Types of skateboards (shortboards, cruisers, longboards)
Let’s start with a theory, and figure out what it is, where it came from and how they differ from each other.
Minicruisers are the best option for beginners
Minicruisers (22–32 “shortboards) are ideal for beginner riders. The deck of a classic cruise board has a directional shape. The shape of the fish symbolically keeps the memory of the first riders who discovered cruising in the distant 1970s. These were surfers who, in anticipation of the “right wave”, began to cut on boards along the city streets.
Since then, technology has leaped forward. Cruisers now have large and soft polyurethane wheels that provide good roll and stability. Thanks to the materials revolution, not only reckless teenagers and seasoned surfers were able to stand on the board, but also ordinary people ready to experiment.
By the way, surfing is still a guiding star for cruiser manufacturers. A novelty of recent years — surf skate allows you to maintain speed, minimizing the number of bumps from the asphalt. The board rides itself for a long time thanks to pumping — the transfer of weight from toe to heel. It really looks more like sliding on water, because you don’t need to kick off as often to move as on a regular longboard.
In all fairness, it’s not a particular board or deck, but a pivoting spring suspension. The glory of her invention belongs to the California brand Carver. The company now manufactures Carver C7 and Carver CX surfboards. The competitor Surfskate has this suspension called the Swell Tech. You can buy a S7 suspension, for example, for 11 thousand rubles, saving on a complete set of surfboards from Longboardpro.com
Longboards: types of boards and riding styles
Of course, huge boards attract attention in any board shop. It’s like a bass balalaika in an orchestra: it’s always curious what such a thing is capable of. Longboards several meters long owe their appearance to the same surfing. They allow you to lay wide arcs and glide smoothly on the asphalt.
Nice but impractical! It is difficult to operate a long board, therefore boards from 40 inches dominate in the niche directions of longboarding (downhill — downhill, dancing — the so-called artistic skating with tricks).
The key difference between a skateboard and a longboard is not even the length, but the size of the wheels. On a skateboard, the wheels are small and stiff — good for tricks, but awkward for pushing.
Longboards with 38–42 “decks are a compromise option. Designed for freeriding, these longboards allow for kickflips, ollies, stair jumping and other skateboarding elements. Freeride longboards often have a symmetrical twin tip, as their strong point is spinning.
Penny is the most popular board for city skiing
Not ready for falls and ripped knees? Never stood on a skateboard or even snowboard before? Then freeride boards are definitely not your option. Going back to minicruisers or looking closely at Penny.
The legendary Australian “fish” is another powerful class of longboards, despite its diminutive dimensions (the most popular are 22, 27 or 32 inches).
A distinctive feature of the brand is plastic, or rather vinyl decks in a cheerful range. According to corporate legend, brand founder Ben McCain has spent years trying to create the perfect wood deck model. At some point, experiments in the garage came to a standstill, but then the inventor remembered his first skateboard, which his father gave him. This indestructible board was made of plastic! So Ben McCain switched to a new material, came up with a unique secret composition and convinced the whole world that a plastic deck was cool.
Indeed, plastic is not afraid of anything — neither dirt, nor water, nor the rider’s frivolous attitude towards care and repair. Light weight and diminutive dimensions have made Penny perhaps the favorite board among residents of megacities.
Rollersurf (waveboard): what is it and how to choose?
The two-wheeled skateboard, or rollersurf (aka waveboard) is a relatively recent invention. It appeared in 2007, and entered the Russian market in the 2010s. Waveboard company Razor, of course, was also inspired by surfing and in their search for the ideal, they dropped the classic longboard construction.
Rollersurf, as a rule, is made of plastic, it has only two wheels, and the only way to set the projectile in motion is pumping, that is, transferring body weight. The leading leg and the hind leg stand on two mobile platforms, interconnected by a movable element: so you move them at the right pace, without touching the ground! This undulating movement can continue for as long as you like, if, of course, the owner of the rollersurf is sufficiently well trained.
The rollersurf is also distinguished by its high maneuverability and ability to turn with a small radius — thanks to a special suspension.
When choosing a rollersurf, it is important to pay attention to the moving element between the two platforms (torsion bar, torsion spring). Its quality depends … 90% of the comfort and safety of your riding.
Rollersurfing is not an easy job that involves the whole body of a skater. And then either the torsion element works “for you”, or slows down the movement! Manufacturers continue to experiment with functionality: there are roller-surf harnesses that provide 360-degree rotation, and those that, on the contrary, limit the rotation angle for performing tricks.
“Respectable” electric skate, or When the board rides itself
The demand for portable urban transport could not go unnoticed by the manufacturers. If our streets already have hoverboards, segways and electric scooters, why not make a board with a motor?
The electric skate allows you to be mobile, but it is not associated with teenage recklessness. The advantage of an electric skateboard over an electric scooter is minimalism. A solid scooter is heavy and takes up the hands, but any board gives an incomparable feeling of freedom. If you get used to it, you can playfully drive onto the curbs, which you cannot do, for example, on a segway.
As a rule, an electric skateboard has several speed modes, the maximum speed does not exceed 25 km / h. The board is controlled using the remote control, and if the gadget is discharged, you can ride in normal mode.
Disadvantages of an electric board: you cannot ride in rainy weather (as on all skateboards), dependence on charging, high price (up to 200 thousand rubles). In models cheaper skate than 10 thousand rubles, it is very likely that there will be weak electronics and modest power. Whether a three-hour charge is worth 30 minutes of riding is up to you.
