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As the name suggests, surfskate longboards are meant to emulate the movements and feelings of surfing, which is why some surfers use them as a training tool to improve their balance, coordination, skills, as well as work on their surfing style. However, surfskates are also becoming popular amongst snowboarders, and experienced skaters who want to try something challenging and different. While they may be most popular as a training tool for surfers and sometimes snowboarders, even if you don’t surf or snowboard, and have no intention to, you can enjoy this fun and exciting board sport.
All skateboarding is, is putting ideas into action.
– Marc Johnson
The Real Surfing on the Streets
Most people choose a skateboard type based their preferred riding style and their intentions with the board. In other words, if you want to learn and perform tricks or jumps, get an old school skateboard, if you want to cruise the streets, get a cruiser skateboard or a longboard, but if you want to surf the streets you should buy a surfskate longboard. Surf skating is neither skateboarding nor longboarding. The main thing that makes a surfskate different from a traditional longboard or skateboard is the truck system. Furthermore, a surf skateboard is heavier than a skateboard and isn’t made for stunts and jumps. When you are surf skating, you don’t have to push the ground like you would if you were riding a longboard or a skateboard. However, if you are looking for speed, a longboard might a better option than a surfskate, especially if you want to do speed races or travel long distances.
The Perfect Training Tool for Surfers
Even though skateboards were inspired by surfboards, and both have always been connected, this board sport goes a step further, which is why it has the word “surf” in its name. While both sports are meant to emulate surfing, surfskate skateboards are designed to run with the movements your body would make in surfing, like when you are trying to gain speed, as well as the sensations you’d get from surfing, much more precisely. This is probably one of the reasons why in the last years, surf skating has been growing in popularity.
All of this explains why a surfskate is such a good training tool for surfers. Aside from letting beginners practice balance and coordination, surfboarding is a great activity to practice and improve their overall surfing skills. While no two waves are the same, and there is little chance for most people to perform their movements over and over again, when you are surfboarding you to practice and correct your posture, as well as try a lot of different variations and manouevres. And the best part is that unlike surfing, you can go surf skating whenever, wherever, and however long you want.
So there are many benefits you can get as a surfer if you decide to use a surfskate to practice. Essentially, this sport can not only be very fun and beneficial for your physical health, but it can also improve your overall surfing skills.
- Opportunity for more experience and knowledge
- Improved balance over the surfboard
- Improved body posture over the surfboard
- Improved surf style
- Improved coordination
- Improved skills for manouevring – pumping, bottom turn, top turn, cut back
Surfskaters For Beginners
If you are thinking about buying your first board, and you are new to boarding, there are many reasons why you might choose a surfskate longboard, but the model you choose will depend on your personal taste and expectations. If you are without any experience in surfing or skateboarding, you should go for a longer and wider board because it will feel more stable. And of course, you should wear protective gear, including a good pair of skate shoes, a helmet, knee and elbow pads and wrist guards.
Truck System made for Surfing-Like Movements
The movements that surf skateboards allow are achieved by a special surfskate truck system, which is the main thing that separates them from other types of skateboards and longboards. These surfskate trucks are designed to perform a dynamic push and they serve as the fulcrum of the surfskate and allow the necessary tight rotations, carving, corners, etc., to provide you with the feeling of surfing on the streets. The truck systems and how they behave and which movements they allow, differ from brand to brand, so you’ll have to choose which one feels best to you. The first brand to manufacture a surfskate truck, Carver, remains the leading company in this board sport and a favourite amongst surfskate boarders.
The most used track systems for surfskates are Carver CX and Carver C7. The first is more rigid and lighter, while the latter is considered to be the most surf-like option. The angle of rotation is practically the same between the two. However, Carver CX is more multipurpose, which means that it’s more suitable if you want to also use them as a longboard or even for some manouevres in the park. With a Carver C7 system, you can make sharp, tight and smooth turns, as well as pump to accelerate more easily. It’s not as suitable for speed and for the park, but it’s more suitable for people without skateboarding experience.
