Pulling the pieces together

Longboard types : pulling the pieces together

Now that we’ve looked in some detail at key differentiating aspects of longboard builds, let’s see how this adds up for each longboard type, that is, for each riding style.

Cruiser longboard type

cruiser board types will typically have a maple or bamboo directional deck with a bit of flex for shock absorption.  They may have a drop deck for stability and easy pushing / foot braking, and possibly a drop-through mount (not so common).  They often have soft big wheels for good grip and easy rolling over cracks and bumps.

A subtype of cruisers is so-called “push boards”, specifically designed for long distance transportation.  They typically feature double drop decks and midsize wheels.  They are not designed for turning, mainly for riding down the line on flat ground. More about choosing the best longboard for commuting here.

Carving longboard types

Carver boards are similar to cruisers but with additional features to enable hard leaning into sharp turns and flowing (like on a snowboard).  The deck is usually mounted higher to allow for more responsive turns.  It has more concave than cruisers, and often has wheel wells to avoid wheel bite during sharp turns. Trucks are set up to turn more aggressively, and the wheels are very soft for grip. Read about surf skateboards here.

Freeride longboard type

Freeride type longboards come in diverse shapes and sizes, some symmetrical (most common) and some directional, with drop-through decks (most common), double drop, or even top mount – basically every option is possible !  Decks usually have less flex (not good for speed). The wheels are smaller and harder for sliding. These longboards have different degrees of concave and/or camber to offer riders a more secure foot position. More about freeride boards.

Freestyle / dance longboard type

Freestyle boards are similar to freeride boards but allow for more technical tricks. They are predominantly symmetrical.  The decks are more flexible (not speed focused) and often wider to facilitate tricks.  Mount type is typically drop-through, and they usually have one or two kicktails.  Freestyle boards use many different types of wheels and trucks. Read more about choosing the best freestyle longboard here.

Dance type longboards are often very long (42” +) and wide to allow spinning around and walking.  They are mostly flat with slight camber or concave. Decks have moderate flex. Read about the top 5 dancing longboards.

Downhill longboard type

These are on the technical end, many of them with high-end composite-based (fiberglass) decks that don’t wobble as much at high speed.  The boards are typically top mounted for control and stronger turning, although some boards are built with drop-through mount with stiffer decks.  These boards often have advanced W concave and deep rocker for comfort and security. They use very hard wheels for grip and sliding at speed.

The table below summarizes the most commonly elements for each type of longboard :