Longboard (Skateboard)

A longboard (English longboard, long board ' ) is a special type of skateboard. It is longer than the ordinary boards - usually it's between 90 and 150 inches long - and therefore has a greater axial distance ( wheel base). Furthermore, larger rollers ( wheels) mounted of softer polyurethane than normal, so that resulting from uneven ground shocks are absorbed better when longboard. Together with the extended center distance they thereby ensuring improved handling at higher speeds. Longboards are available in different versions for different driving techniques. Your driving characteristics can also be adjusted by changes in components to the individual needs of the driver.

Longboarding and other related thereto and in the past almost forgotten exercise forms of skateboarding (eg, downhill skating, slalom skating, freestyle skating ) are very successful in recent years, a new boom. The skating longboards has high growth rates, similar to the boom of the snowboard a few years ago, especially in the U.S., Canada and Switzerland.

• 6.1 slalomboard
• 6.2 Shlongboard / Mini Longboard
• 6.3 Cruiserboard

History

The first Longboarder were surfers who came up with the idea to mount roles among their boards and to experience the fun on the board and on the road. ( For this reason, similar Pintails ( unbalanced Longboards with a tip that is aligned to the front) as well as very surfboards. ) The sport that boomed initially strong, experienced a major setback and fell almost into oblivion. Fortunately, the young sport in Europe has been heavily promoted and developed individual disciplines such as Downhill. Great popularity enjoyed the sport at that time, especially in France, Switzerland and partly in Germany. Surprising the sport returned to the States and to Canada and enjoyed great popularity there and first longboard companies began to launch events in order also to promote competition in the sport. Were rewarded the winners with new products or prize money. In 1998, was a participant discipline at the X-Games Downhill '' stand-up skateboarding ''. The participants protect themselves with helmets that completely covered her face ( full-face ) and by resistant leather suits. In addition, the sides of the road were covered with hay bales, to avoid serious injury. Later, the boards were shortened, there were always more tricks added and from the longboarding, the ' skateboarding ' developed. Thus, the longboarding experienced a rebirth only a short time ago and was brought back to the cities and on the streets.

Material

The majority of the Board are horizontally or vertically laminated wood laminated (so-called VLAM ) bamboo. There also exist other VLAM combinations, such as aspen and mahogany.

As the outer layers are often used fiber reinforced polymer composites (FRP or CFRP ) are used. They decrease depending on the direction the torsion and / or bending.

Decks made ​​of maple wood are quite stiff and usually have little flex. The bamboo VLAM is used for both flexige and stiff decks. By design, it is however quite torsionsanfällig and is therefore preferably reinforced with correspondingly aligned fiber - reinforced polymer composites.

Flex

As Flex the integrity of the deck is referred to sag. With some manufacturers you can also select a Flex stage, wherein it is decided by weight or preference of the driver. Heavier boarders is a board delivered advise with less flex, lighter a board with more flex. Become boards with plenty of flex preferred, make sure that the cover does not bend to the sure points or travel to the ground. The flex of a shelf largely determines the application range of decks. Soft decks are more suitable for slower driving styles, whereas harder decks are more suitable for high-speed driving styles ( see Materials ). If you are cruising and carving is the effect that the deck is very resilient, highly desirable as it supports the cornering. The force acting on the board, does not evaporate completely, but is driven by the spring effect again.

Roll

Generally between the two different types of roles, the role Grip and Slide role, are distinguished in longboarding. A third role type is here still represents the Aqua This role has circumferentially milled grooves in the tread to prevent aquaplaning by Wassseraufnahme and grip to increase ( static friction ) on a wet surface.

The grip part is characterized in that it provides grip on the driving surface in the first place. Their range is primarily in the downhill and carving area. Even for fast cruising, it is well suited. The rollers are normally equipped with a smooth tread and are on the edge of a sharp edge to prevent slipping on the asphalt. You will be driven with a soft rubber compound, so that the role can dovetail with the road surface. This also reduces a slipping of the road surface. In addition, soft wheels have a shock absorber effect and dampen this way from small bumps. Grip roles tend to have a larger roller diameter (eg 78 mm ) and a wide tread.

The rather narrower, smaller and harder Slide role is not liable so heavily on the riding surface, thus it is easier and more controlled (because of less distance from static friction to sliding friction and less slip-stick ) sliden with her. The rollers have rounded edges and a textured tread. This makes it possible to let the board sliden long without losing control. Slide rollers with a harder rubber compound is chosen, which promotes the slipping on the ground.

For both types there are various mixed forms which favor different characteristics. The driver can adjust the setup to their individual preference and area of ​​operation.

One of the most commonly used hardness levels, the 80A dar. Soft wheels have numerically lower hardness levels from 73A, hard be prepared to Type 105A.

Driving techniques

The longboard is steered by shifting your weight of the driver in the inside of the curve. Tilting of the board causes turning in the axes, so that the axes are parallel to the radius of curvature. The pivot point of the axis is also called Pivot.

To control the speed used when longboarding so-called turns, Carves ( mutual give in the board on both edges, with the skaters similar to snowboarding in wavy lines moving down the slope ) and Slides ( movements in which the skater is transverse to the original direction of motion with all four rolling over the asphalt slips ).

Downhill

When downhill or speed boarding speeds of over 100 km / h can be achieved. The axes may, depending on the setting at high speed ( about 60 km / h) to snake ( " wobble " ) tend why Speed ​​Boards ( Downhill boards ) often have a lowered floor space. Thereby moves the pressure point, the driver exerts on the board, below the axis of the pivot point. To help the rider's weight to stabilize the board at higher speeds. Likewise, the center of gravity shifts downward, which manifests itself primarily through a more stable cornering. Another advantage of such a lowered board is that you do not bend as high as you push off the leg as in a higher board.

Sliden

As, Sliden '' refers to a special technique of speed reduction by the friction of the roll across the floor. To prevent, flatspot '', one should try the rollers when Sliden not align to 90 °. When Sliden with the longboard is not reaching the highest possible speed in the foreground, but the controlled slip that actually slide it " Turns" when shutting down an incline run. The suspension geometry of the sliding board is over normal Skateboard trucks often changed in favor of simplified stroke steering. Often also about the roles segments of the deck cut out ( " cutouts ") to grinding of the wheels on board ( " Wheelbite " ) and thus to avoid a sudden stop. For Sliden you need special gloves because you most Slides hands laying on the ground to relieve the board. Softer wheels are mainly used to achieve higher speeds and unfortunately suffer from a higher wear, but most ( the polyurethane equivalent) at one, smoothing heren '' Slide. Hard wheels roll faster, but tend to break in slides.

Carven

When carving is by means of tight bends ( " Turns" ) tries to control the speed on downhill grades. In contrast to the board but does not slip Sliden but moves along a line. This is particularly handy rolls and special axes that allow a tight turning radius allows. Often there is also a board with cutouts, is similar to the slider boards used because wheelbites can end dangerous because of the generally soft driven axes especially in fast carving.

Cruising

The so-called cruising describes simple, cozy drive around the neighborhood - it's possible with each board and does not require any special features on the board or the associated setup.

Dancing

Dancing has its origins in Boardwalking, a technique of surfing. It includes a plurality of current and rotating movements, which are performed on the moving board. These movements resemble a dance, which led to the naming of this discipline. Purpose-built for the Dancing Longboards, called Dancer who, usually a weaker concave than other boards, are very long ( 120cm in rough average) and often have extended ends (called " nose" on the front and " tail" of the back ) for better workability of tricks.

Long distance pumping

When Long distance pumping (LDP ) you put the longboard on flat roads long distances without setting foot on the ground. This is done by the transmission of dynamic body movements of the axes of the board. In a slalom or snake-like motion might be used to cope with even slightly upwards leading distances in ideal situations.

Freestyle

To Freestyle include several components of the individual driving techniques.

Hippie Jump

The " Hippie Jump" The driver tried to jump from his moving Longboard from a rod. The jump is considered to be stood when the rider lands after jumping on his longboard and can drive on. The current world record for the hippie jump on a skateboard holding Steffen Köster 1.33 m.

Variants

Slalomboard

The slalom board provides a special version of Longboards dar. Thus one speaks for lengths between 60 to 90 cm from a slalom board; beyond what is sufficient is known as longboard. Since it also arrives driving a slalom boards on maneuverability, cornering and speed, there is a certain association for longboarding. The Slalom boards are enjoying great popularity especially in urban and agglomeration residents because they are more maneuverable than longboards due to their shorter length and can be transported more.

Especially in Switzerland, a large slalom board scene has developed. The slalom boards can be driven faster than Street Boards ( boards, with which you do tricks ), on the other hand, they are an ideal means of transportation as a complement to public transport. In Switzerland, a global slalom and longboard industry has developed, which is also due to the fact that Switzerland by many mountains and slopes for downhill riding offers a very suitable terrain.

Shlongboard / Mini Longboard

In a Shlongboard or mini- longboard is a modified skateboard deck, in which the axes are set as far as possible to the outside in order to get the maximum wheelbase. The name is composed of "short" and "long". By installing of longboard wheels, one obtains an approximately longboard similar feeling when driving. The problem arises when the rolls while steering touching the deck ( " Wheelbite "). This can be remedied with cutouts in the deck.

Cruiserboard

Cruiser boards are similar in terms of driving characteristics more like a skateboard, but allow for higher speeds. The larger wheels improve the drivability on rough ground. Nevertheless, the Cruiser Board is one of the longboards.