Cruising is the first thing that comes to the mind of many individuals when longboarding is mentioned. If you are planning to start with longboarding, you should get used to cruising around places within your locality.
Now, what is cruising? Cruising means riding correctly and professionally along the road, or around town from one place to another, or for pleasure. Cruising is open to everyone of all ages and genders. Longboard cruising can be referred to as every activity carried out during longboarding.
It is not attached to a particular freestyle, speed, or trick done during the ride. However, it should be noted that learning longboarding varies for different individuals. It depends on where and how you plan to ride the longboard. No matter the situation, there are four common styles of cruising the longboard. We have boardwalk riding, urban cruising, long-distance cruising, and flat-ground cruising.
Let’s quickly run through the basics of these four different cruising styles.
- Boardwalk cruising refers to the freestyle method of cruising the longboard. This is commonly done in beautiful environments like the park or beach. This type of cruising is a pleasure ride for relaxing and flexing the day. It can go alongside light exercises.
- Urban cruising: This type of cruising is done by riding around town. This type of cruising requires a different kind of longboard and special skills.
- Long-distance cruising can be considered long-distance cruising when you ride across town or campuses. This type of cruising may require enough speed and skill since the rider might want to get there on time and faster without much stress.
- Flat ground cruising: This type of cruising is quite different from other kinds of cruising. It is also referred to as carving on flat ground. It is more fun and requires more exceptional skills and unique boards. It has to do with riding on the board without pushing with the foot. It involves using powerful weight shifts to steer and make successful turns along the road.
Types of Longboard
We have listed the different common types of longboard cruising styles. However, it should be noted that specific longboards are made explicitly for different cruising styles. With the many kinds of boards, it might seem complicated for some individuals to find the best longboard for cruising. Only some boards will go well for skaters since longboard shapes and styles are available.
Selecting the best longboard for your style of cruising could be like going out to buy a perfect suit for yourself. This is because every suit is made to suit different occasions and different purposes. Note that once you know how you want to use your longboard, getting the right one for you should not be something to worry about.
Underline that there is no perfect longboard for every skater out there. Also, getting the right cruising tools will make the ride more fun. Some longboards are for dancing, carving, cruising, downhill, push, and freestyle. Some other ones are made as hybrids – meaning they are fit for two to three cruising styles. If you plan to purchase a board that is best for a single style or a hybrid for different styles, go for the best cheap longboard.
Final thoughts on longboarding
Whatever the style of cruising you are good at or the kind of longboard you are planning to get, always consider your safety and use the proper protective gadgets. Cruising could be riding at the beach, going on long-distance, fast or quick kicking, or making turns along a city pedestrian path. Get along with the style and board that will make cruising fun. If you are already an owner of a longboard, you could get it pimped up to make it match your riding style. As you ride along town or street alone or with your friends, do as much as to watch out for the safety of other people on the road to avoid crashing and getting unnecessary injuries. Enjoy your longboard cruising.