How long is a longboard? This is a question that may arise in the minds of some longboarding enthusiasts. Some would say that a longboard is a skateboard without wheels. They would be right in this sense. But, they are overlooking one very important aspect when they answer the question how long is a longboard.
Most longboards and an electric skateboard are between thirty to forty-six inches long. (86 mm). Of course, you could find different sizes, but most of them fall in between these two figures.
Other than material, another question that comes to our mind while asking how long is a longboard is what kind of deck is used on it. Most of the time we hear about flex and solid wood longboards. While there is nothing wrong with either of them, a flex board tends to have more flex than solid wood ones. This means that flex boards are generally shorter as well.
The reason why most people prefer flex over solid wood longboards is because they are lighter in weight as well. If you look at a solid wood longboard and compare it to a flex board, you will see that the weight difference is huge. These are not to be confused with lovebirds or ollie/ramp boards. Loveboards are usually longer and a little less in length than the Ollie and ramp boards.
For those who want to ride downhill, a longer board helps much in grabbing the wheel of the skater and facilitating a safer and easier transition. A lot of times, longboards help make up for short wheels by providing better control. It is for this reason that many longboarding styles, such as freestyle, feature these longer wheels. Freestyle boarding is when the rider does all the driving themselves. An example of this would be when someone slides down an uphill slope and they simply keep going downhill.
Another characteristic of longboard trucks is that they are bigger and are able to provide greater stability when riding on tight edges and curbs. This comes especially handy when doing tricks like carving and jumping off of jumps. Since the trucks are bigger and heavier, the rider is put in a position to master more difficult tricks and their ability to balance themselves improves greatly as well.
What about the actual deck of a longboard? These are known as concave edges because they are concave on both sides unlike a smooth edge board. The advantage to the concave edges is the fact that they are smoother and tend to grip the road more. Most skateboarders do not like the feel of the softer edge boards and since these trucks help to increase control, many people who own longboards have them mastered or at least have them leaning towards their skating abilities rather than towards being a street safety deck.
In summary: Longboards come in different shapes, sizes, and styles. Longboards vary in hardness (intermediate to pro), width, wheelbase, deck material, trucks, and of course, their price range. It is important to know how long your board is before you start shopping. Some stores and manufacturers have websites that will tell you how long your board is, but if you don’t have access to the internet, I recommend reading product reviews from other longboarders that may be found online.
Step 01: If you are not familiar with how long a skateboard is, the best way to find out is to ask your friends, family, or even professional longboarding video crew members. Ask them how long they’ve been riding and what they think of the brand they are skating. If they cannot answer your question, chances are they have not had much experience with the specific brand you are looking into. However, some experienced skaters will be able to give you an approximation. If nothing else, this information is worth taking into consideration when you are ready to purchase your first longboard. Some skateboard companies provide a lifetime warranty on their skateboard trucks, which is great in that if anything ever happens to them, you will have a brand new deck to continue to ride and race on.
Step 02: After finding out how long a skateboard is, the next step is to decide what kind of deck you would like to ride. If you have longboard trucks that need tightened up or new longboarding wheels, these are the two things that will make up your board. Longboard trucks are also measured by wheel size. The smaller the wheel, the longer it will be. Longboard wheels come in many different sizes to fit most rider’s needs; however, if you are looking for the quickest way to get your longboard on your back without much hassle, you should probably stick to the smaller wheels.
Step 03: After you have decided on the wheels and truck, you can now look at the bearings. Bearings are important in the sport of longboarding, because they keep you on balance as well as enabling you to maintain a steady speed while riding. Bearings are usually made out of steel or aluminum, depending on the type of deck you are using. The more expensive bearings have more polished ends which enhance the overall performance and longevity of your deck.