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Skateboard vs Longboard: What’s The Difference?

Fact checked by Michael Derosier

Skateboard vs Longboard

What board is best for racing or cruising or for performing tricks? Find out between the skateboard and the longboard.

These boards are both used for the skateboarding experience. They seem similar but they have their own differences and advantages. To give you insights about skateboard vs longboard, we have rounded up some differences and similarities between both boards.

What Is a Skateboard?

A skateboard is similar to a surfboard and is usually constructed from wood. It is usually made of maple wood with 7 to 9 plies. It is narrow and short with four wheels.

This board became popular in the 1960s and is still trending nowadays. It has its origin in the 1950s in California.

It is used for riding, rolling, or performing stunts on the road by standing on it and propelling or pushing a foot on the ground. Skateboards have various sizes, designs, and colors.

A skateboard has three components, namely the deck or the board, the two trucks, and the four wheels. The average size of the skateboard deck is around 32 inches or 81.3 centimeters in length and 8 inches or 20.3 centimeters in width. It has 0.5 inches or 1.3 centimeter thickness.

What Is a Longboard?

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A longboard is a kind of skateboard that is longer than the typical skateboard. It is built from either maple, oak wood, bamboo, birch, or koa.

The longboard is best for cruising on the roads or beach or riding downhill, which is also known as longboarding. It is big in sizes too with about 33 inches to 59 inches or 84 to 150 centimeters in length. It has a width of 9 to 10 inches or 22.8 to 25.4 centimeters.

Longboards have various shapes. These include the flat-nose riders, pintails, drop-through decks, swallowtails, and drop decks. They also have decks similar in shape to the traditional skateboard.

The components of a longboard are the same as the skateboard. It has trucks, wheels, a deck, and grip tape.

The first longboards were constructed in the 1950s as a replacement for surfing. It became commercially available in the 1950s and continues today.

What Are the Main Differences Between Skateboards And Longboards?

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Skateboard and longboard are both used for rolling on the roads. But, they do have some main differences. Among them are the following:

1. Wheels

The wheels of longboards are big compared to skateboards. Also, they have softer wheels, which is appropriate for rough roads. Besides, having bigger wheels can speed up your board. However, with smaller wheels, you can perform tricks and stunts easily.

The size of the wheels of the longboard is around 2.6 inches to 4.2 inches or 65 to 107 millimeters in diameter. They are constructed from urethane.

Meanwhile, the size of skateboard wheels ranges from 1.89 inches to 3.35 inches or 48 millimeters to 85 millimeters in diameter. They are built from polyurethane, which is strong plastic.

2. Trucks

The trucks of skateboard and longboard have the same parts. These include the baseplate, hanger, axle, bushings, and kingpin.

However, just recently, the kingpin of the longboard is placed at a wider angle, around 38 degrees to 50 degrees to the board. This makes the deck turn to a greater degree. Also, some of the longboard kingpins face outward, which is a reversal of the skateboard kingpin.

With this greater degree of turn, the longboard truck is more flexible than the skateboard truck. This makes the longboard smoother and comfortable when riding on the roads.

On the other hand, the trucks of a skateboard are tough and strong. Hence, you can perform intense tricks or stunts with the skateboard.

3. Deck shape and size

The longboards are wider and longer than the skateboard. The wider the decks, the more they are stable. The skateboard has these curves that project upward at both tails of the board. Meanwhile, the longboard has different shapes mentioned above. The tail ends of the longboard are quite narrow, which is perfect for cruising.

Since the longboard is bigger, you can balance easily unlike using small skateboards. Also, if you have big feet, the longboard is ideal for you.

4. Best uses

The skateboards are best used for performing easy and advanced stunts and tricks. Meanwhile, the longboards are ideal for cruising on the roads or downhill.

With the small wheels and curve tails of the skateboard, you can easily do stunts and tricks. Because of the size of the longboard, bigger wheels and flexible trucks, you can comfortably cruise at long distances or race downhill.

Which Is Easier to Control?

So, which is easier to control? A longboard or a skateboard? I think this depends on the activities you are to do with your skateboard or longboard.

You might say that the longboard is easy and comfortable because of its big decks. You will have an easy ride with this board. Well, it’s true as the longboard is designed for smooth cruising at a greater speed on the roads and downhill. You will certainly have good control over your longboard while cruising or rolling.

Meanwhile, skateboards are designed for rolling in skate parks and doing kickflips or rail slides and other tricks. You can do this because you can maneuver your skateboard easily. You can perform intense tricks too with your skateboard and control it easily.

Which Board Are You Going to Choose?

Both skateboards and longboards are great for the skateboarding experience. If you are a beginner who is trying to balance yourself on the board, I recommend that you opt for the longboard.

This is because it has a wider deck that can make balancing easy. Also, it is good for the first time pushing and rolling because of its big wheels. And if you are using the board for cruising or racing downhill, the longboard is ideal for you. Also, it is made for long-distance rolling.

However, if you prefer doing many tricks and stunts or rolling in the skate park, the skateboard is perfect for you. Its size, shape, trucks, and wheels are designed specifically for these skateboard activities.

Besides, skateboards are very handy and portable and you can bring them anywhere you go. Next, I will discuss the prices of these boards. So, it also depends on your budget regarding which board you will choose.

Which Is More Expensive?

Longboards are costlier than skateboards. This is because of the bigger size of decks of longboards. Also, the bigger wheels and their materials are more expensive than the small wheels of the skateboard. The hardware and trucks of the longboard are of better quality than the skateboard too.

A good longboard may range from $150 to $250. Meanwhile, a good skateboard is priced around $90 to $150. You can also buy a skateboard for below $50.

The Bottom Line

Skateboarding or longboarding is a fun and exciting sport to do. Whatever board you choose, you will indeed have a good time.

On the other hand, for best use, you may choose which is ideal for you. This article on skateboard vs longboard can help you determine which board is suitable for you. Also, you can collect them both if you like and use them according to their best purposes.

Feel free to write down your suggestions or opinions about this topic in the comment box. We appreciate them very much. Our skateboarders are pleased to read them.

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