Downhill Longboards
Are you interested in a downhill longboard? Then you're certainly an adrenaline junkie for whom chill cruising and carving is no longer enough - and honestly, who could blame you? Once you've raced down the slope at 100 km/h, there's only one thought left: do it again! ###
In the throes of speed
Since you can sometimes reach speeds of up to 100 km/h when downhilling, it's clear that your board has to have some special properties, without which the whole thing would simply be suicidal. We explain here what requirements a decent downhill board should meet.
The biggest problem with downhill is the risk of losing control of the longboard. This usually happens because conventional axles start to wobble at a speed of around 50 km/h. You can imagine this as if the board were tired. You can imagine this as if you were riding pretty fast over an extremely uneven track. It's clear that it's almost impossible to keep control of your board.
To avoid this when downhill, the decks of the boards are equipped with a lowered standing surface. This ensures that you use your weight to ensure that the axles do not start to wobble. The secret is that the pressure point you exert on the board is below the axle pivot point.
Other advantages of these "lowered" boards are better control in turns and easier bumping. The downside is that downhill decks are often very sluggish on trails with lots of turns and are difficult to steer.
Sliding is crucial in downhill riding
To be able to slide properly with the downhill board, two other characteristics are important. First, it is important that the deck has recesses in the area of the wheels. In this way, the two components of your longboard do not come into contact and can not misjudge each other (wheelbites). On the other hand, the wheels themselves play an important role. They should not only be small (speed!), but also have rounded edges to slide perfectly.
The characteristics of a downhill longboard:
- Very low flex
- Lowered footprint
- Recesses in the area of the wheels
- Small wheels with rounded edges (for sliding)
Only something for professionals
If you decide to try your hand at downhilling, you should be 100 percent clear about what you are doing. This discipline is only something for true professionals who control their board perfectly and have a lot of experience. Downhill is not a style for longboard beginners - no matter how good the board is that you want to buy for it.
For this reason, it is also very important that you make sure you have good equipment. A helmet and joint protectors are just as important as gloves, which are used for deep slides and help you not to slip away in the turn. Many downhillers also swear by upper body armor. The rule here is clearly: safety first. If you fall while downhill and are not protected, you can suffer serious injuries.
In any case, downhill is always associated with a good portion of thrill - that should be clear to every longboarder. If you are interested in this fast-paced riding style, it is important that you find the perfect longboard for it. It must guarantee you absolute control and must not suddenly break out even at high speeds. A deep base, a stiff deck and rounded wheels will help you to really enjoy your descents.
