How To Buy A Longboard Skateboard

Need to know how to buy a longboard skateboard? Longboard-style skateboards are lovely things that attract attention. Whether leaning against a wall in a coffee shop or a tour bus while the band is loading in, it turns heads. Their craftsmanship, the worn wood, the tattered grip tape and the lovely designer lines make them appealing. Longboards have a classic beauty that no other of their breed can match. When purchasing a longboard skateboard, know that there are a few different types of longboards to choose from.

1. Downhill giant slalom style boards have very little or no tail. These are sometimes cambered, which is a very nice option if you plan on going very fast, doing giant slaloms or if you only plan on cruising on smooth clean surfaces.
2. The street cruiser style has a tail which makes getting up and down curbs and over obstacles easier. These look like a long version of the standard old school skateboard with the kick tail.
3. Then there are the off-road style mountain boards, which have very large wheels with air-filled tires. They have straps to keep your feet locked in, and some even have a disk brake to stop you when things get sketchy. This type of longboard has the widest trucks of any of the longboards at fourteen to eighteen inches. Some of these have suspension systems.
4. Some makers have on-road hybrid versions of the very large off-road boards as well. For riding on badly-maintained streets, these are a good choice. There are very large wheels with plastic hubs and a urethane tire that make an excellent choice for safely riding on rough pavement. The MBS Atom Urban Cruiser is a good example of this hybrid between a mountain board and street board, having six-inch street tires on fourteen-inch trucks.

Buying the right longboard depends on knowing what kind of riding you want to do and which of the different kinds of longboards you can afford. Look at as many as you can and buy the one that you like the most. Skateboards are full of style and personality and you will know when you find the one for you. So buy the longboard you really like and the pleasure of owning it will last.