Longboard (skateboard)

A longboard is a type of sports equipment similar, but not the same as a skateboard. It is much longer than a skateboard. Often faster because of wheel size, longboards are commonly used for cruising, downhill racing, slalom racing, sliding, dancing, long distance racing, and transport.

Most boards measure 84 to 150 centimetres (33 to 59 in) in length while widths vary from 22.8 to 25.4 centimetres (9.0 to 10.0 in). There are several longboard shapes, such as pintails, swallowtails, flat-nose riders, drop-through decks, drop decks and boards with the same shape as a standard skateboard. Pintails permit looser trucks and larger wheels which are better suited for carving or a "smooth" feel, whereas 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 centimetres (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. Longboards have 3 axes: the tail axis (running from tail to tail), the central axis (running straight down through the center of the board), and the short axis (running from the width of the board and perpendicular to the tail axis).

A record for the longest distance traveled on a longboard was set by David Cornthwaite in 2006 when he skated 3,638.26 miles (5,855.21 km) from Perth to Brisbane across Australia. This record has since been broken by Rob Thomas of New Zealand, who skated 7,555 miles (12,159 km). The land speed record on a longboard was set in 2012, when Mischo Erban reached a speed of 129.94 km/h (80.741 mph).

The ‘helmet culture’ is more prevalent in longboarding than in skateboarding. Most riders wear protective equipment in all disciplines, and nearly all professionals wear a helmet and gloves. Longboard protective equipment is similar to standard skateboard equipment, with the exception of slide gloves. Most longboarders wear slide gloves and helmets, as these are considered the bare minimum for protection. Additional protection includes: leathers, wrist guards, knee pads, elbow pads and sometimes spine protectors and padded shorts. 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" attached to the palms. 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.

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