Longboarding

Comahawk

So, I'm a snowboarder and I'm trying to stay physically active during the summer.

As part of this, I have been looking at taking up longboarding... I rode my friends for a little bit tonight and really liked it. From what I gather, it fits me, when I snowboard, I'm a rider, meaning I'm not really into tricks or any of that... I just enjoy the ride down the hill.

So, my question, who can give me some basic information, mainly, what I need to buy to get into it, what's a good board, and what are any other tips someone can give me?

noobert

As in, surfing on a longboard?

If so, i envy you like nothing else. Snow AND Beach? you greedy sod!

wmelon

My guess is that he's talking about something like this http://sector9.com/. I started getting into this a bit last year, but haven't really had time lately to do much with it. I've got last years sector 9 goddess board

wombat

sector nine's really are the bees knees for longboard skateboarding, though some people do prefer flexdex because of their...well...flexibility. they kind of bounce and give way when you turn. I think it's really an acquired taste. Gravity skateboards are also supposed to be pretty solid, but I haven't had a chance to try them out, so you're kind of on your own.

really all you need is a skateboard to get into it. maybe a helmet for safety reasons if you're really concerned. some people who get very into it/are more serious about it often get gloves, because in order to skid out really hard (especially on longer boards) you really have to swing into the turn, and generally have to put your hand down.

I mean, once you get on a board, you'll find that there's a lot of similarities (at least I think so) between snowboarding and skateboarding on a longboard. they turn very similar I think (more so than skateboards and surfboards anyway). of course, skateboards don't allow you to slide around as much, but they do have a same sort of rhythm to them, if that makes sense.

I guess to get started, just grab a board that you like the size of; longer boards can be harder to turn, but offer a lot more stability. shorter boards are more maneuverable, but they have a tendency to bounce around a little more. if you're going to be spending more time bombing hills that cruising around, I would suggest getting a longer board, like around four feet, maybe a little smaller so you have some versatility. really it just kind of comes down to personal preference. then, you know, just start taking it on some smaller hills. you want hills that are pretty even surface, wide enough to snake down, and no traffic (duh), just to get a feel for going back and forth to control your speed. then as you feel more comfortable, progress to bigger hills.

uh did that help any?



after reading the wikipedia article on it, I say just ignore everything they say. most of their advice sounds like it's for very very advanced riders. I mean, carving is important and all, but a lot of that stuff applies mostly to people who bomb mountain roads and stuff.

alcoholic_engineer

I second the sector 9 boards. I own 2 and wouldnt want any other brand.

That being said I know a few people who prefer Arbour or even landyachtz (I can barely even ride these to be honest).

As for learning- you said your friend has one so take them with you when you go shopping if possible. The best way to find one you like is to go to stores and try one out. They should have demo boards you can screw around on for a couple minutes. And then get your buddy to show you the basics. It is surprisingly easy to learn once you figure out how to balance.

The only real hard part is stopping/slowing down, but that comes with practice.

Comahawk

Yeah, my main concern is the stopping aspect... Though I've read that you can slide stop on them in a similar fashion as a snowboard... to idea of trying that on pavement kinda scares the crap out of me, because screwing that up on snow hurts like hell, never mind on ash fault.

The balancing part isn't really a problem for me, thanks to snowboarding... Though I was having trouble doing it last night due to my sandals.

Thanks for the help, guess I'm just going to have to go out and try the boards, get a feel for the sport. Mainly what interests me is just using the board to cruise around town. Not too interested in going hill riding just yet, perhaps in the future though.