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Longboard Guide

The ultimate resource for everything longboard.

Longboard Decks
There are two questions you should ask prior to choosing a longboard is “How will you use it?” and “What is your riding style?” The majority of longboard users are considered a hybrid rider that rides their longboard in a street style fashion. These types of riders predominantly use their longboard as transportation to and from school or work. No matter where you place yourself we have the longboard for you. The major difference between longboards and a standard skateboard are the virtual endless shapes of decks. You want to choose a deck type that will be appropriate for the type of riding that you will be doing. Longboard decks are generally over 33” with lengths greater than 46″. Besides the overall length being longer a longboard deck has a wheelbase that is generally 18”-30” in length. The increased wheelbase provides greater stability at high speeds. Our most popular selling longboard sizes are between 32-42″ and are great for novice to intermediate longboarder.

*Note: longboards that are under 32″ in length are referered to as cruisers.

Longboard Trucks
The wider your skateboard truck the more stable a ride it will provide. Longboard trucks are built to provide a greater center of gravity at high speeds so they are generally 9″ or wider and usually as wide as the longboard deck or wider. A truck that wider than the truck will provide increased stability. This is why you will see many longboards with trucks wider than the deck. The inverted kingpin or dual pivoting hanger provides quick and deep carving abilities. Longboard trucks are Reverser kingpin vs. dual hanger vs. angled riser pads. Remember: the wider your trucks are the more stability they will provide at higher speeds. So if your longboard will be mostly for cruising then choose a truck that is are closest to the width of your deck.

Longboard Wheels
All skateboard wheels including longboard wheels are measured by their height, which is measured in millimeters. A typical longboard wheel is over 60mm in height. Besides being taller in height longboard wheels are mostly used for cruising, sliding, and transportation purposes and are designed with traction in mind. The best way to improve traction is to make the wheel softer so longboard wheels are softer than standard skateboard wheels which means they have a lower durometer. Durometer is the unit a measurement used to determine the hardness of a wheel. You will find that most longboard wheels are between 72A-88A. Having a softer wheel note only improves traction but it also makes it easeier to ride on rough or uneven surfaces. The width of the wheel is important as a wide wheel will provide more traction which will provide a more stable ride. Lastly, the shape of the wheel determines the slideability of the wheel. A wide wheel with a square edge will give you a lot of traction and the square edge will make it difficult to slide conversely, the same wheel with a rounded edge will allow you to slides at nearly any speed so If your goal is to do downhill sliding then pick up a pair of sliding gloves and choose a wheel that has a rounded profile.

How To Buy A Snowboard

Buying a snowboard can be tricky. To help you out we’ve created this useful Snowboard Buying Guide to help you choose the right snowboard for you in the ideal snowboard size.

What Size Snowboard Should You Buy?
Knowing what size snowboard is right for you is dependent on four main things:

Snowboard Size: Width
Snowboard boots and bindings are intended to hang slightly over the edge of a snowboard. Having the boots and bindings extend slightly over the edge gives the rider the ability to apply pressure and turn smoothly.
Snowboard boots and bindings should not extend too far past the edge of the snowboard. Boots and bindings that extend too far create unwanted heel and toe drag causing the rider to catch an edge.
The chart below can help you decide what snowboard width size is appropriate based on the riders snowboard boot size.
Men’s Boot Size
7-9.5
10-11.5
11.5 and up.
Snowboard Width
Standard
Mid Wide
Wide

**Women with a boot size of 10 or higher may want to consider a women’s mid-wide snowboard.

Both Burton Snowboards and Lib Tech Snowboards offer a range of men’s wide snowboards.

How to choose your Snowboard Size: Length
An ideal snowboard length is primarily based on the rider’s height. Still, there are other factors to consider before deciding which snowboard length is right for you.
The chart below provides general snowboard length recommendations based on the height of the rider. This chart is only a general guide. Be sure to consider the following as well.

Snowboard Size Chart

Your Riding Style will influence what type of snowboard you should buy. Be sure to choose a snowboard that fits the rider’s style and terrain preference.

All Mountain snowboards are designed for riding the entire mountain. These snowboards can do it all, carve through deep powder and hit the terrain park. All Mountain snowboards are popular for their versatility and performance in different types of terrain. All Mountain snowboards are perfect for the snowboarder who likes to ride a little bit of everything. They’re also a great choice for beginner snowboarders looking to try different styles.

· Popular men’s All Mountain snowboard brands include: Arbor Snowboards, Burton Snowboards, and Rome Snowboards.
· Popular women’s All Mountain snowboards include Roxy Snowboards, women’s GNU snowboards, and women’s Burton Snowboards.

Park type snowboards or “Freestyle” snowboards are specifically designed for riding the terrain park. Park boards are great for freestyle riding, rails, jumps, jibbing , big air, and spins. These snowboards tend to have a twin shape and a shorter length. A rider looking to learn tricks and spend a lot of time in the terrain park should definitely consider a Park snowboard.

If you a want a good men’s park snowboard pick one of these brands including: Capita Snowboards, Lobster Snowboards, Lib Tech Snowboards, and DC Snowboards. The most popular women’s Park snowboard brands include: women’s Capita Snowboards and women’s Forum Snowboards.

The shape of a snowboards can influence how the board rides. We will discuss three main shapes: Directional, Directional Twin, and Twin. It’s best to choose a snowboard shape that best fits the type of snowboarding and terrain the rider prefers.

Directional snowboards are designed to ride in one direction and are often found in All Mountain and Freeride snowboards. The tail end of the snowboard is usually stiffer while the nose tends to be softer, longer, and more flexible. This shape is more controllable ride at high speeds and while carving down steep runs.

Twin tip snowboards are also called “True Twin,” this shape is often found in Park snowboards. Twin snowboards are completely symmetrical with an identical tip and tail shape. This shape is great for freestyle riders because it allows them to ride in either direction.

Directional Twin snowboards can be found in both All Mountain and Park snowboards, Directional Twin snowboards are a combination of Twin and Directional shapes. These snowboards have a symmetrical shape and identical tip and tail widths, but the tip is often softer, longer, and more flexible than the tail. This shape rides in either direction and equally well in both the park and all mountain terrain.

Note: Just because a snowboard falls into one of these main categories does not mean it won’t perform equally as well in other conditions and actives. For example, a park snowboard may work just as well in all mountain terrain, and so forth.

Tag: buying guide

Longboard Buying Guide

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