Is Longboarding Safer Than Skateboarding?

If you’re thinking about taking up skateboarding, you might be concerned about your safety. It isn’t always a risky sport; however, skateboarding is riskier than other sports. So, is longboarding safer than skateboarding?

Check out the post below to find out the answer to this question!

Is Longboarding Safer Than Skateboarding?
Is Longboarding Safer Than Skateboarding?

Is Longboarding Safer Than Skateboarding?

According to a report from LiveScience, skateboarders who utilize a longboard are more likely to have severe injuries than conventional skateboarders.

Skateboarders prefer to ride in skate parks, parking lots, and open-air parking lots. On the other hand, long-distance riders enjoy the wider, hazardous routes.

When skating on the road, skaters are at risk of being hit by a car, falling off a longboard, and losing control of their speed.

Skaters also like doing a range of stunts, demonstrating various abilities, performing tricks, and attempting to achieve the greatest and quickest speed possible. So, they are more vulnerable to injury.

Riding on a longboat quickly makes people feel at ease and secure. As a result, they are unaware of their speed and are unable to stop correctly.

Helmets aren’t even popular among skateboarders. In the case of an injury, this aggravates the situation.

Is Cruising On A Longboard Safe?

Skateboarding should be rather safe for you if you plan on primarily riding casually on the flat or gently sloping ground along with a mine or in a park. Almost no one has ever been hurt while riding this method.

You may run into a little pebble or fracture in the pavement, which will send you flying off the board. It can happen several times a year for the average skater.

If you are fit and attentive enough at this low speed, you can just run and avoid falling.

Is Longboard Dancing Safe?

Dancing on a longboard
Dancing on a longboard

Longboard dancing entails walking and cross-stepping on a moving longboard, making body-twisting movements while keeping the board spinning and slashing on a smooth surface.

Dancing is a skilled sport that does not require a lot of speed. So, you won’t slide, strike the pole, or break your leg if you take a dance class at a leisurely tempo.

If you make a poor weight shift, you may go from standing to kissing the ground with the back of your neck in approximately a tenth of a second.

Muscle and ligament injuries, as well as sprains and strains around the foot, shins, and ankles, are the most common problems associated with this riding technique.

Is Longboarding Safe For Long Distances?

Long-distance travel frequently entails wide road access, so you must be cautious on the road.

When you fall and hit the pavement, wearing a helmet and guards can help you avoid catastrophic injury. You can also wear light-colored clothing and a helmet so that cars can see you at all times.

To keep your board safe on extended excursions, you must first be able to stop promptly and reliably. Practice braking until you are a pro before entering traffic for the first time.

Another crucial point to remember in traffic is to stay in your lane and anticipate what other drivers may do.

Use the bike lane if one exists; nonetheless, you should exercise caution and be prepared to stop at any time.

All of these factors will significantly impact how safe longboarding is for you.

Is Freeride Longboarding Safe?

Freeride longboarding
Freeride longboarding

Freeriding is a difficult obstacle to overcome. Speed, drift and turns all play a role here.

Although it is not as rapid as downhill, it can still cause serious injury. To avoid moving too quickly, you must learn to moderate your speed.

You can easily fly out while skating if you miss your mark, don’t push the board firmly enough to the side, push too hard, or miscalculate how much weight you need to place on the board’s rails.

A solid helmet, thick gloves for sliding and drifting, and knee and elbow protectors are all recommended.

For further information on how to stop your longboard, see this video:

Is Longboard Downhill Safe?

The fastest and riskiest way to travel vast distances is downhill. It has the potential to cause serious injury.

For severe training sessions, you should use a full-face helmet, total-body holster, and back protector to avoid this. To slip your hands down before high fast spins, you’ll need robust gliding gloves.

Using this safety equipment can lower your chance of harm and hazard.

In most situations, if you participate in organized races, the event will be well-planned, with roads closed and emergency plans in place.

If you’re going for a speed ride with pals, wear a watch around the corners to alert you if a car is approaching.

Downhill longboarding in high speed
Downhill longboarding in high speed

What Are The Safety Precautions?

Take the following safety precautions if you want to have a great skateboarding experience with your boards:

  • To be safe, wear a helmet. You should choose a helmet developed exclusively for skaters.
  • Knee and elbow protection, wrist guards, gloves, and flat shoes are all recommended.
  • Before you embark on your lengthy journey, inspect the hardware and wheels to ensure that they are in good working order and safe.
  • You should not ride in very low light or very calm areas.
  • On the road, watch out for potholes, pebbles, and bumps.
  • Driving long distances while under drugs or alcohol is never a good idea.
  • Sledding should not be done on handmade ramps.
  • To begin, practice on flat surfaces or lines.
  • Avoid cycling in congested streets.
  • If possible, visit a local skate park. The safety of the ramps at certain locations is regularly reviewed.
  • Longboard-specific shoes should be worn. This shoe will provide you with an excellent grip on your longboard.
  • Increase your speed only after you’ve mastered it.
  • Longboards and skateboards are not recommended for children under the age of five. Children aged 5 to 10 should be accompanied by an adult.
A boy wearing a helmet and gears
A boy wearing a helmet and gears

Differences Between Skateboarding and Longboarding

Even though longboarding and skateboarding are quite similar, you can still realize their differences by looking at their components and kinds of boards.

Let’s look at the table below to have a clear picture of how they differ.

Element Skateboarding Longboarding
Riding Short distance Long distance
Learning curve Steep Stable
Safety Fewer injuries More injuries
Ease of learning More Less
Speed Slower Fast
Tricks Can do all tricks Limited
Wheels Hard and smaller Big
Cost Cheaper Expensive
Durability Normal High
Styles Street, vert, bowl, mini ramp Downhill, freeriding, cruising, dancing
Weight Portable, lightweight Bulk, heavy

Conclusion

Now, you can answer the question: is longboarding safer than skateboarding?

Longboarding is a fun and thrilling sport to participate in. Before getting on your longboat, you should take the necessary precautions.

If you respect the procedures we’ve covered in this post, you shouldn’t have any problems. Thank you for taking the time to read the post!

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LongboardsGuide Team

Hi guys! We are LongboardsGuide team, welcome to our blog. We are here to help you choose the right gear to ride safely, together with Tom creating helpful tutorials and guides for beginners. Everyday I try to share my knowledge about it with all of you.