Longboard Buying Guide

There’s a lot more to longboards than meets the eye. Longboards come with different shapes, construction, features, and they’re designed for various riding styles.

Here at Twelve we like to break it down into the two most important aspects; riding style and deck shape. 

Longboard Deck Shape

Drop Through: On a drop though board, the trucks are mounted “through” the board, which effectively lowers the deck height by the thickness of the board. This increases stability and is great for beginners as well as experts. 

Top Mount: Top mount is the most traditional shape in longboards. The board is mounted above the trucks making the board higher off the ground and less stable. However, top mounts are great for carving and making tight turns

 

  • Pintail: Pintails are the most traditional shape in longboarding and are great for achieving that surfy feel on concrete.
  • Cruiser: Cruisers are typically a bit shorter in length with a kicktail and make great commuters. If you just want a board to get to and from the shops this is the board for you!

Riding Style

Cruising/Carving: Most riders fit into this category of riding. If you want to just from point A to point B, typically a long or short board will work for you. Find a board with a soft wheel that you feel comfortable on and you're golden.

Downhill: Downhill riding is all about bombing hills as fast you can. So typically you are going to want a lot of stability underneath your feet. A stiff flexing deck is perfect for this. Sliding is not uncommon either so make sure you have a great sliding wheel.

Freeride: Freeride longboarding means that you are riding hills with a fair amount of speed while styling it up with slides and curb hops. Many riders in this category will unique personal preferences when it comes their boards. 

Freestyle: It’s all about being creative, so you can pretty much ride whatever you want. This can involve anything from sliding and wanting a stiffer flexing deck or involve dancing and wanting a very large platform deck. 

 

Remember longboarding is a lot about personal preference, so don't overthink it and just get out there!