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longboards, Never Summer longboards, loaded longboards and
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A longboard is a
surfing variant of a
skateboard, similar and related to a
surfboard or
snowboard with wheels. It is used for cruising, downhill
racing, slalom racing, sliding, and/or
transport. However, most stunts, and the boards themselves
are very different from that of a typical skateboard. They
usually are designed for the descent of a hill, slides, carves,
manual or "dancing" with the board.
Dimensions
Most longboards measure 84 to 150 centimeters (33 to 59 in).
There are several shapes of longboards, such as pintails,
flat-nose riders, drop through decks, drop decks and boards with
the same shape of a standard skateboard. Pintails permit looser
trucks and larger wheels which are better suited for carving
or a "surfy" feel where as drop decks and drop throughs allow
the rider to be closer to the ground, hence a lower center of
gravity which increases stability and allows these boards to
support more high speed downhill riding disciplines. Mid-length
boards, 94 to 127 centimeters (37 to 50 in) are the most
versatile. Their greater weight and bulk makes them less
suitable for many
skateboarding tricks, but contributes to a fluid motion by
providing more momentum. The longboard's design allows for big
turns or quick short carves similar to the motions of surfers or
snowboarders.
The previous record for the longest distance travelled on a
longboard was set by David Cornthwaite in 2006 when he skated
3,638 miles (5,820 km) from Perth to Brisbane across Australia.
This record has since been broken by Rob Thomas of New
Zealand.
Longboard equipment & protection
Longboard equipment is similar to standard skateboard
equipment. Many skaters wear slide gloves and helmets.
Additional protection includes; wrist-guards, knee-pads,sliding
gloves, and elbow-pads. Many professional longboarding teams and
riders are required to wear and advocate all aspects of
protection. In the sliding and downhill disciplines, riders wear
"slide gloves" which are specialized gloves made out of a strong
materials such as leather and synthetic fabrics, and have large
discs, called "pucks". These are attached to protect the hands
as the rider uses them to pivot during slides along the ground.
The pucks are usually made of synthetic polymers: delrin, UHMW,
or corian. Homemade versions of these gloves can be made by
using a heat gun or hot glue gun to melt glue onto a heavy duty
gardening glove then glue pucks made from plastic
chopping-boards over the fingers, thumbs and palms. These gloves
protect the hands when a longboarder gets low enough to pull up
on his or her board making the wheels lose traction on the
ground allowing them to slide.
Longboard
components
Longboards are anatomically similar to skateboards with some
exceptions associated with dimensions, trucks and wheel size and
hardness, combined though make a completely different feel
Longboard Decks
Longboard decks are typically made from wood ply anywhere
from two to eleven layers usually 2mm in thickness, composed of
birch,
bamboo, or
maple.
Longboards are commercially available in variety shapes and
sizes. Each shape and length of deck has certain advantages and
disadvantages, which can come into play depending on the
technique or focus of the rider.
- A popular style of board that has a teardrop-shaped deck
that is typically flat and suitable for beginners. The
pintail shape is used to prevent the wheel from coming in
contact with the board (called "wheelbite") while still
providing ample footspace.
- Drop-deck boards have a unique shape where the middle of
the deck is lower than where the trucks are mounted. This
can be achieved by either a "drop through" cutout, where the
trucks are mounted through the deck, or a "dropped" deck
where the deck is pressed in such a way that the truck
mounts are placed higher than the standing platform. The
lowered platform allows for greater stability at high
speeds. However, this deck type is not well-suited for loose
trucks, which can lead to condition called "railbite" where
the rails of the deck scrape the ground. Speed bumps can
create a hazard, where the dropped platform impacts the
speedbump, Some examples for drop decks are the Landyachtz
Switch and the Rayne Nemesis and some examples for drop
through decks are the Landyachtz Drop speed and the GMR M80
- These kind of longboards include wheel cutouts which
provide room for the wheels to turn at sharper angles while
avoiding wheelbite. Hybrids also tend to be shorter than
other longboards, which allows the rider to complete the
same tricks as on a standard skateboard. A downside of
hybrid longboards is the potential for "shoebite" which
happens when the rider's shoe rubs the wheel, slowing or
abruptly stopping the rider.
- A classic deck shape, these have a somewhat similar
shape to normal skateboards, in that they have a kick-tail
on the back.
Decks intended for riding downhill are typically stiff
and have a wheelbase of around 30". Designers and manufacturers
aim to make these boards as stiff and light as possible. The
primary three designs of downhill boards are "drop decks", "top
mounts" and "drop throughs". Each design has its own advantages.
The drop deck has a lowered foot platform that sits below the
height of the trucks, as a result, there is a lower center of
gravity which adds to stability but gives you less traction and
maneuverability. Wooden drop decks with concave have foot
pockets by the drops. However, some carbon boards are able
feature concave by the drops instead of foot pockets giving you
more leverage in your turn. The drop through design has cutouts
that allow the baseplate of the truck to protrude through the
board, thus lowering the deck and providing more stability. In
addition to this, drop through decks decrease grip, as the deck
is closer to the axel and
Moment arm of the wheel. There is also less leverage on the
truck, which makes turning negligibly more difficult. Top mount
boards are the simplest design of the three. There are no
dramatic bends aside from the foot concave. The board sits on
top of the trucks as it would in a street skateboard. Advantages
to this design include increased grip and ease of turning;
disadvantages include a high center of gravity, which could
contribue to a lack of stability. There are numerous variations
of the aforementioned designs, including a "double-drop" board,
which incorporates both a drop through and drop down pattern.
These are preferable for "freeride" as they are extremely low to
the ground, which allows for ease of sliding. Footspace is
important because there must be enough room on the board for the
rider to form an aerodynamic "tuck". Downhill boards are made as
stiff as possible to minimize the amount of energy stored in the
deck in order to ameliorate the creation "of speed wobbles".
Some boards are designed to be flexible. Flexible
boards are usually intended for lower speed riding because when
going faster, a flexible board can have torsional flex which is
one cause of speed wobbles.
Longboard decks can be shaped in such a way that they bow up
or down along the length of the board. They can also have a
downward bend along the width of the board.
Concave boards, which bend upward on the sides, give the
rider more friction for their toe and heel, thus giving them
more control. Longboards, typically boards designed for downhill
and or freeride, can also have
W concave which is concave with a ridge in the middle
forming the "W" shape.
W concave is helpful in a slide or corner by giving your
feet extra grip so that your feet (especially back foot) stays
on the board. A camber board is a gradual upward arch along the
length of the board. This sets the center of the board above the
truck mounts. This is often used on flexible boards to prevent
the board from sagging when it is being ridden. A "rocker" shape
is the opposite of camber, which sets the center of the board
below the truck mounts when it is being ridden. This lets the
rider more easily perform tricks like sliding by locking your
feet into the board.
Longboard Trucks
Trucks are the metal turning mechanism that attach the
longboard wheels to the deck. They come in a wide range of
styles, with wider trucks meaning a wider turning circle. They
use the motion of the rider's feet and body to turn the board by
pivoting a joint in the middle of the truck. There are generally
two types of trucks used on longboards: reverse kingpin trucks
and conventional skateboard trucks (vertical kingpin).
Conventional skateboard trucks have the axle on the outside side
(towards the nose and tail) of the kingpin, whereas reverse
kingpin trucks have the axle on the inside side (towards the
center of the board) of the kingpin.
Popular conventional skateboard trucks include Independent
and Tracker. Popular reverse kingpin trucks include Paris,
Randal, Navigator and Gullwing. Reverse kingpin trucks were
created with longboarding in mind. While they are usually
considered to have more grip and stability (two important things
in the downhill discipline), conventional trucks have a very
different feel that is often preferred by many longboarders.
Hanger width can greatly influence the turning
characteristics of a truck. A wider hanger is thought to be more
stable (turn less quickly). This is because the board generally
has less leverage over the hanger , the wheels have a further
distance to travel to get to an angle, and more board lean is
lost due to bushing compression.
The angle of the baseplate can also greatly influence the
turning and stability of a truck. As a general rule, as the
degree gets smaller, the truck will be more stable, but turn
less (its turn essentially becomes more vertically oriented
rather than horizontally oriented). For example, trucks with 44
degree baseplates will generally be more stable (turn less) than
trucks with 50 degree baseplates.
Longboard Bushings
Bushings are perhaps the easiest things to change on a truck
in order to change the feel of how it turns. Bushings are
usually made of a polyurethane material, and come in varying
shapes and durometers (hardness). Two of the most standard
bushing shapes include barrels and cones. Barrels, having a
larger shape, are often thought to have more stability and
rebound whereas cones, having a more narrow shape, allow for
more turn and less rebound. The durometer of the bushing also
greatly influences its characteristics. a harder bushing (such
as a bushing with a rating around 97A) will be much harder to
turn on than a softer bushing (something around 78A). The type
of washers used with the bushing can also greatly affect the
bushing's characteristics. While it depends on the size of the
washer, generally a cupped washer will be the most restrictive
on a bushing, a flat washer will be neutral, and a flipped cup
washer will be the least restrictive. Another aspect of the
longboard that has an influence on bushing performance it the
bushing seat on the truck. The bushing seat is the area on the
hangar where the bushing makes contact. This area often has a
rim to cup the edge of the bushing, adding a small amount of
restriction as the bushing deforms through a turn. Some trucks
have very loose or even non-existent bushing seats, whereas
others have very restrictive bushing seats, greatly reducing
bushing deformation. More restrictive bushing seats are
generally found on trucks designed with faster riding in mind as
they offer more stability and lean.
Riser pads
Riser pads increase the distance between the wheels on a
longboard and the deck in order to prevent wheel bite (when the
deck scrapes the wheels, causing the wheels to stop turning).
They also reduce the strain on the deck from the trucks being
directly in contact with it. Riser pads are normally made of
plastic. Shock pads, which are more rubbery than riser pads,
serve the same function only with more emphasis on reducing
strain and less on increasing the distance between the wheels
and deck.
Bearings
Bearings connect the wheel to turn smoothly. Bearings can be
made of many materials, including
steel
(which is most prevalent),
titanium, or
ceramics. Ceramic bearings are the most expensive. Bearings
are usually rated in the
ABEC scale. The ratings run from 1-13, using only odd
numbers. The higher the rating, the more precise, or smoother
rolling, the bearing. However, higher rated bearings can be
damaged more easily.
[2] Though not all bearings use ABEC ratings. Some
companies will use other methods to describe the bearings'
resistance and durability.[3]
Longboarding Wheels
Almost all longboard wheels are made from
urethane. The performance of longboard wheels is determined
by five characteristics: height, lip shape, contact patch,
durometer, and hub setting. Typical longboard wheels range
from 65 to 107 mm. A taller wheel will have slower acceleration
but a faster rolling speed. Smaller wheels have the opposite
effect. The durometer of a wheel is how hard the
urethane is. A softer wheel will be ultimately slower than a
harder wheel on smooth surface. When the road surface gets
rougher a softer wheel provides a smoother, faster ride. The
fastest duro for the normal road is around 80a. Softer wheels
have more grip than harder wheels on any surface. The contact
patch of a wheel is the width of the wheel. The wider the wheel
the more traction it will have. Wheels can be anywhere from 30
to 80 mm in width, but most commonly between 40 and 56 mm. The
shape of the lip is all about traction. Rounded lips are made to
break loose into a slide and square lips are made to grip.
Square lip wheels do break loose but the slide is not as smooth
as a round lip wheels. A wheel hub (or core) is typically the
plastic or aluminum center of a wheel that holds the bearings.
The position of the hub affects the properties of the wheel.
The hubs in center-set wheels are set equidistant from each
lip of the wheel. Center-set wheels typically preferred for
sliding because they wear more evenly and when they become coned
you can flip them and still have the same feel. Center-set
wheels are hard to break loose than other wheels but the slide
is much smoother and controlled because the weight is
distributed more evenly over the wheel. This type of wheel often
has rounded or beveled edges, making slides easier to initiate.
Side-set have wheel hubs set flush with the inside edge of
the wheel. Side-set wheels offer a smooth transition from grip
to slide, the slide typically being longer than any other wheel.
This type of wheel has by far the fastest and most uneven wear
because the weight is on the very inside of the wheel. Free
riding and cruising are the typical disciplines of this
particular kind of wheel.
The hub on an off-set wheel is between the center or the
inside edge of the wheel. Off-set wheels provide the most grip
of any of the wheels. These wheels usually feature square edges
for more traction around corners or in carves. Off-set wheels
are the most common wheel typically used and designed for
Downhill but are a favorite of many carvers and cruisers.
Longboarding Equipment
Slide gloves
Typically slide gloves are used for racing as well as to give
the rider extra control while on their longboard. Slide gloves
can be quite handy while the rider is maneuvering around a large
curve. Generally sliding the longboard is accompanied in
Freestyle Longboarding and
Sliding, this sliding of the hands and board is also another
way to create enough
friction to break i.e. slide breaking.
Big stick
A large paddle (usually a pole or stick), sometimes with
wheels or rubber on the end. This can be used to propel the
rider far distances without the use of the riders legs, and is
primarily a form of
locomotion derived by the riders arms.
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