Skateboards offer a lot of variety. They vary with respect to length, width, wheel mechanisms and board flexibility. Longboards offer benefits not typically associated with conventional skateboards. Essentially, a longboard is a skateboard that is longer than usual. This added length opens up many possibilities in skateboarding.
Length
There are no official standards for the length of a longboard. The specifications vary between skateboard retailers and can be quite subjective. Dick's Sporting Goods, for example, considers any skateboard over 35 inches to be a longboard. Another company, Daddies Board Shop, suggests that longboard lengths typically range between 42 inches and 46 inches. Whether a skateboard's size classifies it as a longboard is often a matter of personal opinion. However, skateboards on the outer extremes of this range, near 46 inches, are undeniably longboards.
Wheels
Just as there are no standards in longboard lengths, the sizes of longboard wheels also vary. Due to the larger size and weight of a longboard, the wheels are typically larger to stabilize this size. Standard skateboard wheels have a diameter between 50 mm and 60 mm. But the diameter of a longboard wheel is usually more than 60 mm, with some reaching 70 mm.
Purpose
Longboards are not as agile as smaller skateboards. Thus they offer fewer opportunities for tricks and are not as popular at skateboard parks. Instead, a longboard excels at cruising. The size and stability of a longboard is well suited to fast riding down hills and through countrysides. It can be an acceptable form of transportation for some skateboarders.
Surfing
Skateboarding is easily compared to surfing, another sport based on riding a board. Longboards more resemble surfboards due to their size. Some longboards reach lengths of nearly 60 inches and give the rider access to surfing techniques while on land. This is a major benefit of longboard sizes over conventional skateboards.
Turn Radius
The size of a longboard affects how easily you can turn the board while riding. Shorter boards under 40 inches have a tighter turn radius. This is better for street skating and riding in skateboard parks. Particularly long longboards over 50 inches are very difficult to turn sharply. They are not suited to sidewalk riding, where you must make quick 90-degree turns at street corners.
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