Longboarding – Five Tips For Beginners To Cruise With Style

Longboarding – Cruise With Style

Originally predominantly a phenomenon amongst long-haired teenagers with baggy pants, long boarding has long become a popular lifestyle activity across all different kinds of generations.  Cruising through the city on a warm summer day, the cool wind on your face and a relaxed tune in your ears does not only look pretty rad, it also feels great. So no matter whether it’s been a rough day at work or a relaxed Sunday afternoon, just jump on your board, turn off the stress for a while and just enjoy the freedom of surfing through the city on four wheels and a wave of summer vibes. 

So for all of you who have not tried longboarding yet, here are five useful tips to make your first cruise a total success:

1.    Finding the right Longboard

Finding the right equipment can be tricky if you don’t know what you have to pay attention to. First off, I’d say you should be able to find solid boards for beginners for a price ranging from 90 to 170 Euros. Things you should discuss with your local expert are material, workmanship, ball bearings and of course the axes. Also ideally a good beginner board is especially robust. Last but not least, for the start, you might find it easier to not calibrate the axes of your board to sensitively.

2.    Dry run:

I definitely recommend to take your first few rounds on the board on a flat and wide underground with as few obstacles as possible. It is important to get a feeling for your board and the best place to do so is in a safe environment. However, this definitely does not have to be boring at all. For instance I still love cruising around on the top level of parking garages. They usually offer spectacular views and you are usually all by yourself. 

3.    Basic Techniques:

Before you hit the road, you should learn the basic techniques, i.e. accelerate, change directions and brake. To gain pace, place one foot on the board just behind the front axis. Then, bend forward a bit and start pushing with the other foot. Once you’re in motion you can change directions by leaning backwards and forwards, thereby moving your bodyweight from one side to the other. However, keep in mind, the trickiest part is to keep your balance. My tip is to slightly bend your knees, so you have a relaxed yet firm footing on the board. Ultimately, to slow down, you have to take the back foot off the board and carefully put your sole on the ground besides the board. But keep in mind, the heavier the pressure of your foot on the ground, the stronger the braking effect.  

4.   Wear the right Shoes

The best kind of shoes you can wear for longboarding or skating in general are flat sneakers with a rubber sole. My favorite boarding shoes are the Old Skool models from Vans. Not only do they represent the origins of skateboarding culture, they also look awesome and offer the perfect form and sole for longboarding. 

5.   Your Longboard-Look:

Once you know how to handle your gear, of course you also want your style to leave a good impression when cruising on the streets of your hometown. However, the main requirement for a good longboarding style is, it has to be comfortable. Thus I recommend wearing a loosely fitting and relaxed outfit. For instance take some comfortably fitting ripped jeans and pair them with a slightly oversized Hawaiian Shirt. To gain more versatility, wear a tank underneath so you can take off the shirt if you get hot or just want to show off your guns. Last but not least, in order for you to really consider yourself a proper longboarder, rock a fresh cap, some nice vintage sunnies. 

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Shop the Look

Ripped Jeans – Neuw Denim
Tee – Barney Cools
Hawaiian Shirt – H&M
Cap – Barney Cools
Shoes – ETQ Amsterdam