We all know a skateboard when we see one and depending on your view of the sport it's either love or hate at first sight. Skateboarding can often be a socially divisive topic these days. The sport often gets a bad wrap due to it's portrayal as a hardcore counter-culture lifestyle. Like any sport, there will always be good and bad elements that serve to sway the overall sport's perception. Well, perhaps not all skateboards are created equal. The skateboarding subculture has been with us for so long now that it has spawned subcultures of its own. One of these subsections of the skate world is fast becoming a popular sport in its own right. Longboarding and the longboards that are the origin of the name are essentially exactly what they sound like, long boards. The resemblance to the mainstream skateboard is unmistakable, but once you get passed the visual similarities you quickly uncover a sport that differs greatly in its overall approach and attitude

Longboarding is a sport for a very different temperament of rider. This niche area of skateboarding attracts a more laid back and soulful approach to the art of skateboarding. The design of the longboard aims to provide the rider with a much more fluid, fast and flowing experience than your more traditional skateboard design. You are not likely to come across a longboarder grinding rails at the local skate park. The habitat of the longboarder is more likely to be smooth tarmac and winding descents that closely resemble the carving flow of alpine snowboarding.

The longboard is designed as a lengthened version of the typical skateboard from a variety or materials that often give the deck of the board a degree of "flex". The wheels and trucks used with the longboard assembly generally contribute to the speed and carving qualities of the longboard's ride characteristics. Many of the leading longboard designs on the market today have the essence of skateboarding's past reflected in their appearance. While the materials and underlying approach to the designs are thoroughly modern, there is often a retro 70's character to the shape. This reference to the past is almost a nostalgic link to the simple, uncomplicated beginnings of skateboarding that drew a lot of it's inspiration from the Californian surf culture. Since then, mainstream skateboarding has become a money sport and often an expression of rebellion in many instances. Longboarding offers riders an alternative to the "hardcore skate punk" scene and let's them explore the simple pleasures of carve, speed, coast and flow.

The culture of longboarding is as distinct as the longboard design. At the risk of generalization, the typical longboarder is often a little older than the kids at the neighborhood skate park. His or her approach to the sport is more laid back and not so "in your face". That is not to say they don't feel strongly about the sport they love, but part of the general approach to longboarding is a much more soulful and thoughtful sensibility toward skating. Unlike typical "freestyle" skaters, you may not even notice the average longboarder as he/she glides by on a much quieter and more purposefully designed board. Longboarders love to share their passion with other longboarders, but due to the overall approach and culture of the sport, this rarely results in anything like a noisy "skate gang". Longboarders will often organize skate events that will see dozens of riders flow through the streets and parks of their hometown, simply to share the enjoyment and freedom that a longboard provides so well.

Longboards offer a great range of benefits for anyone who chooses to take up the sport. The low impact nature of longboarding provides a fun way to get out in the air and build up cardio and muscle conditioning. If you are an avid snowboarder, you can get that quick carving fix that is so sorely missed in the off season. As a means of transport, longboards are a handy way to cut a walking commute time down and make the dull trip to and from work a little more interesting. Whatever reasons you can think up to give longboarding a try, the result will be participation in a fun and well developed sport that gives you instant membership to a community full of passion and enthusiasm.

To learn a little more about longboards and the longboarding community, I have included some links below that will give you some insight into the various longboard designs on offer and a glimpse into the growing longboarding culture.

Longboard Manufacturers

Lush Longboards

Sector Nine Longboards

LandYahtz Longboards

Longboard Community Sites

Toronto Longboarders

Northern California Downhill Skateboarding Association (Longboarding)

Silverfish Longboarding

Ontario Longboarding Forum

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