There is no doubt deciding on your first board can be a little daunting with the hundreds of different shapes, and styles of longboards out on the market these days. We here at Longboarder Labs understand and are here to help you out by answering some of the most asked questions by people of all ages that are just starting the sport.
When deciding on your first board it is never a bad idea to think about what kind of riding you would like to be getting into. Whether it is downhill, freeride, carving, or cruising there is a board out there for you, and this will also help us better help you. One of the first questions that we get, especially from some of the younger riders is “what is the best longboard?”
The reality is there is no “best” longboard. There are better options for your riding style, but what you should really be asking is “what would the best option be for me?” It all depends on where your interests in longboarding are. If you are planning on doing a lot of downhill or fast freeride, then traditionally you will want to find a board with more rigidity and concave to secure your feet in, while for carving or cruising you might want a bit more flex.
If you aren’t sure what kind of riding you want to be doing, we here at Longboarder Labs will do our best to set you up right. What we would suggest is gearing towards a more freeride set up. The reason being is that freeride set ups tend to have a little bit of everything (i.e. concave, kicks, and a variety in flex). This will give you the freedom to experiment with different ride disciplines whether it is downhill, freeride, board walking, or cruising.
The best way to find out what kind of riding you want to be doing is to simply experiment with different board shapes and set ups, and we will help guide you towards a set up to best suit your riding style.