Longboard Penny Classic 27"  bright light

Longboarding season is approaching so let us tell you something about this cool sport!

[galerie]
There are three basic categories of longboarding:

Cruising

A longboard is not only defined by its length. The trucks on a longboard are typically made for better turning ability than standard skateboard trucks, and the wheels are usually larger and softer than standard skateboard wheels to make for a smooth ride. Cruisers have these features but are of the length of a normal skateboard.

Freeride

Freeriding can involve sliding and other tricks such as early grabs at medium to high speeds. The decks may have kicktails on both sides that allow for tech slides. Most freeride decks utilize similar construction to downhill boards. Some companies are now trying to produce freeride decks that also do freestyle. They make these hybrid boards by adding kicktails and striving to make the boards out of lighter materials.

Downhill 

Downhill longboarding involves riding down the hills as fast as possible and keeping the board under control. The vast majority of downhill longboards are built from wood. The three most common types of wood used are Maple, Baltic Birch and Bamboo. The main distinguishing factor is that downhill boards are usually directional, with a defined front and rear, while freeride boards are symmetrical front to back.