Skateboarding is an extreme sport that has been a popular hobby among teenagers and young people for many decades. It consists of both riding on a special board and performing tricks. How are skateboards, longboards and cruiser skateboards different? The answer to this question simply needs to be known to those who decided to take up this sport and went to the store for their first board.
Differences and features
These or those types of skateboarding boards are not developed by chance. Their purpose strictly determines the appearance, size, and a set of accessories. Let's consider the main varieties and their distinctive features.
Skateboards
The most common and familiar boards for any layman. They have curved edges on both sides, standard dimensions (width - 7-9 inches (17.5-22.5 cm), length - 30-32 inches or 75-80 cm) and a clear purpose - performing tricks. Skateboards are inconvenient and impractical to ride around the city on such boards: since skateboards are not intended for long-distance and long-term movement on uneven and uneven urban surfaces, they wear out too quickly with such use.
The design is designed to withstand constant jumping - special wheels and bearings take care of this. The skateboard itself is most often made by gluing several layers of Canadian or Chinese maple together.
How to choose the right skateboard and what to look for in the first place, you can see in the following video.
Longboards
This type of skateboard is distinguished by its impressive length and completely straight board. Longboards have the ability to develop tremendous speed and are incredibly stable. They allow you to move softly and feel confident. Longboards are not used for trick skating and spin jumping.
There are many varieties of such boards:
- Freeride - for downhill skiing on steep slopes.
- Carving - the appearance resembles a surf or snowboard, the board is suitable for descending the slopes or for walking on a good city surface.
- Cruising is a long board with soft wheels designed for long journeys.
- Boardwalking (Dancing) - non-standard length (40-60 inches or 100-150 cm) makes riding on such a board very peculiar, it resembles a dance.
- Downhill (Speedboard) - for descending from the mountains at incredible speed.
- Sliding technique is a variation of the previous model that allows you to slide on one of the deck parts, which is not typical for longboards.
- Long distance - board for long distance travel; Long distance pumping variety allows you to swing the longboard on long gentle slopes.
- Slalom is a species that is particularly maneuverable; medium length (30-36 inches or 75-90 cm), narrow suspension, soft wheels, reduced size.
To choose a good longboard, there are a few things to consider. Which ones, you can see in the next video.
Skate cruisers and plastboards
A cruiser is a board curved with only one tail section. Basically it is a mixture of skateboard and longboard, and therefore such a board is suitable for everyday use in the city. Cruisers range in length from 27 to 31 inches (67.5-77.5cm).
Since the coverage in a modern city is not uniform, it is very problematic to ride skateboards or longs here. Cruisers are designed specifically for the disadvantages of urban roads. They make riding on them more comfortable. The wheels are enlarged here, they are wider and softer. The boards themselves are very maneuverable and easy to control.
An experienced skater can not only ride a cruiser but also perform various tricks. Convenient dimensions of the cruiser allow you to fasten it to the special straps of a backpack designed for a regular skate, or carry it in a standard skate case.
Almost all cruisers are also made of maple. The exception is plastboards, which got their name for being made of plastic. But we will talk about such boards in detail below.
Is the Penny Board a cruiser?
The answer to this question is “Yes”. The plastboard mentioned above is the penny board. The boards got their second name for the material from which they are made. This plastic is not only durable but also very flexible. Numerous experiments broadcast on the web (for example, placing a penny board under the wheel of a car) show how practical and durable these boards are.
Pennies differ from all other cruisers not only in material, but also in dimensions. Their length is only 22 inches or 55 cm. There is a whole line of models of penny boards, differing from each other, mainly in color. There is a series designed specifically for skiing in the evening and at night, it is equipped with reflective elements.
What is the best choice for a child?
To summarize all the models and varieties of skateboards on sale, for active use in the city, a skate cruiser would be the best option. Among the representatives of this type of skateboard, you can find a model for any age, even for a child from 4 years old - pennies are great for skating the smallest. Gradually gaining experience in riding, your child will even be able to perform tricks on cruisers. But it is impossible to ride on stunt boards around the city and not reduce their service life several times. But it's not just the lifespan of the board.
If the skate is designed for a particular application, and it is not used for its intended purpose, this increases the risk of injury.
For example, if someone really wants to perform a trick on a longboard, perhaps after a lot of training, he will get something similar, but injury is certainly inevitable here. Because longboards just aren't designed for tricks. The same will happen if your child begins to dissect on the loose city asphalt on a stunt board - the number of falls and bruises will increase significantly, because such boards behave unstably while riding.
That is why it is so important to understand the types of skateboards and buy them in strict accordance with the purpose.
For those who have not yet decided on the model, we offer the following video for viewing, by watching which you can make the right choice for your child.
