Longboard (skateboard)

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This page is about skating Longboards, see longboard (surfing) for information about longboards of the surfboard variety.
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A 40 inch cruiser

A longboard is a skateboard with a longer and sometimes wider shape used for longboarding. They are most commonly used for cruising, downhill racing or transportation. Longboards can be shaped in various different ways, depending on the type of riding intended.[1] Their greater weight and bulk makes them less suitable for many skateboarding tricks, but contributes to a fluid motion by providing more momentum. Longboarding is often compared to surfing on concrete, and the design allows big turns or quick short carves similar to a surfboard.

Longboarding became popular alongside emerging surfing culture through the mid 1950s. Longboarding may have originated in California where the streets gave ground to many longboarders due to the rolling hills but some believe it is a product of Hawaiian origin. Although it is unsure where it originated, longboarding was first created as a land alternate to surfers.[citation needed]

Longboard equipment is very similar to skateboard equipment. It is most common for longboarders to wear gloves and a helmet. Wrist, elbow, and knee protection are always recommended. Also in the sliding discipline, riders wear "slide gloves" which are a specialized sliding glove made out of a strong material such as leather that has plastic pucks adhered to the palm.

Most longboards measure between 90 and 150 cm (35.4-60 inches). Shorter boards may still be referred to as longboards when their main purpose is in line with that of longboarding (i.e. downhill & cruising). There are several different shapes of longboards including but not limited to: pintails, flat nose riders, and boards shaped like a longer shortboard. Pintails permit looser trucks and larger diameter wheels better suited for carving or a "surfy" feel. Mid-length boards, 94-127 cm (37-50 inches) are the most versatile.

Contents

[edit] Decks

Unlike normal skateboards, longboards are commercially available in a great array of shapes and sizes. Each type of deck has certain advantages and disadvantages, and there are many boards that fall in between the several most prominent categories. One such type is the Pintail, which is generally a longer (roughly 48"), teardrop-shape deck, typically flat and suitable for beginners. Another type is the Dropdeck design, where the middle of the deck is lower than where the trucks are mounted. This allows for greater stability at high speeds and easier pushing, as the other leg must bend less. However, this deck type is not well-suited for trucks which allow for a great deal of tilt (also known as "play"), because the lowered deck can potentially scrape the ground. Speed bumps can also create a potential hazard. Another deck shape is the classic Cruiser shape. These are often smaller than pintails, but have a somewhat similar shape to normal skateboards, in that they are typically not very long (more than 35"), and many have a rounded kick-tail on the back. Cruisers also often taper to a point in the front, though this is by no means a prerequisite. One other type that can be used to group longboards into is the downhill board. Normally, this type of board will have a rectangular center with protrusions on the front and back where the trucks are mounted. This type of board is quite common and was the predecessor of the dropdeck, which has a similar shape and length. Downhills, unlike dropdecks, will occasionally flange out behind the back trucks, which can facilitate more riding positions. One notable technology used in longboards today is the drop through style of truck mounting. This is where the deck has a hole that the truck sits inside. An example would be the loaded dervish seen here [1]

[edit] Bearings

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There are many different choices of bearings for a longboard. The bearings sit inside of the wheel, and spin on the truck axles. Most bearings are made of steel, although those of the highest quality are made of ceramic. Steel ball bearings are mainstream bearings that are in widespread use, and readily available in skateshops and online distributors. Steel ball bearings are meant for the average skateboarder. Ceramic bearings are meant for the riders who have more stringent demands. They cost much more than steel ball bearings, but have less friction. The advantages for ceramic ball bearings include a smoother roll (if kept clean), longer life, rust resistance and a lighter weight as compared to steel. Their thermal resistance makes them ideal for high speed downhill runs. Two of the main materials used in manufacturing of the ceramic balls is ceramic Cerbec silicon nitride, and ceramic Zirconium Oxide.

[edit] Trucks

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The trucks are the mounts for attaching the wheels to the board and provide the steering mechanism for the board by turning in the direction of the rider's lean. A set of trucks is made up of a baseplate which screws to the deck, a hanger which holds the axle—which in turn holds the wheels. They are connected by a kingpin with flexible polyurethane bushings to control flex and turning.

There are several different types of longboard trucks, differing from 'shortboard' trucks in many ways. The primary difference is that the hangers are often wider to accommodate the different sized decks, with 150 mm and 180 mm being two of the most common widths. There are also different longboard trucks for different disciplines, as well as multi-purpose trucks. Many trucks are equipped with special features, such as inverted kingpins, as well as spring-loaded trucks, and variable tilt designs. Trucks designed for maneuverability will have a softer polyurethane bushing or spring, which allow the truck to turn with ease. A downhill-type truck will usually have a harder bushing or spring to stabilize the board at high speeds. Urethane bushings are also rated on the durometer scale; the harder the bushing, the harder it is to turn the truck. They can come in numerous shapes and sizes, which depending on, affect its performance.

All trucks have different turning angles. This is known as the truck's geometry. The geometry of the trucks affects how much the board will turn. The geometry can be adjusted through the use of angled risers or "wedges," which are mounted between the deck and the truck's baseplate. The turning angle will increase if the trucks are angled toward the outside of the deck. If the trucks are angled to the inside of the deck, turning angle will decrease, which can improve stability. Randal R-II trucks come stock at 50 degrees on the hangers. This is a typical angle for general purpose trucks as it allows the board to turn well at a variety of speeds. Randal R-I Downhill style trucks are more stable, and have a turning angle of 35 degrees which is better suited to high speed skating. Slalom boards will use a quick turning truck in the front paired with a stable truck in the rear, to allow for better traction.

Another type of truck, unique to longboards, is the torsion truck. Torsion trucks operate differently from standard trucks in that they twist a urethane bushing or metal spring rather than using two compression bushings to return the truck to a straight position. Revenge torsion trucks have a locking mechanism that prevents wheel bite when the truck hangers turn too far. The Original S-Series torsion truck does not have a stop but functions instead on the belief that the deck should be designed around the trucks (to avoid wheel bite). The lack of a stop allows Original trucks to lean over further and turn tighter, although compatible deck selection is limited. Riders who have experience on conventional (non-torsion) truck designs may have stability issues when bombing on torsion based trucks, however with practice torsion truck based setups can easily handle bombing runs of 30-35 mph (fairly slow in comparison to downhill racing speeds).

[edit] Wheels

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Often longboard wheels are much larger than regular skateboard wheels. The size is because a smaller wheel has to spin faster to maintain the same speed so naturally a larger wheel creates less friction allowing it to accelerate faster and smoother. Also many smaller wheels have problems with rocks, sticks, and even cracks in the street or sidewalk. The larger the size the less likely the wheel is to stop rolling, and more likely to simply roll over the obstruction. Another factor is many wheels are specifically designed to grip the road, being made of different materials, while some are made to slide across the pavement without excess wear and tear on the wheel. Typically, longboard wheels are much softer than those on a regular skateboard. the benefits of this include a smoother, quieter ride as less of the vibration is transferred into the rest of the board. Wheel sizes will vary from around 65 mm to 90 mm (larger size wheels are available, but many boards cannot accommodate large wheels due to "wheel bite"). The hardness of longboard wheels is most often measured in durometer, softer wheels starting at 70a and tougher ones at 85a and above. The softness of a wheel determines the point at which it can break contact with the road when carving. Softer wheels equate to a more "grippy" feel. This can be useful when trying to slide, though it can also have very negative consequences at higher speeds.

Riser Pads

Riser pads are a small rubber pad that fits between your trucks and your deck. They help prevent damage to your board due to your trucks pressing hard against your deck. They also bring your deck up farther away from your wheels so that you do not get wheelbite.

[edit] See also

Skateboard

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Longboard Skateboard Buyers Guide by Gear GuysRetrieved on 2007-November 13.

[edit] External links

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