Longboards For Skating.

Known as “surfboards with wheels”, longboards have long stable decks and soft wheels that replicate the feel of surfing on land.

These days electric longboards are increasingly being used for street transport, cruising and long distance skating.

Due to their nature they are great for carves, slides and freestyle manouveres. Longboards are popular with both surfers & snowboarders, allowing them to replicate the feel of gliding over an ocean or a snow covered piste.

Amongst the best quality longboards for skating are Lush skateboards. They offer skaters high quality decks, trucks & wheels at reasonable prices.

longboard for skating

longboard for skating

Longboards usually measure from 33 up to 59 inches in length and their width can be either 9 or 10 inches. Available in a variety of shapes and styles, longboards can incorporate ‘flat nose riders’, ‘pintails’, ‘drop through decks’, ‘board drop decks’ and ‘boards’.

‘Pintails’ typically allow for loose- fitting trucks and bigger wheels that are usually better suited to accomplish that serene and weightless “surfing” sensation. A ‘drop deck’ or a ‘drop through’ board, on the other hand, will allow the skater to get right up close to the floor by giving a low centre of gravity. These boards enhance stability, and in turn, tend to be well suited to rapid descent riding.

When it comes to versatility, boards in the mid-length range are typically the most flexible. Mid-length boards tend to measure from 37 up to 50 inches. Because they are available up to fifty inches in length, they tend to be bulkier than smaller boards; making them not so suitable for mid-air tricks.

They do, however, add to that desired smooth motion by giving a heightened element of momentum- especially useful for downhill skating. The longboard’s innovative design permits both large turns & quick short carves not too different from the moves seen in surfers.

Longboard Decks

Typically constructed from plywood, long board decks can range between 2 to 11 layers of maple, bamboo or birch. These boards are always available in a consortium of designs and sizes where each variation comes with its own unique benefits.

longboard deck

PinTails

Characteristically flat and highly suitable for novice or beginner skaters, ‘pin tails’ are the most commonly purchased design of board. They incorporate a ‘teardrop’ deck and the innovative design provides ample foot space whilst preventing the wheels from contacting the board.

Drop-Through

These aptly named boards include a cutout known as a ‘drop through’. This allows for trucks to be mounted via the deck.  As to be expected, the low platform permits enhanced stability at rapid paces.

Drop Decks

These boards are characterised by their specific shape in that the centre of the platform is further down than the point in which the trucks are arranged. The board is designed in a unique way for the truck points to be above the platform. The low platform is excellent for enhanced stability at rapid speeds and as such, these boards are typically associated with downhill speed skating.

Hybrid

These are the kinds of longboards that incorporate wheel cutouts to allow space for the board’s wheels to rotate at more precise angles. By doing this, the skater avoids ‘wheel bite’. Hybrid longboards are usually smaller in length than others; thus allowing the skater to perform tricks that are typically associated with standard skateboards.

Cruiser

Showcasing a kick-tail on the back of the board, together with a traditional deck shape, ‘cruiser’ long boards tend to be similar in shape to standard skateboards.

Depending on the shape of the deck, longboard decks curve higher or lower along the shaft. In addition to this, the width can incorporate a descending bend.

A ‘camber board’ sets the centre of the long board higher than where the truck positions by providing a continuing upward gradient along the board’s length. Flexible boards often use this design to help to stop the longboard from drooping with repeated use.

Opposite to the ‘camber board’, a ‘rocker’ board sets the middle of the longboard lower than where the truck is positioned.  By locking in the skaters’ feet, the user is able to perform advanced tricks with ease. A ‘concave’ board, on the other hand, bends upwards on either side and as a result, provides the skater with more control.

When it comes to equipment, most longboards and standard skateboards require the same; except that usually, longboarders put on slide gloves.

As longboards are fundamentally a variety of skateboards, they have similar parts. The differences of these parts are usually found in terms of wheels and dimensions.

longboard wheels

Wheels

Typically, the wheels on a longboard are built from urethane and their performance is based on a variety of factors such as height, hub setting, lip shape, durometer and contact patch. Most longboard wheels are available up 107 mm and as expected, a larger wheel will demonstrate a more sluggish increase of velocity but a faster speed. Similarly, the durometer is dependent on the hardness of the urethane. As expected, a soft wheel will be slower than a hard wheel when ridden on a level surface.

On the other hand, a soft wheel gives a smoother and faster ride on an uneven or rough surface (the quickest durometer for a typical road is approximately 80a). Soft wheels tend to have a better grip than hard wheels and generally, better traction comes along side a wheel with a large width. That being said, the design of the board’s lip can profoundly influence traction, and skaters should consider that round lips are designed to break into a sliding action whereas square-shaped lips are designed for grip.

longboard trucks

Trucks

Trucks can be found in a variety of designs but typically speaking, a wide truck means a broad turning sphere. Wide trucks are also considered to provide better stability.

Generally, two varieties of trucks are used: ‘conventional vertical kingpin’ and ‘reverse kingpin’. ‘Reverse kingpin’ trucks place the hinge on the inside towards the middle, whereas ‘conventional vertical kingpins’’ axles are found on the outside towards the nose and tail.

Well-liked ‘conventional’ trucks include ‘Tracker’ and ‘Independent’ and consistently popular ‘reverse kingpin’ trucks include Paris, Gullwing, and Randal. It’s worth noting that ‘reverse kingpin’ trucks were designed with longboarding in mind and are consistently considered to provide better stability and grip.

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Longboards For Skating & Surfing

Where The Endless Summer Meets The Endless Road

Longboards For Surfing

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With Britain offering small, unpredictable & frequently wind blown waves, our country suits long boarding perfectly. Longboarding is both a very stylish looking pastime & a lot of  fun.

Even on the days when the waves  are small, inconsistent &  feeble you can still get a great buzz from surfing on the right equipment like a custom designed nose riding longboard.

Probably the best, state of the art lightweight longboards for surfing are the Surftech brand of tufflite longboards.

longboard noseride

Setting itself apart from every other form of surfing, long-boarding offer surfers the chance to take part in the enviable activity of ‘nose-riding’. Giving the serene sensation of “weightlessness”, Australian long boarding professional Belinda Baggs (aka Bindy) is an enormous fan of this skillful pastime.

When the surfer ‘hangs ten’ or rolls all five toes over the nose of the board, it is known in the industry as a superior statement of balance. It has been said that when a surfer is at the nose of the board, the surrounding world seems to move in slow motion, creating a magical and awe-inspiring experience. And no one would know the joys of this sport better than Belinda Baggs

For a long time, Bindy has been in the front position for women’s long-boarding. Keen to advocate the sheer thrills that come with this sport, Bindy has showcased, through her unimaginable skills on the board, how long boarding allows female surfers to regain control over their femininity whilst in the waves.

Unlike the awkwardness associated with jittery short boards, long boards enable female surfers to ‘flow’ with the water in a calm and elegant manner. For the advanced surfer, the true beauty comes with making the difficult things look easy; but long-boarding is a lot easier to learn than short-boarding!

Because of their enhanced stability and buoyancy, the design of long boards makes it instinctively easier to balance and in turn, judge and grasp the water. But, as always, perfecting the art of any skill can be a challenge and although highly rewarding when you get the hang of it, the admirable ‘nose ride’ can take a while to grasp!

longboard wave

Experts such as Bindy advise that before you can reach the summit of riding the nose, you should first learn how to cross step (although admittedly, shuffling is much easier!). By doing this, you will have full control of speeding up or slowing down your board.

But as with everything; the first steps are always the most fearsome and walking on your board is all about overcoming that dreaded fear factor! To start with, lift your back foot over your front foot in slow, small and soft movements.

Once you have perfected this, and you are able to walk, try to apply pressure on your back foot to accomplish a steady pace. As you do this, you will notice that the surrounding wave will deepen. Walk to the nose and hang .

Once you have ‘hung five’, give yourself a pat on the back (when you’re back on land); you’ve mastered the incredible art of nose-riding. There is great paradox in nose-riding your are essentially applying weight yet remaining weightless. Invented in California back in the 1950s, nose-riding came into play when (believe it or not) all surfboards were very long.

A new trend that was tried and tested by pro surfing-wannabes across the country, it wasn’t until it was perfected by Mickey ‘Da Cat’ Dora and Lance Carson that this new ‘trick’ was recognised as a solid element of the sport. And when David Nuuhiwa took it to extreme limits, it caused even more of a stir…but that was before the world set eyes on Joel Tudor!

longboard tube

During the 90s, teenager Joel Tudor, from California, was caught on camera as he astonishingly curled ten toes over the nose. All of sudden, this retro style of surfing was amazingly ‘cool’ and surfing fanatics across the world started to mimic the historically-based, yet futuristic style of this superbly talented kid.

By focusing on the foundations of long- boarding, Tudor had created an art form. Unsurprisingly, Tudor went on to twice become the World Champion and also toured Europe with the legend that is Nat Young.

Inspired by the media attention surrounding this contemporary and distinctive sport, Cornish long-boarder Robert Green created the British Long board Union (BLU) contest tour.

Since it began in the 1990s, the BLU has given us a multitude of professional long-boarders and European Champions including Chris ‘Guts’ Griffiths, Elliot Dudley, Will Eastham and Ben Skinner.

If you visit South Wales, Devon , Cornwall, you will be able to see long-boarding at its finest. Suited to the windward British coastline, people of all levels of experience are taking part in this spectacular sport.

Astonishingly, long boarding now accounts for half of the surfing population in the UK.

longboard logo

Buying a long board Fibre glass boards are a popular choice due to them usually being expertly shaped to order & they also look nice when newly polished. On the other hand, fibre glass boards can be fragile and ding easily. Hence many surfers find that lighter yet stronger epoxy & tufflite boards provide more durability, float and weightlessness.

Among the best designed tufflite longboards for surfing are the Surftech longboards range. To start off, a board size of 9’ 0” to 9’ 6” with either 1 or 3 fins is ideal. It’s also always a good idea to look for a board that will easily fit under your arm and is light enough to carry with ease. 9’1″ seems to be the  most popular size and its also the standard  minimum length for competition longboards.

longboard surfing logo

Longboards For Skating & Surfing

Where The Endless Summer Meets The Endless Road.

Video Gallery

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Lush rider Matt Bates from Brisbane – This kid can roll & the sublime blues music is by the Black Keys.

Animal House Reference Skate Video – Brisbane Based Radness With Fast Slides & A Great Sound Track By Kanye West.

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Longboards For Surfing

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