What is the Difference Between a Skateboard and a Longboard? How to Pick the RIGHT one for YOU & Get Rolling!

If you are completely new to the world of skateboarding you might be wondering what is the difference between a longboard and a skateboard? Aren’t they ALL skateboards? Well not exactly! Skateboards & longboards come in different shapes, sizes & designs depending on what they are going to be used for.

So, what is the difference between longboard and skateboard? And which one should you buy? We’ll go over the differences in detail so you can make the best decision.

What is a Longboard and how is it used?

A longboard is simply a skateboard that is longer and wider. Longboards are best suited for cruising/surfing, land paddle boarding, downhill racing, longboard dancing & commuting to school/work. They are NOT well suited for tricks at the local skatepark!

They can be anywhere between 36 inches to a whopping 60 inches long! To put it in perspective…a skateboard is usually 29 to 35 inches long. A longboard is also wider than a skateboard which is one of the reasons it tends to be more stable.

Longboards have wider trucks that are angled differently than skateboards. Most skateboard trucks are attached to the board at a 90 degree angle. Longboard trucks can be anywhere from 30 degrees all the way up to 110 degrees.

Instead of the smaller, harder wheels of a skateboard you’ll find that longboards have large, soft, grippy wheels. Bigger wheels mean that the skater can travel further with each push than they could with a skateboard. Softer wheels absorb the shock of bumps, cracks & rocks you may encounter on your commute or cruise which makes longboarding super comfy over long distances.

Longboards are heavier than skateboards which means they aren’t ideal to carry around like a skateboard but not so heavy that you can’t easily carry them from place to place.

Cruising on a longboard is the closest you’ll come to the feel & pure joy of surfing on land. It’s a relaxing way to get some solid exercise & change up your daily routine.

Longboarding is gaining in popularity and it’s not hard to see why! It combines the best of skateboarding & surfing all into one life changing ride.

Longboard Pros:

– Comfortable ride & very stable over cracks, rocks & bumps so their great for beginners.

– Faster. Excellent for cruising/commuting over long distances without tiring out quickly.

– You can longboard almost anywhere there is concrete or pavement. No skateparks, ramps or extra equipment required.

– A solid workout for those looking to change up their routine.

– Components last much longer because longboards aren’t seeing the same wear and tear that skateboards are on the streets & at the skatepark.

Longboard Cons:

– Not ideal for tricks & skateparks (if you want to do skatepark tricks stick with skateboarding). There are some tricks you can do on a longboard (just do a youtube search) but it’s somewhat limited.

-Heavier board that isn’t easy to carry around & travel with.

-Longboards are usually more expensive than skateboards ($150-$225 price range).

My favorite longboards:

I’ve been using two solid brands over recent history that have not let me down- Santa Cruz & Sector 9. Check out Santa Cruz Longboards on Amazon for low to mid range priced longboards with quality components. If you’re ready to commit to the highest quality, attention to detail components that will stand the test of time I can’t recommend Sector 9 Longboards enough. Sector 9 comes in at the higher end of the price scale but you get what you pay for.

Want to learn more details about how to get started in longboarding? Check out my Longboarding for Beginners post which includes step by step videos & tips to help you get rolling ASAP!

What is a skateboard and how is it used?

Skateboards are shorter and more narrow than longboards. They are usually shaped like popsicle sticks (rounded at both ends) but some designs have one rounded end and one flat end.

Skateboards are best suited for skateboarding around skate parks, skate boarding tricks and stunts. They are built & designed to handle rough & tumble skate park riding.

The skateboard deck & trucks are more narrow than longboard decks & trucks. This creates a smaller turning radius & makes skateboards ideal for skate park tricks.

Skateboards have harder, smaller wheels than longboards so they don’t absorb much of the shock when you come into contact with cracks & rocks in the sidewalk or roads. The wheels have less grip but this can be a good thing at the skatepark.

Those tiny wheels also mean that you won’t get as much distance out of each push…but it’s not really necessary if you’re hanging out at the local skatepark.

Skateboarding can be seen as an “extreme” sport because it involves performing tricks on ramps and doing ollies off kickers (small hills). It’s much more exciting than cruising but it also requires a lot more energy, balance & patience.

Skateboard Pros:

– Skateboards are ideal for skateboarding tricks, skate boarding around skate parks and skate boarding stunts. They have a smaller turning radius & it’s easier to control your board at high speeds.

– Skateboards are lightweight and can be carried almost anywhere so you can skate nearly everywhere skateboarding is allowed.

-High intensity, solid workout.

-Great way to meet new people (at the skatepark).

– Skateboards are much cheaper than longboards. ($125-$175 price range)

Skateboard Cons:

-Not ideal for long distance commuting and they aren’t super comfortable rolling over bumps, cracks & rocks.

-Skateboarders need a skatepark, ramps or street obstacles to really enjoy skateboarding. This isn’t always available to every skater.

-You have to spend a lot of time skateboarding before you can really get good at it. It can take years to be proficient with tricks, dropping into pools, grinding rails etc. If you want to learn the basics fast it might be best to start with a longboard and practice skateboarding on the side.

My favorite Skateboards:

I’ve been using two solid brands over the last ten years that have not let me down- Santa Cruz & Sector 9. Check out Santa Cruz Skateboards on Amazon for low to mid range priced skateboards with quality components. If you’re ready to commit to the highest quality, attention to detail components that will stand the test of time I can’t recommend Sector 9 Skateboards enough. Sector 9 comes in at the higher end on the price scale but the components & attention to detail are unequalled in my opion.

Ready to start skateboarding? Check out my How to Start Skateboarding post which includes step by step videos & tips to help you get rolling ASAP!

When I’m asked to describe the differences between a skateboard and a longboard in laymen’s terms I like to say that my skateboard is like a Porsche 911. It’s small, lightweight, rigid and built for performance & cornering.

A longboard is more like a Cadillac Escalade. It’s designed for long, comfortable road trips on the open road.

Is it easier to skateboard or longboard?

I think most skaters who have done both skateboarding and longboarding will tell you that longboarding is easier for beginners to learn because a longboard is wider, longer and more stable. A longboard is all around easier to balance on which makes skateboarding on a skateboard feel a tad more difficult than longboarding.

You’ll still be able to skateboard even if you’re just starting out but it’s not as comfortable as longboarding which is why I think skateboards were invented first! I think skateboarding can be much more fun than cruising so once you master longboarding, the next step might be to try out a skateboard!

Which is better longboards or skateboards?

One isn’t necessarily better than the other…longboards and skateboards are used for completely different styles of skating. You have to ask yourself how YOU want to skate and pick the right one for you.

Choose a longboard if you want to go for long cruises with friends, bomb hills at high speeds, take up land paddle boarding or commute to work or school.

Choose a skateboard if you want to start learning tricks on the street or at the skatepark.

Which is safer longboards or skateboards?

Longboards are far and away the safest option because of the balance and stability. And let’s be honest….you won’t be doing too many dangerous tricks with a longboard.

Skateboarding is a relatively safe sport when you wear protective equipment so I don’t want to discourage anyone from trying it. There is increased risk from injury so if that is a personal concern for you then definitely stick with longboarding.

Which is faster longboards or skateboards?

To put it in simple terms…if a longboarder and a skateboarder were in a race against each other over a reasonable distance (say 1/4 of a mile)- the longboarder would win. If the distance was say 100 ft the skateboarder might win and here’s why…

Longboards were built for speed and covering long distances more quickly than a skateboard. Those big, beefy wheels allow the skater to get more distance and velocity out of every push. Longboards do not accelerate quickly off the line but when they do get up to speed the skateboarder in the race wouldn’t keep up.

Skateboards can accelerate off the line more quickly than longboards but won’t be able to keep that speed up over long distances because the skater has to constantly be pushing to maintain that speed. Chances are the skateboarder will tire out before the race is over.

Overall, longboards are faster than skateboards and they’re use for high speed applications (like downhill racing) because the components and wheels are designed to handle high speeds. Skateboards have a dangerous “wobble” at high speeds that can throw the rider off easily (so no hill bombing with your skateboard mmmkay?).

Which is easier to learn longboards or skateboards?

Longboards are really much easier to learn on and become proficient in the basics of skating. It then becomes easier to move on to longboard sub-sports like longboard dancing, longboard paddle boarding, downhill racing & some easy tricks. Unfortunately, it can take years to become proficient at street, vertical or skatepark style riding on a skateboard. If it was me starting all over again I’d start out on a longboard and work on skateboard tricks in my free time.

The History of Skateboarding

Homemade, DIY skateboards have been around for many decades but skateboarding really started to take off in the 1950s-1960s with the mass manufacture of skateboards.

Skateboarding was born within the surfing community in Australia in the mid-1950s & skateboarding culture started to spread from there. Many skateboards at this time were just pieces of plywood with roller skate wheels attached.

The skateboard was created by wave surfers as something do to when there were no waves to surf…but when skateboarding began to spread far and wide, companies began designing skateboards specifically for skateboarding rather than attaching roller skate wheels and calling it a day.

In 1960 Larry Stevenson created the skateboard we all know today…the kicktail skateboard. Up until this point you couldn’t do tricks because there was no nose or tail on which you could balance on.

The first skateboarders rode down DIY wooden ramps & homemade jumps made out of piles of dirt and wooden boxes.

In the early 1970s skateboarding became so popular that skate parks started to appear in California. At this time skateboarders were looking for a way to skate indoors during cold winter months and what better way to do it than at a skate park with a huge, smooth concrete surface?

Skateparks evolved from empty swimming pools that skateboarders would ride around & create their own ramps in. In 1975 an empty swimming pool was turned into a DIY skatepark called Skateboard USA…this is considered by many historians as the first ever skate park.

The history of longboarding

Longboards have been around for several decades but their popularity and mass production has significantly increased over last 10-15 years.

The skateboard was initially designed as a shorter, skatepark specific board but it eventually evolved into the street style skateboarding we know today. The skateboard truck became larger and stronger to handle higher speeds & rougher roads while the wheels became larger for more stability at high speeds.

Skateboarding quickly became an extreme sport which required rails, ramps & pools to perform tricks on. This led skateboarders to try their luck with longer boards, bigger trucks & even bigger wheels because they could ride them comfortably to more distant locations.

Many skateboard companies started designing longboards specifically for cruising around the neighborhood or city because of this demand.

I hope that you can clearly discern what is the difference between a skateboard and a longboard and have a little history in your back pocket going forward! If you’re still having trouble deciding on a skateboard or a longboard list out all the things you want to do with your board and go from there. Maybe you need both!?!?