Monday, July 6, 2009

Longboards, a new trend in skateboarding, are designed for comfortable long-distance riding

St. Petersburg Times, June 27
Author: Bob Putnam

[Longboards], which start at $159, are not for flipping on half-pipes or grinding on rails. Instead, they are designed for comfortable long-distance riding because the board is more flexible and the bigger wheels are made of softer plastic, allowing them to go over rough surfaces that could cause bone-crunching falls. Those characteristics are also why weaving back and forth propels the board faster and longer than it would on regular skateboards, and why there's little need for riders to use their feet to push.

Longboards are part of a new trend in skateboarding, especially among riders such as Bernardini, a 38-year-old attorney who is well outside the youth culture that defines the sport.

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