Longboarding

There is nothing more exhilarating than cruising down a hill reaching speeds of 15-20mph on a long plank of wood. I'm talking about long boarding. Skating has always been a passion of mine, but long boarding is a whole new take on the skateboard. I remember back in the day, fumbling around with a skateboard, trying to learn tricks and sometimes make them up myself. Skating ramps and grinding curbs and rails is fun, but lacks that essence of freedom and most importantly, speed. Rather than focusing on tricks, long boarding is basically going down a big hill really really fast. It may sound kind of simple, but its a bit more complicated than that. It involves carving down the hill, bending your body in the most aerodynamic shape, and sometimes even sliding around sharp corners. Long boards are built differently too. Obviously, they're longer than a normal skateboard. They are also thicker with wide trucks and bigger wheels for improved stability. The trucks are generally looser so you can carve smoothly down the hill, but not so loose that you get speed wobbles. The last thing you want is to crash face-first into the pavement traveling at speeds rivaling the cars on the same road. Long boarding can be dangerous, but it is fun and I definitely recommend trying it. There is a whole long boarding community and many skate companies make long boards such as Sector 9 shown above. I have a Sector 9 board and I am honestly in love with it. Boards are generally cheap and in my opinion, easier to ride than a normal skate deck. The bottom line is long boarding is pretty crucial. I love it and do it all the time. I think everyone should try it.