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How To Apply Cruising Styles On A Longboard

If you are a longboarding beginner, cruising may come to your mind first because it’s straightforward to start. This is a common thinking of most people, but it shows that you haven’t thoroughly known about it.

So, what is the cruising longboard?

Cruising is a relaxed riding way. Riders will slowly ride down roads or through streets to enjoy the surroundings.

Cruising longboard is an accessible form to people at all ages and any level. But, depending on different people, how and where they want to ride, how to cruise on a longboard varies.

Best Longboarding Cruising

Specifically, there are four common cruising styles as follows:

  • Boardwalk riding
  • Long-distance cruising
  • Urban cruising
  • Flat ground carving

In this article, you will see these styles with related skills:

Boardwalk Cruising Style

What is Boardwalk Cruising?

What is boardwalk cruisingBoardwalk cruising is a leisure style which is applied in a great pleasant environment such as a park or beach. If you want to relax or enjoy a wonderful day while doing light exercise like biking or jogging, this is a great choice.

Which Type of Board Suits this Style?

Boardwalk cruising styleI strongly recommend a pintail longboard, which is good for relaxing.

Why?

The 40” or longer deck is so stable to stand on. Meanwhile, the flat deck without concave has moderate flex, which is ideal for riders to cruise easily because this flex provides you with comfortable rides and less stress on your joints. You should invest in large and soft wheels, having a great suspension feel.

The bigger your longboard is, the heavier its overall weight is. If you buy a longboard for boardwalk cruising, carrying it around may not be your purpose.

What are Boardwalk Cruising Techniques?

What are boardwalk cruising techniquesYou can apply for a laid back position while cruising on a park trail or along the beach because you easily balance on this large and stable deck.

Most of the big pintail longboards have more lean than turn, so pressing on the rails doesn’t cause your board to turn a lot. Because the board doesn’t react too much and turn fast, you can set your mind at rest to relax and enjoy around when riding.

The main techniques of the boardwalk cruising are foot braking, mellow pushing, and leaning for wide turns.

Compared to a small board, it’s always easier to push a large pintail. What you have to do is to lean forward to balance your body onto your front leg while drop your back foot to the ground to kick.

Cruising requires you to ride at a low speed to brake naturally by dragging the sole of your foot on the ground.

In case your cruising pintail turns slowly, you should lean a bit before turning.

It’s also crucial to keep a proper posture: your spine braced and your rib cage high.

Long-distance Cruising Style

What is Long-distance Cruising?

What is long-distance cruisingAs the name suggests, long-distance cruising means long-distance commuting. You may be across campus or across town with your longboard.

To perform this cruising, you need to have more speed and mileage with less effort to ride faster.

Which Type of Board Suits this Style?

Long-distance cruising styleIf you choose a very long deck (more than 42”), the huge opportunity is that it takes you longer to keep pushing with less effort.

Long-distance cruising style is excellent when you ride on a drop platform or a double drop with good stand-over length.

This board is not only very push-friendly but also stable, so you can cruise comfortably and safely on the longboard without worrying about falling.

Unlike more turnable classic pintails, the dropped platform has more lean than turn.

In sum, it’s best to choose a cruising longboard with excellent stability, lean, and slow turning.

When it comes to wheels, you had better invest in large ones (about 70-75m) for speed and soft ones for the absorption of shocks from holes, and bumps.

What’s more, some high-quality bearings like Bone Reds will help you maximize distance after each push.

What are Long-distance Techniques?

What are long-distance techniquesYou will look for a position where you can slightly tuck to reduce air resistance after pushing. But, make sure that the position is sustainable and comfortable without causing a significant amount of strain because you will cruise in a long time.

The right posture of the long-distance cruising is to stand up front, close to the nose of the extended deck. When putting most of your weight lying forward, you can control the balance and speed of the whole model better.

As I mentioned, power pushing plays a vital role in cruising a longboard in long distance.

To be successful, you have to balance well on the deck with your front foot at a slight angle or forward. Remember to keep your front knee bent to lower the gravity’s center. This way keeps your body stable while kicking the ground with your rear foot.

After practicing a few times, you will identify your optimal pushing range, how far your back foot should stay to contact with the ground, for example. Moreover, you can determine frequency, which is the time lapse between your successive pushes not to lose momentum.

Besides, you also feel how powerful you need to strike a balance and speed.

In some cases, you may be required to push uphill on a mild slope for better speed. This thing needs your more considerable effort as well as a higher level of fitness.

Urban Cruising Style

What is Urban Cruising?

What is urban cruisingIf you want to make a trip around the city with your longboard, it is urban cruising.

Which Type of Board Suits this Style?

Urban cruising styleThe city is chock-a-block with traffic, so it requires you to prepare a more agile and nimble longboard.

To quickly pass over people, vehicles, and obstacles on the city way, I recommend a short longboard (32” to 38”) and a tight turning radius. And a stiffer deck will provide you with more leverage in turns. That means that you can transmit road to road, cut street corners and ride along narrow sidewalks comfortably.

The primary feature of a short longboard is more lightweight, so it has excellent portability. Anytime you want to step out of the traffic, pick your board up and walk.

You can choose a product designed with a kicktail which helps you pass over the small obstacles, jump on and off of curbs. But, make sure that you have excellent riding skills.

Why?

This design lacks stability due to the short wheelbase.

Types of Longboards

What are Urban Cruising Techniques?

What are urban cruising techniquesThe city has full of small and large obstacles, so you are always in the can-do mood for anything. Try to keep your body in tension, and your knees flexed to make quick turns and tail kick anytime.

When cruising longboard in the city, it is obligatory you have to readjust your posture, your balance, and your body weight regularly, so you need to have good riding skills.

But, to be safe, it’s better to slowly ride in crowded areas, use your hands to signal when cruising on a sidewalk. Keep in mind to stay in your “lane” and leave space for pedestrians.

As I said earlier, cruising and enjoying around your city requires you have good skills such as quick turning, continuous pushing, small jumps, especially instant foot braking.

For instance, you have to use your back foot to kick the board tail for over bumps and pebbles lightly.

The Flat Ground Carving Style

What is flat ground carving cruising?

What is flat ground carving cruisingThe majority of people believe that carving is a riding form of its own without relating to cruising. But, now I will prove that it is a wonderful part of cruising longboard.

To experience this style, you don’t have to use your foot to push since your powerful weight shifts can make successive turns and impulsing energy.

Which Kind of Board Suits this Style?

The flat ground carving styleYou can experience flat ground carving cruising on any longboard, but I strongly recommend you use a model specifically designed for this purpose such as cruisers and shorter pintails.

And you should choose a model which can make quick turns. But, it’s not essential to look for something works as fast as a city mini cruiser.

If you want to turn as a smooth and pendulum-like flow, you may be interested in a small and midsize board with loose RKP trucks for deeper turns.

The deck designed with concave keeps your feet in place while swaying back and forth.

Top mount board can meet these requirements. It has soft square wheels for grip to make deeper turns.

What are Flat Ground Techniques?

What are flat ground techniquesYou ought to practice a wave-like body movement when turning to generate speed.

Carving cruising requires the good combination of full body rotation and weight shifting originating from your head to shoulders, hips, knees, ankles even toes, producing energy into the edge of your board while turning.

Identifying when you need to lower the center of your gravity and when you need to release as well contribute to turn successfully.

FAQs

Below are three common questions which I received from my readers. I guessed that you also would want to know:

Is Longboard Safe for Cruising?

You are safe if you comply with the rules. Thus, keeping up to date with traffic laws plays a vital role in saving your life.

Here are what you need to do

  • Follow all signs and signals.
  • Keep a watch on where you are riding.
  • Listen behind and to your sides.

What is the Best Brand of a Longboard?

There is a wide range of longboards available on the market. I am sure this is not a perfect answer for everyone.

Haha! Here is what you need

In my opinion, there are three must-try brands: Volador, Quest, and Ten Toes Board.

What is the Best Longboard for Beginners?

The best longboard for beginners is based on a lot of features such as your riding style, body weight, even budget. Therefore, you should compare some products available on the market to see which one can meet your requirements.

Is Longboard Easy to Ride?

The longboard is easier to ride than other types of skateboards because of the additional wheelbase, heft, and length.

Should You Wear a Helmet and Other Protective Things?

Yes, of course. Although some places don’t require these things, you should know that a small helmet can save your life. It’s best to wear other protective items such as elbow pads, knee pads, and gloves. In particular, pads are essential to young riders and beginners.

If you want to save and don’t mind the risk of falling off and incurring an injury, you can ride without them.

Here is the fact, there are a lot of riders of longboard who had bruises, scraps, even the bad cuts.

It’s Time to go Out for Cruising Longboard

Whether you are a beginner or a professional, there will be a suitable cruising style: boardwalk riding and long-distance cruising for newbies, urban cruising for well-skilled people, and flat ground carving for professionals. Let’s go out to enjoy your day with your longboard.

Did you have a pleasant experience? Please let me know by leaving your comment below. Also, you can share this informative article for other readers.

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