Ever since the rise of longboarding, this products’ market became oversaturated on the lower end. Intrigued people can find complete products that start at a low price range and are of inferior quality. Buying the wrong board right from the start can demolish the joy in the long run for you. As a beginner, you want to look at entry-level longboards of a certain quality. If you’re not familiar with the industry, you probably don’t know their brands’ names and what to look for when buying a longboard.
To completely understand what type of longboard is the right one for you, you’ll have to conclude which riding style is your preferred one. First, let’s introduce you to the different riding styles. That will help you decide on a brand offering the right product for your way of sidewalk surfing.
Cruising
When a board falls under the cruiser category, it’s tailored to deliver a reliable, comfortable, and smooth ride. It’s going to make an excellent device for your everyday commuting, transportation, and experience the art of street-surfing in urban and suburban areas.
Freeriding
Freeriding is the type of longboarding most people outside of the sport may associate with the term. It’s the art of riding downhill while shifting your board (and yourself) sideways, making your wheels and specifically padded gloves coast on the ground. The slides do not just look very appealing; they also help the skater arrange their speed.
Freestyle
The most self-expressive way of riding a longboard is called freestyle. It’s your way of doing maneuvers, tricks, and dance moves with your board. It’s incredibly accessible to everyone globally, as all that you need (aside from your longboard) is a flat surface.
Downhill
The thrill of pushing the physical and humanly possible limits while blasting down gigantic hills is what longboarders call downhill. The adrenaline rush that will last one during the entire ride is an intriguing concept to some. Even if you’re not interested in racing on a plank of wood, I highly recommend going to see a race at least once in your life.
Once you know how you want to enjoy your ride, you can start to look into the various longboard manufacturers. Many companies offer something for every type of style but begin to shine in one specific department.
Below is a compiled list of the best longboard brands in no particular order. It doesn’t matter how much you know about longboards in the first place; as long as you buy from them, you’ll be safe.
Some of the discussed brands focus more on the high-end section of the sport, while others only have great entry-level options. While all of their boards’ quality is outstanding, the difference in the implemented technology will show in the price. You will always get your money’s worth with the mentioned names, but it could reach people’s limits with smaller wallets or might scare those interested away.
Contents
First on the list is the most prominent brand in many skate shops, especially in Europe. The company from Spain keeps providing people with high-quality products since 2012.
Long Island has a vast array of longboards for all types of riding and levels of experience. Whether you’re a starter or have been skating for a while, chances are they offer a product you’d love to own.
Once you’ve reached an intermediate level of skill, the brand also has a collection of high-end products for you, called the EX Series. Their professional team riders are highly involved in the development process of this series. The EX Series contains quality improving materials such as fiberglass, carbon plates, and bamboo.
Shortly after Arbor made its mark in the snowboard industry, they started to repurpose the old boards. At first, it was merely a skateboard concept with a large wheelbase to gain stability while bombing hills. That concept ultimately led the brand to their longboards’ manufacturing process.
What causes them to stand out is the excellent price for the performance you’re getting, making them a very appealing choice for beginners.
They focus on freestyling and cruising for most of their products, which most riders (especially starters) do.
It is worth mentioning that they emphasize projects that diminish their carbon footprint and save the environment.
What makes the California based brand Sector 9 stand out is their consistently high quality among their large amount of goods and product types. The massive array of products is almost unmatched.
The impressive technology in a lot of their products makes each of their boards a no-brainer to buy. You can’t go wrong with a longboard from Sector 9.
A beginner may be overwhelmed by their selection. However, that proves that it doesn’t matter where you are or how you ride; Sector 9 will always be a go-to brand.
Landyachtz passion started as a fun way to commute between classes. The Canadians fell in love with the act of skating and eventually started their own company, which we know and love today. Many skaters consider them to be the best brand in the industry.
They offer a premium product for all riding types while being cautious of the environment, as they will plant a tree for every board sold.
Just like car manufacturers, they have a big emphasis on racing to develop their latest technologies.
One of the most recognizable brands on this list released its first product in the year 2002. Since then, Loaded became a household name in the industry.
Aside from the fact that they consistently produce high-quality products, it’s also very likely that they’ll specifically have something on their shelf that you want.
Their price point is slightly higher than some entry-level brands, but it is worth it!
The Vancouver-based brand Rayne is at the forefront when it comes to innovation. Their list of designs and board technology speaks for itself.
Rayne is a premium longboard company for downhill, freeride, and freestyle. At their factory, they use eco-friendly materials to build their best possible longboards.
While they deliver fantastic freestyle decks, they start to shine in their downhill department.
Santa Cruz is the longest-running skateboard brand in existence. Their distribution company, based in Santa Cruz, California, was founded in 1973. The business also distributes the following big names in the skateboarding industry next to Santa Cruz: Creature, Mob, Bronson, Independent, Krux, Ricta, OJ, Road Rider, Slimeballs, Bullet, and NorCal Clothing. They know without a doubt how to transform the art of surfing onto the asphalt.
Even though they focus on skateboarding, if you’re looking for a quality longboard to start, you should look into the completes they offer. Santa Cruz’s longboards are great for cruising and as a general commuting vehicle.
Due to the lack of skateboarding goods in Australia during the sport’s earlier days, the brothers Stephen, Peter, and Matt Hill founded Globe in 1994. Skateboarders know and love Globe for their popular skateboarding shoes. While they completely rock that department, they also offer a handful of complete longboards, which may be just for you if you want something to cruise and commute.
While it may not be the go-to choice for many advanced riders, beginners don’t make the wrong choice when they decide to start on one of their boards.
Coming to you from the UK, the passionate riders behind the brand Lush have been making boards since 1999. The brand is skater owned and operated; while many brands let a woodshop press their products, Lush does it all by themselves. They do this to keep putting out the best possible shapes and decks in general. The company achieves outstanding quality in their products, as they work with complex materials such as latex to improve their board technology.
Before releasing a product, they put it through intense testing and rework the design until it acts how they want it.
Everything you’d want from a longboard, one from Lush will fulfill.
If that isn’t enough for you, how about slide gloves from the same people? This company provides you with all the tools you need for the ultimate ride and genuinely built products to last.
Final Words
All of those brands have their heart in the right place and deserve to be on this list of the best longboard brands in 2021. Many of them are skater owned and started because the people were passionate about what they were doing, even when there wasn’t this massive market that there is now. They keep pushing the envelope, and their secret to the success they eventually achieved was that it was in their most profound interest to deliver the best product possible.
Longboarding is a sport about expressing yourself. As long as you’re having fun and enjoying the ride, you’re doing the right thing. After all, the sport was born because surfers tried to emulate the feeling of riding waves on the asphalt.
Since then, people have managed to master the production and riding of skateboards and longboards. It’s crazy to think that the thing we most love grew out of the craving for fun.
Whatever may be your preferred style of riding, I want you to remember its roots and never stop having fun.
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