem rather factual, they do make a difference when it comes to making the longboard or skateboard choice, as they are what determines the appropriate places for practicing each of these extreme sports.

When trying to choose the best option, personal preferences are a key variable, especially when it comes to places for riding. Before picking one of the sports, it is important to decide when and where riding will be done. The two main options are street riding vs. Even though a skateboard can be used for transportation and cruising the streets, it is not meant for these purposes as it is not stable on all terrain and is not very comfortable for long trips.

Riders who choose to purchase a skateboard usually do so because they prefer doing tricks — maneuvers with the board that varies in difficulty and technique. The most suitable places for that are skateparks, which have different designs but usually include a number of obstacles, most popularly half-pipes and bowls.

Another option for skateboard riding was mentioned above — grinding. Even though it does not require special settings, only regular urban facilities such as staircases, benches, and curbs, grinding is not permitted everywhere.

In fact, some districts even have laws against it. Those who have resolved the longboard against skateboard debate in favor of the skateboard, usually strive to perform increasingly difficult tricks, whose general categories include ollies, aerial, flip tricks, freestyle as well as slides and grinds. While skateboarders mostly polish their tricks, longboarders perform other activities as well.

Longboarding is done on the street, rather than skateparks and has a few variations that correspond to different deck shapes.