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Longboard Skating
by Thebaker50
I have only been longboarding for a short time, and started in the june 2012. The reason I was interested in longboarding is that I needed a hobby that I could do on my own at variable times each week. Things like football practice etc were no good for me, because y timetable is highly variable, so I might be able to make it one week, ... and then not be able to go for about a month! Anyway, I finally bit the bullet and bought a saltrock classic cruiser for 60 quid whilst on holiday near a beach, and just went up and down the promanade, and absoultely loved it. I should note that a 60 quid longboard is very cheap, and thus i guess is the quality. Most longboards will set you back £100-£300 or so (and this doesn't even include everything, sometimes that is just for the deck, etc).
Anyway, I am very bad at longboarding, a point proven about a month ago when I fell off it and broke my little finger, OUCH, so I haven't been out on it since (just waiting for my finger to fix first). I should point out this is an expensive sport to get into, if you are starting from scratch, I would say spend around £100 on a longboard (I kinda regret getting mines, the quality just is a bit naff for going down hills, its great on even ground though, its to do with the brushings being poor quality, and maybe the trucks too?). Also, you will want knee/elbow/wrist pads, I got mine for 12 quid from sports direct. Also (and this is what I am saving up for), I would get some slide gloves (to help protect those little fingers), which you can either make youself (although I don't have the courage yet for this), or you can buy from amazon for around 40 quid. So all in all, I would say not a cheap sport. But I guess once you get all the stuff, its pretty cheap to do, there is no additional costs, except perhaps the cost of replacing worn bits, and upgrading should you want (In the uk, upgrading is very expensive due to most parts coming from america. A decent set of wheels is gonna be around 40 quid!).
I should note there are different disiplines in longboarding:
Downhill: first one to the bottom is a rotten egg, players hit around 40-50 mph one a piece of wood!
Cruise/commute: Just using your board to get around the place (I like this one)
LDP: Long distance push/pump, kinda liek a longboard maraton, my maximum distance so far is 12 miles! Again I like this one.
Salom: Place out cones, and get between them in the fasted time without hitting any. There are variations of this depending on board size, design etc.
Freeride: Get down a hill whilst doing tricks (called slides, the aim here is not to go fast, unlike downhill)
Dancing: Basically just doing tricks at a street level.
Different longboards do better at different things. For example, a downhill longboard will be more secure, and will turn less, compared with say a dancing board. This is why there are so many shapes on longboard, and to go through it all will take forever, you just sort of have to find out youself depending on what you like.
2 problems with longboarding from my point of view are a: UK roads are very bumpy, unliek roads in the US, so you will need bigger wheels, and won't be able to do as much stuff compared to them. And b, the danger, I just wish it was a very safe sport, but sadly it isn't. I have learnt my lesson, and won't be pushing myself beyond my comfort zone, as well as wearing more protective gear.
Overall though, its a very fun sport, and I just hope one day I get good at it. I give it 4/5
Anyway, if you want more information, check out silverfishlongboarding, thats a forum for all longboarders.
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Stateside Skate Helmet
by Thebaker50
This skateside helmet is a sort of bmx style helmet, and comes in various colours and sizes. I personally have the camoflage coloured one, and I think it looks awesome. It is all soft and padded on the inside, and feels like it will take a hell of a lot more of a beating compared with a normal cyclinc helmet (those things seem to ... disintegrate if they are left outside in the rain on the floor for too long, my helmet gets chucked around a lot, and doesn't really show any problems!). Although I have to say if I was in the market for a new helmet, I would get the one from No fear, my friend got one from sportsdirect for less than a tenner (I got my helmet for 20 quid), and his lokos loads better (my firend got his in a special offer, down from 50 odd quid).
Anyway, this helmet is like a plastic shell, inside which there is about an inch of padding, before your head. You simply slide your head inside, and you feel all safe! there is also an adjustable clip to put around your neck. However this helmet doesn't have much in the way of width adjustment, you just have to measure your head before you buy your helmet, and select the size appropriately.
I should probably mention at this point tha tmy brother hates this helmet, he says it just looks too weird and isn't normal. I response to him has been for him to get his own helmet then if he didn't like mine, yet he has so far declined to do so (I have a feeling he may just be jealous!).
Overall then, this is a pretty good helmet. I cannot comment on how safe it is, as luckily I have never had to use it yet, but it is pretty good, just a little bit bulkier and heavier compared with a normal helmet, but considering I have had mine for over 4 years now, and it still looks just as good as the day that I got it (it has been used in the rain, stored in the shed over winter, trodden on, dropped, even left outside overnight once), I think I can be pretty certain it won't let me down should I ever fall. Overall then I give this 4/5. I detucted 1 point just because of the other helmet I saw being cheaper in the special offer. But I would say this is a pretty dang good helmet.
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