Longboarding is fun and adventurous. It is a sport that entails riding a longboard. Longboarding just like every other sport has its own styles and tactics. There are several ways to ride longboards. Getting to know your body stance and how you are riding the board for will enable you to see the riding style that fits you the best. However, as always, trying all of them out will be the best way to find the style you enjoy the most.
Moreso, longboarding is safe for anyone as long as it can be stopped. However, most of these riding styles intertwined and riding multiple styles when longboarding can be very awesome. Riding the longboard on the road is just one of the fun in longboarding. Sliding on mountain and hills is another.
Once you find your preferred style of longboarding you might want to look for a new longboard as well. Different kind of boards fit different kinds of boarding.
All the Types of Longboarding and How to do them
1. Downhill/Bombing
This is the most dangerous and extreme styles in longboarding. Doing the downhill riding style requires a speed of about 60mph down hills. Downhill is all about speed, drifting, hands sliding and flipping.
A slide gloves with plastic pucks is needed in this style to be able to slide the hands across the road surface and at the same time performing technical drifts and maneuvers.
Downhill is only ideal for experts longboarders, and it is dangerous to perform on the road. So, beginner longboarders should not try it until they become an expert. Also, when riding the downhill style, longboarders usually wear full-face helmets and full leather suits.
The longboards used in this style is about 70-80 mm long and width of 50-70 mm and must have sharp lips to enable proper cornering and speed.
2. Freeride
This is similar to downhill just that entails power slide, creativity and the use of various styles. In freeride, longboarders use slide gloves with plastic pucks to enable slide hands on the road surface for easy balance. However, in freeride, riders tend to perform more of slides, spins, curbs, change slides, drift without the use of their hands.
Apparently, this type of riding style is ideal for longboarding beginners as it will help them to learn to balance faster, control speed and also get accustomed to the board. Also, in freeride, some experts tend to have mastered the trick of throwing standing drifts at a very high speed.
Longboards of about 60-70 mm, having arrow contact patches of about 28-55mm with rounded lips are suitable for freeride style.
3. Freestyle
In this style, riders tend to develop more creativity and do anything they can with the board. Freestyle is all about switching stances while on the board. Riders also perform the side-stepping tricks. Tricks like kickflips, tiger claws, ”shuv it’s”, cross steps are all part of freeriding. This riding style ideal for beginners
4. Transportation
The fastest way to get to places is by longboarding. It is an excellent way to tour areas and it is certifiably better than riding in cars or biking and later end up getting stuck in traffic. Transportation longboards are between 35-45 mm long and come with a kick tail for easy cornering and cracking.
Transportation style is all simple and requires simple maneuvers, and riders get to navigate in a comfortable and more natural way. As far as you can get to your destination on the board, you are good to go.
5. Cruising/Carving
This kind of style is an alternative to biking or jogging. Cruising goes well with any types of boards as long as it suits your preference. It is merely like riding around town and having fun. Some riders thus prefer longboards that are flexible that can enable them to speed and carves.
6. Carving
Carving can be considered as a technique and not just a riding style. Carving can be used to slow down, turn, pump. Also, this method is about making turns left to right, right to the left and focusing on a particular direction.
7. Dancing
It incorporates dancing and tricks and some other creative maneuvers that the riders seem able to do. Riders get to use their body and feet to make creative moves while staying well balanced on the board.
8. Slalom
This style is about speed. How far can you carve and at the same time weave in between cones when going downhill. In some cases, slalom also involve dodging obstacles while cruising.
How to brake when Longboarding
There are several techniques of braking in longboarding, and this gives total control of the ride. They include;
- Carving: this helps in control speed, control acceleration without slowing the motion although, it will increase the distance a bit.
- Slide Brake: this is used when doing the freestyle and downhill riding style. It is used to control speed, slow down before cornering, or halt. Atimes, riders may have to slide their hands on the riding surface to get balance, and this is one of the reasons slide gloves in important to downhill riders.
- Foot Brake: this is one of the most important braking techniques that every longboarder must learn first of all before when mastering balancing on the board. This is done by taking the pushing foot off the board deck and then drag the sole of the shoe on the road to reduce speed. This is the safest braking techniques, but it damages the shoe a little.
- Air Braking: this uses the wind to slow down when at high speed. This is down by stretching out both hands on both sides, and then, the speed is reduced a bit. Carves can be combined with this braking technique to reduce more speed.
- Sit Brake: in this kind of braking, the rider sits on the board and uses the foot stretched out to slow the speed until it stops. It is better to use this braking when you want to run to a stop.
In essence, in all these riding-styles mentioned above, speed plays a vital role, from slow to high. Each of this riding style is fun and entertaining. Try each of them and see the one that suit you best. It is not a must to be an expert before you can ride a longboard or do the tricks and maneuvers.
Safety gear
Longboarding riding styles such as downhill, carving, and freeriding can all be quite dangerous. It is important that you make sure to have all the essential protective gear. We recommend you at least get a helmet, knee pads and even sliding gloves.
