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How to Buy a Longboard Skateboard

Longboard

For years, the media has been saturated with events like the X-Games, and movies like Jackass and Lords of Dogtown. Skateboarders have been portrayed largely as hooligans and street punks who have nothing better to do then ride their skateboards. Honestly, looking at the professional skateboarding scene, this is generally true. There’s nothing wrong with that, I might add. But the incredible technical ability of modern professional skateboarders has set the bar so high that skateboarding seems like a talent that one needs to be born with. The truth of the matter is that such isn’t the case at all. Everyday schlubs like you and me can ride a skateboard for fun and transportation without the need or compulsion to attempt to ollie down flights of stairs and bust our heads open.

I, myself, have been riding a skateboard since the age of 6. I’ve rode every type of board that you can imagine. My first board was a banana board, I had an old-school Christian Hasoi signature model, I’ve owned a fair share of “trick boards” with small wheels and such, I even had a skateboard that was made out of an old water ski. For a few years, I tried to do all the fancy tricks that the rest of my friends could do, but I was a little too heavy set, or maybe my feet were too large, or maybe my balance was just bad. Point is, I stunk. By eighth grade, I was putting 70mm Kryptonik wheels on my boards, and using just using them to cruise. The following year, I bought a Sector 9 long board, and I’ve been riding long boards ever since.

The advantages to riding a long board are related to the size of the “deck”, the platform that you stand on. I joke that I ride the big ones, because I fall off of the little ones. This is partially true. The size of the board allows for a larger, more stable stance when riding down hills, or just around town. Another advantage long boards have is that they are not so often plagued by what is known as the “speed wobbles”. This is exactly what the name suggests, involuntary instability caused at high speeds. Speed Wobbles can be avoided, or at least reduced by what is known as “carving’, which is to ride in a zig-zagging pattern. Long boards make carving easier and much more effective, because there is greater weight distribution.

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Ok, I’m not going to spend all day trying to sell you on buying a long board, but if you do decide to buy one, here’s some tips:

1) Don’t, I repeat, DO NOT buy your skate at Wal-Mart, KB Toys, Big 5 Sporting Goods, etc. These stores carry low quality package deals, their staff usually doesn’t know squat about skating, and they just generally don’t give a rat’s ass about skating. Go to a nearby skateboarding shop, and buy from them. The folks working at a skate shop are going to know what they are talking about, and will be able to find a suitable board for your needs. The prices may seem large compared to Wal-Mart, but that’s because Wal-Mart is selling a cheap product. You are never going to see an experienced skateboarder buying from Wal-mart. If there is no nearby skate shop that you know of, then buy one off of the internet. All of the major long board companies: Landyachtz, Sector 9, Gravity, etc, let you order straight from their websites. At prices that are usually cheaper then store price, I might add.

2) Get the right size board. I like something that comes up to waist level, at least. I’ve had boards that nearly came to my chest. You want something that you can maneuver well on, and that you can carry rather easily.

3) Decide on the style of board that you want. Do you want to ride a lot of down hill? Then you might want something smaller and more streamlined. Do you just want to cruise around town? Then you’ll probably want something bigger, with a tail. I, myself, ride a Landyachtz Evo model that I love. Landyachtz is Canadian skateboard company who does not have many retail outlets, so you may want to check out their website. For the virgin longboarder, I would suggest a Sector 9, because they are widely available, and very similar to normal skateboards.

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In addition to the style of board that you want, there is also the issue of hardware. Trucks, bearings, wheels, etc.
Trucks: if you have some money to throw around, always go with Randal trucks. They are just about the best, sturdiest trucks around, and they don’t get speed wobbles. Don’t get downhill trucks if you are just planning to cruise around town. These trucks are made for speeds 35mph and up, and are rather unresponsive at everyday speeds

Bearings: when you buy a complete board package, you will probably be given Abecs, or Luckys or some other cheap bearing. These are good bearings, but they need a lot of upkeep to keep them from going bad. I would suggest getting Powel-Peralta Bones Swiss Bearings. These are very well engineered bearings, which have an advantage over other bearings. They have a removable panel that allows you to clean and regrease them. They are about $10 more then most bearings, but this feature makes them last much much longer, and is well worth the money.

Wheels: once again, this is a question of downhill or cruising. Downhill guys like taller, thicker wheels, cruiser dudes, like softer, thicker wheels. I would suggest going with something in between like some Kryptoniks or some Sector 9 wheels. If you find yourself wishing that your wheels had less give, go for a harder, rounder wheel. If you want something that is just going to grip the road, get something thick, soft, and cylindrical. Keep in mind that harder wheels are more prone to sliding. This is good if you wish to do it on purpose, but bad when it happens unexpectedly. Abec makes exceptional wheels for both uses; 3dm makes the best cruising wheels around.

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4) Then last and most important tip I can give, is take your board for a test ride. Give the store something for collateral (driver’s license, wallet, price of skateboard), and take it for a spin around the block. Long boarding always takes some getting used to, but if something feels downright strange or wrong, then you may just be riding a board that isn’t suited for you.

I hope that this has been informative in some form or another. Skateboarding is an easy, fun, inexpensive form of transportation, and I hope to see more people doing it in the future.

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