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Difference between Longboard and Skateboard
As a beginner who wants to engage in the sport of skateboarding, there are often questions to be asked about the kind of equipment that should be at one’s disposal before any other process can begin. Athletes, sportsmen, and women alike are often confused about the decision of either choosing a longboard or a skateboard. For most, it’s all about the one that will help them improve on their game without injury while for others, it’s all about balance.
A longboard is a type of skateboard which is longer with bigger wheels and offers that comfortable feel of cruising to its users. It’s typically faster than the skateboard due to its bigger wheels and can offer beginners better balance than a standard skateboard that is mostly shorter with smaller wheels. Despite the different designs, they’re more similar than most.
Therefore, choosing between the two cannot be entirely determined without properly analyzing what makes them different or what one offers that is different from the other. We will take a look at the very distinct qualities that differentiate a longboard from a skateboard. This will enable any enthusiast who wants to participate in skateboarding to choose the suitable equipment for his game.
What Differentiates a Longboard and a Skateboard
The Shape and Size
A quick examination of the longboard shows how long it is, and that is the first distinctive physical feature to note. The nose and tail of the longboard are characteristically flat, which makes it suitable for long-distance skateboarding with the ability to get more balance at top speed. A longboard has an average length of 56 inches, but other longboard types are smaller in size. A typical skateboard has a length of 36 inches.
Length may not be the best quality that can distinguish a longboard from a skateboard, but it is crucial to note that a skateboard is curved while a longboard maintains a flat surface for its nose and tail. The skateboard’s curve makes it very good for flips and tricks that people enjoy when doing skateboarding. Longboards can be used for tricks, but they are constrained and cannot match the dynamics and flexibility of skills with a regular skateboard.
The Deck Shapes and Flexibility
The deck is known as the base of the board, and it’s the point of contact between a skateboarder and his skateboard or longboard, as the case may be. Longboards are known to have more extended decks, which is a guaranteed balance for its users. Skateboard, on the other hand, comes mainly with a thinner deck. This makes it very useful in learning new skills and executing them with little practice.
Longboards are designed to have thicker decks that offer more stability and balance for their users, making them unable to offer more flex. Longboard deck design is what makes it outstanding for long-distance rides at a top speed. This makes it very useful for beginners who are still looking to perfect the skill of riding.
The deck of a skateboard only has the shape of a popsicle. It is curved at its ends like a concave and it’s about 32 inches long and 10 inches wide. Unlike skateboards, Longboard decks come in different shapes such as pintails, fishtails, blunt, cruiser, twin cut out, dropdown, and speed. Each of the shapes comes with its unique ability.
The Trucks and Wheels
Skateboards come with smaller wheels that are harder. They are built like that so that they can withstand the shocks that come from landing without bouncing when their riders perform different skills with them, powered by their flexibility. However, having harder and smaller wheels comes at a price for the skateboard as it cannot reach top speed. But the way it’s built makes it easy to pass surfaces like railings, staircases, and others.
Longboards, on the other hand, come with more extensive and softer wheels. For any rider who enjoys cruising with the skateboard, this would be ideal for them as a means of transportation. The longboard gives them increased acceleration that will ride smoothly on surfaces without any hitch. Another feature that comes with the wheels is the base through which it’s attached to the board. This is known as the truck.
The truck of a skateboard is rigid and narrow. Its building was done to maximize the frequency of tricks that a rider can perform with it. The longboard has a flexible truck, making it an outstanding attribute for easy rides at top speed that can attain very long distances.
Balance
The shape of a Longboard makes it more suitable for balance and is recommended for beginners who have never ridden a skateboard before. This is because it is longer, with a thick deck, that any rider wouldn’t have to struggle for equilibrium. With constant practice, any Longboard rider can now transition from it to riding a skateboard. The skateboard balance is harder to achieve because of the changes in postures for one to achieve it.
For users that are new in the game, choosing a longboard may be the correct decision. It will give them the time to practice and fully transition to the skateboard.
Weight and Durability
The longboard is typically built to be stronger and durable than the skateboard to give its riders confidence when looking for balance. This makes it primarily useful for longer rides, but it dramatically reduces its ability to perform tricks and flips. The skateboard was designed and built to be moderately strong with a lightweight that promotes its aerodynamics. This makes it more susceptible to damage than the longboard.
The longboard is quite heavy when it comes to weight because of the bulkiness of the material used in making it and its thicker deck. The skateboard is lighter and is more portable which makes it suited for executing tricks.
Safety and Effort of Riding
Due to its narrowness and shorter length, riding a skateboard comes with risks of getting injured due to falls. Some of these accidents may happen when seeking balance or trying to learn new tricks or when a rider loses control of speed. The longboard was built to offer more safety because it is relatively long and can guarantee balance, primarily for beginners. This means that a lesser number of riders will get injured when riding on it.
The effort to ride a skateboard will take a very long time for any rider to master than when using the longboard. This is primarily because of their differences in length and their decks. The longboard was built to offer more comfortability when riders mount them.
Speed and Trick Differences
Every rider has a motive for which they are skateboarding. It can either be to cruise with another motion surface on wheels or to perform some video-worthy tricks. Whichever is the case, skateboards are built to offer the following for their riders:
- Ability to learn new tricks and master them while getting quality rides.
- Performing grinds on rails with mastered skill.
- Skating on mini ramps with expertise.
- Executing ollies.
- Executing several flips with an aesthetically pleasing flair.
Longboards are most suitable for:
- Enjoying a good riding experience with improved stability.
- High-speed cruise on roads with little speed limits.
- Ability to bomb down hills and small mountains.
- Using the board to transport themselves around their neighborhood.
In general, using a Longboard will give an excellent feeling of skateboarding, such as cruising and racing with your peers. Still, the fundamental tricks and skills that come with the sport can only be executed using a skateboard.
Longboard Pros
- They are very effective in cruising at incredible speeds with little effort.
- They are straightforward to learn, hence are very good for beginners.
- Their durability means that they can last for a very long time without wearing out.
Longboard Cons
- Longboards are very cool, but they are costly to buy.
- The number of tricks you can do on a Longboard is limited when compared to a skateboard.
- Their heavy built makes it hard for people to carry about.
Skateboard Pros
- They are very portable and easy to carry anywhere.
- They are very effective for landing tricks of any type and degree.
- They are built to withstand any impact.
- They give their users incredible views of any structure you ride them, such as railings, staircases, ramps, and others.
- They are cheaper to buy and maintain, including their parts.
Skateboard Cons
- Learning to ride a skateboard takes a lot of effort for one to perfect.
- When care is not taken to learn all the basic tricks of a skateboard, injuries can occur.
- The execution of tricks using the skateboard on any surface often leads to wears that call for frequent replacement of the parts.
- One may get seriously injured when the right amount of transitioning between tricks has not adequately been achieved.
Conclusion
Whether a Longboard or a skateboard, the choice can be made when one gets a good grasp of the above qualities that differentiate them. This will be a perfect guiding aid for newbies in skating to choose which equipment will suit their needs, but invariably, any of the two can offer a good user experience.