Buying the best – Longboards as gifts
First Time Buyer Mistakes
Many first-time buyers, especially parents, grandparents, or non-longboarders in general, often choose longboard gifts based on graphic design. That is, they find a nice image or some design that they think fits the user’s personality.
What is really important?
Well, while a good ride is important, the feel and performance of this longboard should always come first. So be careful. If you don’t want to be disappointed, you’ll have to do a little homework and do some poking around…
What are the popular brands and intended use?
If your longboarder is an experienced rider, you’ve already been given a make and model. Alternatively, maybe a list of components to buy. If not, however, your first task is to identify popular local brands. And I don’t mean looking at a department store. Some of the best known national brands are: Gold Coast Longboards, Sector 9, Loaded, Gravity, Comet, Arbor, Original or Never Summer, to name a few. So listen carefully to the talk in the neighborhood or at the kitchen table, and make a mental note if one of these names is mentioned.
If you’ve identified a particular brand, then you’re well on your way to choosing the “best longboard ever.” Now you need to identify your desired driving style. Will it be just transportation, downhill racing, a bit of slalom, or all of the above? This makes a huge difference, as each of the brands listed above has dozens of models that have been individually designed, component by component, to deliver the riding experience specific to the riders riding style and purpose.
Designed for Multi-Purpose Longboard.
To cut a long story short, let’s look for an all-purpose longboard that provides a new longboarder with the most versatility and riding pleasure. We will start by discussing the various components to include the deck, trucks, wheels, and bearings.
It starts with a well-designed deck.
The basic properties of a platform are: length, width, shape, flexibility, and truck mounting configuration. Although longboard sizes range from 32 inches to 60 inches, a good starting point would be around 40 inches. The width varies from 7 to 10 inches, but for now I would recommend a width of around 8.25 inches. For the overall shape I would recommend a pin tail (teardrop shape) with a kick tail (the tail of the board is slightly curved upwards). Stability is a factor when you are just learning. I would recommend, a medium flex using a top mount truck system instead of a lower to start. Board construction varies, but I’d stick with 5-7 ply with some camber and concave from edge to edge for better edge control. Lastly, this brings us to the subject of duct tape. For me, this might be where I would avoid the taped-up models and allow the new longboarder to apply their own to customize the look.
Buy “complete” when you buy your first longboard.
Now this part is easy, identifying the trucks, wheels and bearings. Once your longboarder finds his own riding style and activities, he’ll want to customize everything for himself. For now, he must buy “complete”. That is one that already has everything assembled. Each manufacturer has matched the size of the truck to the size of the bed and has taken into account the shape of the bed and overall flexibility. The wheels will also be compatible, usually using a softer wheel that allows for better grip and minimizes unplanned slippage. For bearings, if you see the word bone, then you have found a good industry standard to start with. However, keep it simple. Once you decide on a brand and the platform properties described above, choose any model that comes complete.
the end goal
The goal when trying to find the best longboard gift is to find one that provides a satisfying ride, is popular with friends, and gives the rider room to grow and experiment with the sport of longboarding. And now with this little information, you should have no problem reaching the goal.
