Should i start longboarding

Flex is an additional factor which makes your long cruises more comfortable compared to a cruiser board. On the other hand, cruiser boards have close to zero flex in it. One last comparison in this aspect is the turning radius. With wider trucks and a longer deck, longboards will, of course, have a wider turning radius. Conversely, since cruiser boards have narrower trucks, their turning radius is much smaller. Given the larger deck, a longboard is definitely heavier than a cruiser board.

Both its weight and size makes it less portable than a cruiser board. A cruiser board weighs around 2. The shape of your deck largely determines what kind of tricks you can do. This lets you pop your deck to execute tricks like the Tiger Claw or No Comply. Ultimately, longboards enable you to perform more than just cruising around. Gradually improve your longboarding skills by getting your basic stance down, practicing how to maintain your balance on your board, and learning different techniques.

After getting your longboard, you should immediately get yourself some protective gear to keep yourself away from any injury or accident. After all, prioritizing your safety should always come first. Now that you have your board and protective gear, you should first learn how to make your board move and how to make it stop.

Learning how to get your longboard moving is just as important as learning how to stop it. The easiest way to get your board to stop is to use your foot as a brake by softly brushing it against the ground until you come to a gentle stop. You can practice longboarding by riding with different experienced longboarders that are willing to educate you about the sport. However, before you practice longboarding, it is important to allow room for failure.

Once you start longboarding, there are many things that you need to learn and work on such as your turning stance, push and brake stance, balance, and many more. Your longboarding skills will improve overtime as you practice. Here are some ways on how to practice longboarding:. There are several things that you can do to improve your balance when riding a longboard. One of the many great ways to improve your balance is to get a balance board.

Investing in a balance board is certainly worth it in the long run especially if you are someone who really wants to get into board sports. A balance board comes with a few more benefits apart from improving your balance. Not only does it strengthen your ankles, lower legs, core, back, and shoulders that help you improve your posture, but it also reduces the pain in your back and neck. Listed down below are several more balance exercises that you can do to improve your longboard balance to prevent you from falling and injuring yourself:.

The only way to get better at longboarding is to skate as often as you can. Be consistent in practicing and everything else will follow. You can start by going on short distances at slow speeds and then slowly work your way up from there. Increase the distance you cover and how fast you go little by little.

You can also try riding on different terrain each time you skate to gain more experience as a longboarder. Experiment with new tricks and riding styles and again, let there be room for failure. If possible, try to skate with other experienced longboarders as they can give you tips to help you learn and grow as a longboarder. The time it takes to learn longboarding depends on a few key factors.

If you have previous boarding experience, then you will learn longboarding a little bit faster than others but bear in mind that it will take you quite some time to adjust. Ever since I bought my first longboard, I discovered there are a lot more people around me who longboard than I would have imagined. Longboarders are a friendly and welcoming bunch. They are more diverse in terms of age group, skating backgrounds from total newbies to retired hardcore street skaters , gender a lot more female riders than for skateboarders , style and skills etc.

This one is more specific and may or may not apply to you. One important reason why I first got a longboard and then new ones was to help improve my surfing and stand-up paddleboarding skills when away from the beach.

Longboarding can greatly help you become a better surfer or snowboarder as it makes you practice board stance and balance, carving techniques, and rail-to-rail transitions for gaining or controlling speed — these are core skills for all board sports.

These boards offer a fantastic surf best cross-training experience. Check out my post on choosing the right surf skateboard for you. Some people get a longboard mainly for the speed and adrenaline rush.

Freeriding and downhill longboarding both involve going fast on steeper hills. Freeriding typically involves controlled speeds with a lot of technical sliding tricks, while downhill is primarily about finding the fastest lines down big mountain roads and slowing down as little as possible. Longboard freestyle is the most athletic, creative, and probably the most athletic of all longboard styles.

It involves constantly kicking and flipping your longboard and jumping on and off it. Dancing is often seen as an artistic branch of freestyle, involving more gracefull cross-stepping and spinning maneuvers on the moving longboard. Longboarding may not be for you if:. Aside from the above points, I highly recommend getting a longboard for anyone fit enough to run or walk fast on a regular basis, whatever your age, size, and experience with board sports.

Whether you get a longboard for cruising, commuting, dancing or going fast, there will always be something for you in this great rewarding sport. If you are a human, do not fill in this field. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You're at the right place.

Don't worry, we were all beginners once. I remember when I was starting out. I had no clue what board I should get, what equipment I needed or how to even stand on the board. That's why I'm bringing you the basics of longboarding to prepare you for surfing the streets.

Now, if you're a skateboarder, you already have a head start. But, take notice that these two are only similar, not the same. First and foremost, you'll need a longboard. And, if you still don't have one of these bad boys, head to our store and choose your ideal first plank.

Beginners are usually unsure about whether they should get a longboard or a shortboard. We suggest you start small with a shorter board and work your way up as you learn the ropes. The best boards for learners are the Biscuit, Huntington Hop, Logger and Pescadito and you'll find them all in our store. Aside from the board, you'll need a protective helmet, elbow and knee pads. Surfing the pave all padded up probably isn't how you imagined it, but I do suggest that's how you start, at least until you get comfortable on the board.