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Landlocked? Longboarding Is An Awesome Replacement For Surfing

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In a perfect world, we all live by the sea with rolling waves that you can surf on all year long. But landlocked states need not fret! If you’ve always wanted to try surfing but don’t have access to the ocean, or you just want to be a better surfer when you can get back to the waves, longboarding is one of the best ways to get that feeling. In fact, that’s how longboarding even got its start. A group of bored surfers wanted to bring surfing to their streets, so they created “street surfing” by bolting  wheels and trucks onto some plywood that they shaped like smaller surfboards. They then used their surfing moves on small hills. 

Reasons Why Longboarding Is Awesome

Photo by Will Royce.

Here are some of our favorite reasons why longboarding is an awesome replacement for surfing. 

  • Longboarding requires a very similar technique to balance and control the board that you need in surfing.
  • Both activities activate the same muscles in your body, so longboarding keeps you surf ready all year long. 
  • Learning to cruise and carve provides a very similar feel to carving on a wave.
  • Certain tricks can be practiced and applied to both longboarding and surfing. Always wanted to nail the hang ten? Learn on a longboard first. 
  • If you have a skatepark with bowls or a pump track, you can get pretty close to the exact feeling of surfing

If these aren’t enough reasons already, here are a few things to think about that make longboarding a better option than surfing. Longboarding is cleaner! You don’t have to worry about sand everywhere or changing your clothes. You can longboard in pretty much any outfit. You’ll also get more time on the board, because there is no line for longboarding and no waiting for a perfect wave to catch. Longboarding is also a much cheaper option! Surfboards can cost into the upper hundreds and into the thousands. We’ve found some pretty solid longboard options for under $100, can’t beat that!

Inspired by the dark sand beaches along the road to Hana in Maui, all of the decks of Magneto’s Hana Collection are made with a beautiful laminated stained bamboo.

Three Options For Beginner Longboarders

Below are our top 3 options from our friends at Magneto that are perfect for beginner longboarders looking for the feeling of riding the waves. 

Magneto Hana Pintail Longboard

If you’re looking to cruise on a longboard, the Hana Pintail board is a sure bet.

Aesthetically, this board is just about as close to surfing as you can get, because of the surf inspired graphics. The classic pintail shape offers a stable ride great for balancing. 

Magneto Cruise Glider

If you like to go on long rides and want your board to coast and glide over the road the Cruise Glider is a great option for you.

This is one of the most unique and surf-style rides you can find on a longboard because of the thin wheels. The back of this board can even drift, giving you the experience of carving up a glassy wave.

Magneto Mini Cruiser Skateboard Tribal

If you’re looking to have fun everywhere you go the mini cruiser is a must.

Another not mentioned reason to longboard, portability! These mini cruisers are the size of a regular skateboard but have large, soft wheels that ride like a longboard (and by default, like a surf board!) 

Inspired by our SoCal surf roots in Carlsbad CA, these boards are made for cruising and carving.


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