The art of longboarding is timeless. You could easily say that longboard surfing is a state of mind. An idealized state of mindfulness. It's the beginning and the end of wave riding.
If you look up the word in a surf dictionary, the result is not as exciting as it feels.
Longboarding. A board that is long, too long, or longer than a standard board. We were taught that bigger isn't necessarily better, but in this particular case, it might be.
Longboards are often called longboards only because shortboards appeared to take over during the infamous 1960s revolution.
When surf planks became smaller, the original longboard era entered the pages of surf history books.
However, there are more longboarders in the world than you might think. Some of them are not full-time loggers; they own a respectable quiver of two or more boards.
Believe it or not, there's more to surfing than below-six-foot beauties.
The 1990s kicked off the nostalgia period, and the classic longboard shapers started getting back to the old designs and pencil drawings.
Longboarding began its steady return into stardom, coolness, and style. Not to forget the savvy new uses in new kinds of ocean conditions.
And if you are one of those who like to get busy, chill out - there's a lot to do in the long deck.
Longboard Surfing: A Different Wave Riding Experience
Noseriding, tip riding, helicopters, cross-stepping, trimming, turning maneuvers, and tube riding. Is it enough to get you into longboarding?
The original riders used to say that the essence of longboarding is style. So, if you consider yourself a surfer, give it a go.
Enjoy a single-fin experience in waist-high summer seas. Get over 9'.
Here's why you should join the log-riding world:
- Wave-Catching Advantage Over Shortboards: You'll ride more waves than many others, but remember never to sit further out than your peers;
- Feeling What Duke Kahanamoku Used to Feel: The joy of traveling 100 yards in Waikiki with your eyes closed and just feeling the breeze on your tanned skin;
- The Unexpected Fun Factor in Small Waves: One-foot summer rollers? No problem. Your longboard will do enough;
- The Effortless Glide: Have you ever felt how the entire plank slides over the water? It's a heavenly feeling;
- The Perfect Comeback Board: Have you stopped surfing for a year? Getting back to the waves is definitely easy if you own a longboard;
- Longboards Are a Unique Tool for Beginner Friends and Family Members: Invite new surfers into the clan. A longboard will change their lives after a dozen of wipeouts;
- A Survival Alternative for Unjured Surfers: Have you had a problem with your shoulder? Do you feel pain in your back? You will catch waves effortlessly with a log;
- Getting Back to the Roots of Low-Performance Surfing: Call it retromania or just trimming. Forget tricks and maneuvers for a while. Immerse your soul in love;
- New Challenges in the Nose of the Board: There are complicated skills and tricks to be unlocked. Find your balance in new areas of the deck;
- Relax and Enjoy the Ride in Its Purest Form: Don't take surfing too seriously: take off, pop up, close your eyes, and fly down the line;
- Longboards Are Great for Older Surfers: It is never too late to learn how to surf. A longboard is a perfect pick for new veteran beginners;
Ready to explore longboard surfing in the movies?
Watch "Hang: The Manifest Destiny of the Longboard Cult," "Wordz: A Longboarding Lexicon," and "Longboard Habit... Surfing Without a Cure."
Looking for longboarding books?
Read "The Longboard Travel Guide: A Guide to the World's Best Longboarding Waves." "Longboarder's Start-Up: A Guide to Longboard Surfing," and "Surf's Up: Collecting the Longboard Era."