What Longboard Sizes For Beginners? (Step by Step Guide Infographic)

In today’s tech life, people are occupied by technology and glued to screens and chairs most of the time.

They lack physical activity which is making them frustrated and affecting their physical health.

Each one of us is aware of this fact that we are destroying our health. We ask ourselves what are the alternatives?

What Longboard Sizes For Beginners

Among plenty of options, one is commuter longboard. It is fun, adventure as well as transportation.

You don’t like to walk and jog?

Do not! Yes, you just buy a longboard, ride over it and have fun. Now the question is from where shall a beginner start? In this article, we will discuss how to start with longboard when you are a beginner and more precisely what should be the size of a longboard when you are a beginner. Because that matters!

Step By Step Guide: Choosing Right Size Of A Longboard When You Are A Beginner

Choosing the right size of a longboard can cut down 50% of your effort to learn longboarding. Picking up the right one allows you to learn the basic techniques quite easily and within no time. So, let us take a look at the below given 4 steps to better understand why making a size choice is important for longboard riders.

Longboards Buying Guide

Step 1: Beginners are not stable of any length and width of a deck. So, choose a 46-inch deck. It will increase your stability when you are going on downward sloping hills. The 40-inch deck is a good choice for navigating level terrain; you can have this size for your college campus ride.

Step 2: Initially, you might not be very good at riding longboard and wind resistance would be a factor for your rough experience. Therefore opt for 8 to 9-inch wide deck. It will decrease wind resistance. If you are fond of hang-ten and cross step techniques, I would suggest you have a 60-inch deck but before this better equip you with basic techniques of longboard riding.

Step 3: Acceleration of a longboard largely depends on the wheel size. When you buy a deck make sure that you select a pair of aluminum or stainless steel trucks that correspond with the width of a deck. For beginners, it is better to purchase less than 50 mm wheels. Whereas when you want to increase the acceleration of your longboard, purchase 58 mm wheels.

Step 4: It is not possible when you first time step on your longboard and start doing maneuvers. You must increase your grip by choosing 65 mm wheels that will help you perform turns and maneuvers.

So, let choose the best longboard on the market for you!

What Are Longboards And Longboard Sizes For Beginners?

Longboard in simple terms is a type of sports equipment that is longer in size than a skateboard. We can say longboards are a subcategory of skateboards and the basic difference is that of a size. Longboarding is a sport of riding a long skateboard. Each longboard is designed according to riding styles. Therefore, each one is different in characteristics like size. So beginners should always consider longboard sizes.

Dimensions of a longboard

It is no surprise that longboard size is measured in length and width both. Most boards range between 84 – 150 centimeters (33 – 59 inches) in length whereas, width vary from 22.8 – 25.4 centimeters (7 – 10 inches). The more versatile boards are of mid-length. The length of such boards ranges from 37 – 50 inches. You must take a note of the fact that the length of a wooden deck of a longboard determines the speed capabilities of the longboard.

It is important to be aware of make of a longboard. Many boards have different width in three parts of a deck; front, middle and back.

What Is Important? Width or Length of a Longboard for a Beginner?

Width

• There are no hard and fast rules. You shall look for the size according to your style.
• When you are a beginner research well before landing into a decision. The width of a longboard determines how much space you will be getting to stand on. So, basically, you shall pick up a longboard which has enough space where you could stand perpendicular with your shoes on.
• Most of the longboards have their decks ranging between 7 to 10 inches; it works for a majority of the riders.

Length

• Again there are no strict rules for you to buy longboard of so and so length.
• Commonly used length is between 34 and 42 inches which are considered convenient both for standing on it and performing tricks.
• Shorter boards are a better choice if you are young and a beginner. But it does not mean shorter boards are just for that group or the group can’t go for longer ones. It is about your comfort. Let find the best longboard for beginners that fit to you.
• Also, some longer boards of around 65 inches provide stable ride so could be a good choice when you are new to it.

Conclusion

If you are planning to buy a longboard for transportation purpose only, and you will be riding it to campus, to the shopping mall, in this case, you must go for smaller size longboards. It will make navigation through the crowds much easier. If you wish to have a relax ride, you should choose longer deck sized longboard.

It is quite difficult to figure out which size of a longboard is perfect for beginners and which one is good for experts. The best longboard sizes for beginners requires extreme caution as they lack in training. It is always better to reach out to an expert who could guide you better and make you understand how the size of a longboard affects your learning and training.

What Is A Longboard?

A longboard is a kind of surfboard. It is longer compared to a skateboard. A best long board is used in the skating sports.

It is faster too compared to the skating board because of its wheel size.

A long board is used in different kinds of activities; long distance racing, transport, dancing, sliding, cruising and downhill racing.

Physically the longboards resemble the skateboard. It has some parts that look like the skateboards.

It differs with the skateboard because the parts have different measurements. The softness of the wheels makes one feel the long boards are quite different compared to the skateboards.
The long boards have decks made from plywood and have a thickness of 0.079 millimeters.

The thickness is composed of bamboo, birch, maple, koa or oak wood. People choose different longboards due to their difference in advantages and disadvantages.

One will go for a stiff and light long board if they want to surf downhill. These downhill longboards have the wheelbase of 30’’-28”. The downhill surfing long boards are in three different types. The three designs are; drop decks, top mounts, and the drop through. Each design goes with the part of the hill the person is perfect in surfing.

What Is A Longboard?

Drop deck longboard

The drop deck is stable hence not flexible. Its stiffness is majorly contributed by the foot platform which sits below the height of the trucks. This lowers the center of gravity hence making it stable. Because the part is too low, its turn is not that easy hence, it not flexible. The flexible drop deck longboard is the one made of carbon fiber. The carbon fiber is flexible because it is curved by the drops instead of foot pockets. The wooden drop deck boards are the opposite of the carbon fiber ones. They concave and have foot pockets by the drops.

The drop through longboard

This type of longboard has a protruding truck at the base-plate allowed by the cut-outs. This makes the drop through more stable. This kind of longboard still has a problem with turning due to its lower truck. The deck being closer to the axle and the moment arm of the wheel, it decreases grip.

The top mount longboard

It has a concave foot, making it look simple of the three longboard. The top mount is the only long skateboard used down the hill which can turn easily and has increased grip. The top mount is also simple to construct and simple to use too.

Most of the people prefer the top mount down the hill to escape the danger of any accident when using it down the hill. The comparison between the three downhill longboards only comes in, in their physical appearance: how they are made and what type of materials are used to make them. Different people will choose the ones they feel convenient with, so as to promote comfortability while using the longboard.

For there are guys who would enjoy surfing without turning, they would use either the drop through or the drop deck. Those who do a lot of skills before reaching the bottom of the mountain, use the top mount.
The longboard comes in different types. There is a double drop board. It is a combination of the drop through and the drop down. It is easy to slide with for they are low to the ground. It is this nature of it that enables it to that makes it stable. They are as well stiff to prevent the board from turning while surfing and minimize the amount of energy in the deck.

Flexible boards are preferable for quick surfing. The flexible boards are either made of fiberglass or carbon fiber. There are different parts of longboards. The different parts are suitable for their purpose. These long boards parts are: pintails, drop through, hybrid, cruiser, trucks, bushings, riser pads, bearings, wheels, center set wheels, side set wheels and offset wheels. These are the common parts all the longboard types have, which make them convenient to use.

The long boards are used with other equipment for safety purposes. The additional equipment is the slide glove. The slide glove helps in the rider touch the ground while surfing and even protects them from danger. The gloves can be bought alongside with the long boards or separate from the longboard.

Another side equipment is the helmet; the helmet prevents the head from damage once the rider falls. The helmet used in the long board resembles the one in the skateboard. The longboards wear the helmet and the gloves as the basic protection method. There is quite some protection wear for safety during the surfing. The protection wear includes; leathers, wrist guards, knee pad, elbow pads, spine protectors and padded shorts. These are the complete protection garments.
The long board surfing can be used for games as well as for fun. In games, the competitors use different surfing boards according to their familiarity. They use the boards in a different manner too according to the place they go for competition. As well it is used for fun by students or even people. The students, use them in colleges during their free time or when the go for classes, when traveling from home, which is a small distance from their places of residence.

It is usually fun surfing during leisure time for it refreshes one’s mind and keeps them fit too.
In conclusion, the long board is a good equipment for keeping the riders fit and strong. It challenges the thinking of the rider. It makes the rider always alert on what next step to make. This will make the rider grow in that way and be able to predict situations in future. The protective materials are usually used by the beginners and the ones in competition. The ones not in competition and are used to the boards, becomes an optional thing in wearing the protective gears. Long boards are thus suitable for sports and fun too.

Longboard Black Friday 2017: Top Options You Can Consider

How To Get Sponsored By Original Skateboards?

If you are into longboards, getting a sponsorship is definitely one of your dreams. It is a sport or leisure at first. But once longboarding starts to immerse you, then hoping for a chance of getting into the spotlight enhances your grit and passion. This is the reason why many are asking how to get sponsored by Original Skateboards.

Well, there are other brands of skateboards that you can opt for a sponsorship. Such of these are Gold Coast, DB, Z-Flex, Mercer, Dusters, San Clemente, Vans, and Flip. All of these brands produce quality and aesthetically pleasing longboards. However, the Original Skateboards is quite famous when it comes to sponsorship. Many longboarders actually love their products.

I know some longboarders who were able to get a sponsorship from Original Skateboards. But acquiring one is not quite easy. But if you have a passion for the sport, then there is a good chance that you can get you there eventually.

How To Get Sponsored By Original Skateboards?

The very first step of getting a sponsorship by Original Skateboards is shooting an email to them. I actually talked with one of their customer service operators to know exactly the things that you should include in the email.

By the way, the name of the person is Max V. I know it is quite dubious if I will not introduce the guy. However, you may meet a different customer service assistant from time to time. You should expect this since Original Skateboards have a lot of clients. One or two person is not enough. You can go and check the website of Original Skateboard by following this link.

The official email address of Original Skateboards (for sponsorship purposes) is [email protected]. In the email, you should include your name, location, and some of your videos and other related materials that would indicate that you are really a passionate skateboarder.

Yes, that is right. One of the formal requirements of sponsorship is actually being into the sport of longboarding. Do not expect that you can get a sponsorship if your intention is just to get popular or have a career in modelling.

One of the main purposes why Original Skateboards run a sponsorship program is to discover new talents. They want talented individuals who can carry their brands for different events and occasions. Of course, it is quite a “PR” stunt, but still, the intent is still genuine. They give you an opportunity to take your longboarding skills to a new level. In exchange, you have to show that riding into a longboard made by Original Skateboards somehow enhances your ability.

For me, it is a good trade already. After all, getting paid for doing your passion is a rare opportunity these days!

Guaranteed Tips On How To Get Sponsored By Original Skateboards

Moreover, Max V gave me some few tips on how to increase your chance of getting a sponsorship. Hint: You don’t need to be handsome or beautiful.

• To pass to the scrutinizing eyes of Original Skateboards, you have to be as enthusiastic as possible. Make it appear as it is not for the money or the business. Show to them that you love longboarding and their product as well.
• Furthermore, Max V strictly instructed me that an aspirant should always be involved in your local community. It means that if there are any events or competitions related to longboarding, your face should be seen there. That is the reason why they need a video or footage of you organizing or participating in any longboard events.
• ​Also, they are looking for some testimonials from other longboarders who know you. They want to cross-examine the materials you sent them. Of course, that is for the purpose of validity–if whether you are really passionate or not. As a piece of advice, better tell your friends of your plans. Who knows, they can help you in acquiring a sponsorship from Original Skateboards!
• Another instruction that Max V gave me is to be active in social media. You should belong to a local skateboarding page or group (probably in Facebook or Instagram). In this way, they can track your activity and presence in different events and occasions. Moreover, it is not a bad idea to send your personal profile if it can show your love to longboarding.

Just be honest with them. Tell the reasons why you want a sponsorship from them. Tell why you deserve a short. Who knows? Maybe the next email notification that will pop to your inbox would be their approval!

What Are The Benefits Of Getting A Sponsorship From Original Skateboards?

Aside from the question of “how to get sponsored by Original Skateboards,” the next beefy question that steams off in the mind of longboarders is its benefits. After all, nobody would die over a sponsorship if it does not give you some advantages, right?

Max V told me that Original Skateboards gives off stipends on the situational basis–maybe if you will participate training or competitions. However, the main perk of their sponsorship is the gears. Aside from receiving free longboards, you can get other longboarding accessories that you need. Such of these are helmets, slide gloves, bushings, riser pads, and elbow and knee pads. Moreover, they can also give free maintenance if something is wrong to your best longboard for the money. Maybe they will give free cool shirts too!

Aside from these given benefits, here are some of the advantages of being sponsored by Original Skateboard:

You Can Do Your Passion

Let me assume that you are really the passionate one–that you are willing to make longboarding your career. Of course, that is a great commitment! You already found the thing that makes you feel alive. However, life is really not that bright and beautiful. If you are still a student, doing too much longboarding can shed off your time to study or do projects. Are you bound to being a cashless drop-out already? What about the competitions that you want to join? Do you think that they don’t have registrations and other fees that they will take in your pocket?

Passion means that you will do anything to exercise a particular habit or action. On longboarding, it means going full-time. However, if you go full-time, you will have no time to work or find ways to sustain your hobby. Let us admit it. Longboarding is not actually the treasure trove you are hunting. You can earn from it once you become a professional and win events.

While you are still starting, a sponsorship comes very handy. It aids you when it comes to expenses, gears, and equipment. Treat is a parent-to-child relationship. The Original Skateboards will act as your family.

The Chance To Travel

Sponsorship is not just about getting free gears or money. Sometimes, it will give you the opportunity to see the world in a new horizon. Original Skateboards has a lot of international connections. If they have a national event or competition, then there is a good chance that they will send you there to join. If that happens, you just did not travel. You also grasped the chance to meet new longboarders and expand your world! In longboarding, connection really matters!

Moreover, the best part of this is that you don’t have to spend anything. Not even a single penny! You know how expensive travelling can get, especially if it cross countries or abroad. Aside from the plane, you have to mind for your food, shelter, and other amenities you need to survive while you are on foreign grounds. Good thing, Original Skateboards can handle all of this–just for you!

You Can Promote Original Skateboards

If you are a believer of Original Skateboards, then representing their company is more than what you can ask. Just imagine that once you can get the sponsorship, you will become one of their faces. For some, that is already an honor to their part. Being part of the brand that you believe is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Some longboarders want the sponsorship from Original Skateboards because of this reason.

If I were you, you should make this as your motivation, too. I mean, wouldn’t the staff from Original Skateboards see you materialistic if you are just aiming for the fame and money? The best sales talk that you can give to them is your love for their products and brand. This is the best way to appeal to the company!

Conclusion

Getting a sponsorship from Original Skateboards is already one-step to stardom. You may really get the chance to be famous, yet it can still make you professional skater. The opportunity may not last–let me remind you of this. So if you can successfully get a sponsorship from them, just make the most out of it. Learn, play, and continue to display your enthusiasm to the sport. In the long run, you will realize that the experience you got is really life-changing!

Lastly, its give you the chance to do one of the most coolest sports in the world: longboarding! So what are you waiting for?Go shred off!

Basic Things About Longboard For New Beginners

Nowadays, longboarding is getting attractive more and more younger people. However, some people still make a mistake when assuming longboarding is just skateboarding. The longboard is fairly similar to skateboard but it is longer in the length than skateboard. What is longboard? How to choose the best longboard brands for beginners? And some basic techniques of longboarding for new beginners.

Basic Things About Longboard

What is longboard?

Longboarding, which was called “Side walk surfing” in 1950’s, was a combination of surfing and skateboarding.

After that, it was developed by surfers and skateboarders because they want to experience the feeling of surfing on the hard surface, in other words, it was done as an alternative for surfing.

Longboard looks like you use a long skateboard but it is easier and faster than skateboard because of the wheel’s size. There are many different shapes, lengths or widths of longboard.

Longboarding has many categories such as cruising, downhill, dancing, free-ride and carving. If you want to get around the campus, town or hang out with friends, longboarding will be the excellent modes of transportation.

How to choose the best longboard brands for the new beginners?

Choosing the best longboard brands is not the easy job to do.  The following guide includes some useful information for the new longboarders need to know to make the best choice.

First of all, you should know the parts of the longboard and effect of these parts when you ride. The main parts of longboard include the deck, the wheels, the trucks, the bearings and the bushings. The deck is the flat board that you stand on and it can be made from bamboo, maple or fiber glass. The next important part is the trucks that is made from metal and has a T-shaped in order to connect the wheels to the deck. And the third crucial component of longboard is the wheels that are specific to the riding styles.

Next, you should make the decision the type of longboard you need based on your riding style. However, the longboard is good for cruising and carving is the suitable choice for the new beginners.

Finally, you should pick the longboard that fits your longboarding style. Longboarding has the various shapes, techniques and categories so that every longboarder need to define their own styles to pick the suitable longboard for them.

Techniques to ride longboard for newbie

If you are the new beginners who is getting into longboarding, we will guide you some basic techniques to longboard.

Air braking: occurs when you stand upright on your board with arms out to increase wind resistance and lower your overall speed. This is one of the most important and effective techniques to reduce speed.

Foot braking: occurs when one foot is placed on the road or on the sidewalk while the opposite foot keep balance on the longboard to increase friction and decrease your speed. Longboarders use this technique to slow down or come to a termination.

Slide braking: is mostly used when longboarders go downhill. The longboarder will handle his speed by turning the board sideways into the controlled slide, but it needs a wider area to control the slide. In some cases, longboarder will wear gloves and put his hands on the ground to perform this action.

Carving: is the popular way to slow down or control speed. It helps the longboarders to slow his speed by leaning left and right.

Now that I have shown you the definition about longboard, some way to pick suitable longboard and some basic techniques. You are ready to pick the suitable longboard for you and start riding it wherever you want or just to enjoy yourself with some friends. Let’s get a longboard!

Beside that, at my blog, we also have many articles to share you all things need to know about longboarding, and the next topic is a Best Longboard for Girl. 

When Should You Assemble A Longboard Yourself And When You Shouldn’t

There are a lot of people who advocate the case for making a longboard right in your own garage. You know, by assembling all the components together after diligently purchasing them separately. They have a point and you might already be convinced about it.

assembling a longboard

However, we will make it easier for you to decide by telling you the pros and cons of making a longboard all by yourself. Also, we will put forward the case of completely built longboards as well.

MAKING IT YOURSELF

PROS:

• You get to make the board of your dreams.
• You can customize everything from the wheels down under, the trucks in between and the deck on top.
• You can adjust your budget in accordance with the price of components. You can set aside more money for the parts you deem important and save some on other less important components.
• You get to make the board that suits the style of longboarding you want to pursue. This is the best thing with the choices you get to make.

CONS:

• You can give no manufacturer warranties to yourself, unlike when you buy the best longboard for beginner that’s ready to ride. It’s every man for himself, as the saying goes.
• You are going to spend a lot of time looking for the best parts that fit your criteria. While buying a longboard off the shelf involves confusion, you have just multiplied it many times over here. Factor in the number of shops you have to visit to make informed choices on every component and the whole thought of it becomes baffling.
• When a brand, say Atom or Sector Nine makes the longboards on a large scale, they achieve economies of scale. This makes the business profitable for them. On the other hand, your one off project might end up costing you much higher than a comparable completely built product.
• In case of buying a completely built longboard, all you ever need is a skate tool. In making one yourself, on the other hand, you might end up buying things that don’t work well with each other, thereby wasting even more money.

WHY WE DON’T WANT YOU TO MAKE IT YOURSELF

Apart from all the reasons listed above, we want to make sure that you don’t waste your time on making something that is already available in the market.

• All of the longboards in our catalogue are of the highest quality. They are tried and tested products. You will know that thousands of people have purchased, experienced and trusted the longboards that we encourage you to buy.
• Many of these longboard come with a warranty against manufacturing defects. It’s like insurance that you don’t have to pay for.
• There is absolutely no advantage in making a longboard yourself. Apart from the pride and satisfaction that you may or may not get, there is no USP.
• Any longboard that you buy through us is completely customizable. You want harder wheels to go faster? Sure. You want ceramic bearings for the best performance? You will get it. Want new grip tape for the deck? Hell Yeah! You see, everything can be changed without much effort. Save yourself some time and go for a branded longboard with lots of good reviews, you will barely go wrong.
• The choice in completely built longboards is enormous. Whether it’s the wheels, the decks, the bearings or the price point as well.

Conclusion

Now you know the pros and cons of making a longboard by yourself. Unless you plan to start a company, which would be cool, you know what we suggest. We are strongly on the band that supports completely built longboards and you already know why.

Just have a look at some of the best longboards we have reviewed and choose the one that suits your needs.

How To Build Your Own Longboard

http://cdn.instructables.com/

Building your own longboard is a fun process as you get to learn so much. All you need is woodworking tools, wood cutting ability and motivation to nail the task well. So let’s start:

Gather the Materials

• Hardwood or plywood to make the deck
• Strong adhesive or glue
• Rough sandpaper
• 8 screws to assemble the trucks. The size should be such that can fasten the trucks securely to the board
• Screws to seal the board when curving is required.
• Drill machine
• Jigsaw
• Weights
• Fiberglass resin, cloth and hardener
• Piece of paper and pencil
• Grip tape

Select the Wood

Use 2-3 ¼ inch thick plywood sheets to build the deck. To make the whole longboard, these pieces need to be joined with glue or screws. If not to build the deck, you can buy pre-pressed deck. Number of plywood sheets depends upon the flex of the board you want. Some woods like white ash, bamboo, maple and birch are there offering quality where bamboo is the strongest among all. So you can choose any. For longer board, you need 10 inches by 40 inches woodpiece and before getting to build a board, take an idea of the shape of the board you would like to ride.

Select Adhesive

Go for wood glue, resin or epoxy. Every hardware store has these adhesives that are meant to join the wood pieces tightly and keep the board layers together.

Select Trucks

These are the metal bits which are used to attach the wheels to the board. And these are important to keep the board turning when you lean. Most popular trucks are reverse kingpin trucks offering better stability and response.

Select Wheels

The harder the wheel, the more sliding ability it has whereas the softer wheels offer tight turns.

Select Bearings

Bearings are meant to fit inside the wheels to let them turn smoothly. Usually, people are seen buying ceramic bearings but they are quite expensive as well. Quality does matters!! If ceramic bearings are not in your budget, buy steel bearings.

Cut the Plywood

Cut the wood into strips according to the size mentioned above i.e. 10 inch by 40 inch. Shaping is not a concern here as you just need to cut the pieces for now. Keep the longer strips for longer board and vice versa. Shaping will be done once when the pieces will be attached together into a solid deck.

Draw the Board Shape

Draw a straight line on a paper that will be the centre of the board and then draw the shape of the board you would like to have. For your knowledge, shorter boards are more flexible and quickly turn while cruising. So if you are a beginner, keep things simple by building a short board and not the longer one. At the front, draw a slight curve.

Trace the Board Shape

With a pencil, trace the board shape on the top wood piece and using adhesive, press the wood together. Let it dry and then carve the shape. Keep in check that you are drawing the deck the same way you want. Remove the imperfections from the board and make sure that half of the board is symmetrical.

Drill Holes

Drill holes around the board outline to clamp the wood together. Drill the holes evenly around the board shape and keep them smaller than the screws. Check which points need extra support and add more holes there. All the pieces of plywood must be stacked properly and make sure to hold them tightly so that they don’t shift while drilling. Drill the holes through the wood and ensure that you don’t drill the area that will be your deck. One inch space must be there while drilling the outline of board.

Stick the Wood Pieces Together

Use a paintbrush and apply adhesive on the inner side of each wood piece. Get them back together making sure that drilled holes are on top.

Shape the Board

Stack the plywood pieces and arrange them in a way that the ends of the board are resting on something. And the middle part is hanging free.

Put Weight on the Board

On the stack of wood, put weights so that it bends slightly upwards in the middle as when you will stand on it, it flattens out. Leave the board under the weight unless you don’t get a light curve on the wood.

Re-clamp the deck if you are happy with the curve you have got and then put screws around the board.

Carve the Board Shape

Take the good looking side of your plywood and make it the bottom of the board. Find the exact centre of the board and draw a line lengthwise down from front to back. Turn the board over and do the same thing for the other side as well. Here you go with the design of the board, take off your stencil now.

Sand the Board

Take sandpaper and smoothen the board to keep it free from scratches. Now cover the board with fibreglass resin as it will protect the paint from outside scratches. Mix the fibreglass resin with a hardener and then use a paintbrush to brush the board evenly with its layer. It hardens very fast so be quick while applying. Let it sit for 3-4 hours.

Add any Design

Add any design you like using paint or markers and sand the board down one more time. Go for painting the board with any pattern or color you like to make it look beautiful. Next, add a last layer of fibreglass resin to seal the design finally on the bottom of the board. Do it clearly so that the designing you did is visible through the coating. Cover the whole board with grip tape as it will keep your feet stick on the board while riding at higher speeds.

Attach Trucks, Wheels and Bearings

Now it is the time to put the bearings inside each wheel and attach the wheels to the trucks. The nuts must be so tight that don’t let the bearings come out and offer free spinning of the wheels.

Test the Board

Here you go!! Your board is ready. Now check it once that it holds your weight properly. Before sliding on the hills, make sure that everything is perfectly done.

How To Choose Longboard For Cruising

So you have got your first longboard and wish to do some cruising on it. Simple enough! It is if you are willing to follow our longboard guide for cruising. The first thing to do is to choose a suitable longboard because every board is more or less specific to a certain style of longboarding. While some are made for cruising, others are built to bomb hills. It is all in the type of deck and other configuration. So let’s dive into deciding how to be a great cruiser on longboards.

How To Choose Longboard For Cruising

Deck Type

The type of deck goes a long way in deciding how a board behaves on the surface you are going to use it on.

• Choose a deck that your feet fully fit on. Since cruising is what you do when you are a beginners longboard, you do not want to lose your footing. Do you?
• The deck should be strong to withstand the occasional bump you are going to give it every now and then.
• The deck should have flex for when you want to be a bit stylish and tricky.
• Camber and curve are some other aspects to keep in mind. For simple cruising, you should keep it simple,

Trucks

• The trucks are another important part of determining your cruise quality. If they are too tight, it would be a hell lot more difficult to turn on a dime as you’d want to do.
• The trucks should have almost the same width as the deck through the axle attached so as to give the most stable platform to your feet.
• The position where trucks are attached to the deck will decide the wheelbase of your longboard. It is important to have a long wheelbase for beginners to have a stable and reliable ride.

Wheels

• The wheels decide how much grip you get. The softer the wheels, the more grip they yield. Keep in mind they burn just as fast,
• The size of the wheels is also very important as they decide how bumpy or not your longboard ride is going to be. If you live somewhere with a lot of rough patches on the road, choose a large wheel and you will be happier for it.
• The shape of wheels’ lip is important. For the purpose of cruising, you would ideally want square lips to get maximum grip and traction.

Grip Tape

• Grip Tape is applied on the deck and can be of many types. It mostly serves the purpose of keeping your feet glued to the deck.
• For showing off, you can choose to have spray on grip to give your grip tape a personalized touch.

Bearings

• If you are just a beginner who is going longboarding for the first time, the stock bearings are good enough on most boards.
• If you want to cruise at insane speeds, you should get something proper for the occasion. Reds are some of the best bearings available to put in your longboard.

Extras:

• If you are picking up an old longboard from the garage, make sure you give it a proper maintenance service. You can do this at home by following our guide.
• Don’t just go someplace and start cruising. Walk up and survey the path for anything that can cause you to fall and break something.
• Wear proper safety gear and keep your speed in check. Never choose steep slopes for cruising unless you are an expert.
• Falling on your face is part of the fun. That is how you become better at longboarding.
• The best place to begin your longboard journey should be a safe skatepark.

How To Choose The Right Type Of Longboard Of Perfect Shape And Style

God, choosing a longboard is quite a confusing task. You have a variety of styles, shapes and sizes to choose from. Being a beginner, you may feel awe-inspiring to pick a board from a pool of boards but actually it is not. With this article, I would like to enlighten you guys about the riding styles and most common shapes of boards. Once you get hold of these elements, it would be easy for you to choose the type of board you need.

How To Choose The Right Type Of Longboard Of Perfect Shape And Style

Obviously, the better you get an idea about the shapes and styles, the easiest it will be to choose the best longboards. Take a sneak-peak on the factors to be considered:

Longboard Riding Style

This one is the most common question which you need to ask yourself in order to choose the perfect board.

Cruising and Carving for Tyros

An all-purpose way of riding is cruising and carving. The board used for this purpose is designed to make you take wider turns while riding whilst you are hitting concrete surfaces.

Free Ride for Intermediate Riders

Quick sliding with technical tricks is all about free riding. In this, the rider manoeuvres the board while downhill riding. Various tricks are used one after another to control the longboard effectually.

Freestyle for All Levels

It is the regular type of riding. You can do anything like dancing, sliding, goofy riding and anything you think of doing. This style is inherited from skateboarding and slots in various technical tricks. Anyone whether a neophyte or an expert can try this style. Enjoy it, it’s a fun guys!!

Downhill for Advanced Riders

Guys, it’s all about speed, speed and speed. That’s all…

Just ride down the hills at as greater speeds as you can. Maintain full balance over the board while bombing the hills and terrains. You being a beginner should pick up slow speed at first and then move onto higher unless you don’t have tried your hands on boarding tricks.

Now, when you are aware of longboarding styles, let’s get our hands rolling with various longboard shapes.

Longboard Shapes

Depending upon the style you choose, it’s the time to focus on shapes now. All the styles get covered up in two shapes of boards i.e. Directional and Symmetrical. Both these shapes go perfect for every rider whether beginner, intermediate or expert.

Directional: Clear from its name, this board goes into one direction only and the most used directional board is pintail.

Symmetrical: Such boards are perfect for free riding and freestyle riding. These are also called bidirectional boards wherein the front and back of the board looks the same. You can stand in any direction while riding to hit the roads smartly.

Conclusion

Lastly, I would like to say that the choice is yours. Choose from any style which suits you well and the shape you feel is perfect for your body. So grab a nice board to have a wonderful riding experience. Happy riding!!