Since longboarding got viral years ago, college students exceeded everyone in opting for this source of enjoyment. As the vast college premises tire students, a longboard is a healthy option for commuting distances. Longboarding in college saves your energy, time as well as keeps you healthy. You can reach the library on a longboard much faster than going there on foot. 

Here, I (Andrew Norris) will mention the pros and cons of riding a longboard in college. Also, this thorough description includes some exciting tips on how to ride a longboard perfectly in the college. Furthermore, you will come to know how to choose the best longboard for campus traveling.

Best Longboards for College or Campus Riding

Longboarding in College

For a complete and in-depth discussion, we have to talk about both the benefits and drawbacks of longboarding in college. The good thing here is that all of the disadvantages we have discussed below can be tackled easily by taking care of a few essential rules. Still, if you have some distractions, go through the buying guide then as most probably it will lessen all the risks you are afraid of.

Advantages of Longboarding in College

First of all, wherever you ride a longboard, it will surely provide an ultimate joy to you. But, doing the same thing in college or school around your friends increases the delight even more and amazes everyone.

Every longboard enthusiast wants a responsive longboard, and in an experts’ opinion, a responsive board makes the rider active accordingly. Riding it makes your blood flow, making it easy for you to relax and release the stress caught by additional classes. 

Most of the colleges are bigger area-wise, and it evolves as tiring to walk from one end of the college to another. Therefore, having a longboard under your feet reduces the distances as well as saves your time. As you go faster, you feel lighthearted, and save your essential time in the busy college routine. 

Students residing outside the college premises should always consider the best longboard for commuting. A commuting longboard will help hosteler students to reach the college and attend essential classes on time. Also, a long distance can make you tired if you cover it on foot. Instead, covering the same distance on a longboard will have additional advantages of getting relaxed, saving time, and reaching the destination without issues.

Disadvantages of Riding a Longboard in College

Handling the longboard while being in the college is a hectic that you’ll always have to bear. You’ll be carrying the longboard every time that may seem awkward sometimes. Finding a portable, lightweight, and smaller longboard can help reduce the pain. You can also go for a backpack specified for holding longboards.

Its obvious that pushing the longboard can get you full of sweat, especially when the wheels of your longboard aren’t responding well and you have to cover a lot of distance. In return, all the sweating will ruin your looks and the way you prepared yourself for college classes.

A simple solution to the described problem would be to wear a random shirt while keeping the original one in the backpack. Move to the college, change in the restroom, and go to the class in a proper dress.

Tips for longboarding in the College

Here we are with the most exciting part of our topic. If you apply the tips that we are going to mention below, there are strong chances that there will be no drawback left for campus longboarding. Go through each one and imply that is doable for you with ease.

Know the College Rules:

The first and foremost thing to consider before riding a longboard in the college is to know about all the regulations defined for longboarding by the college authorities. Most colleges don’t allow skaters to skate inside the building and corridor. Don’t get yourself in trouble by getting banned from skating due to illegal riding. 

Know the Routes:

Knowing all the college pathways is necessary for you. Once you are aware of multiple passages, you’ll never get stuck in a crowded area, instead, you’ll opt for an alternate path that can help you reach the destination on time. Also, you will always want to avoid rough pathways and ride on smoother ones to keep your longboard safe. 

Prefer you Riding Style:

If there are steep hills in your college and you plan to ride through them, make sure that there are no pedestrians on the road. We highly recommend you not to try downhill skating if you are not good at handling the longboard at a slightly higher pace.  

Longboard Braking:

It is essential to know how to instantly stop while riding your longboard at any pace. Other students and pedestrians are walking every time around the college roads. Any collision with students may get you into an unwanted collision or an obstacle may injure you. 

Longboard Bailing:

Try out some basic skills of bailing. Among the longboard riders, baling means jumping off the longboard and keeping yourself in balance. Before you jump off, make sure to push the longboard backward, so that the longboard slows down. If bailing is not suitable for you for any reason, you can opt for foot braking, an essential technique to stop a moving longboard. In this case, cleaning your longboard thoroughly and longboarding shoes will help you a lot.

Riding in the Rain:

Mostly the weather gets mad in the US within not time, making the road wet everywhere. Wet tracks usually put skaters on sliding. If you still plan to ride the longboard in the rain, make sure you go slow. Do not forget to wear safety gear like a helmet, knee pads, and sliding gloves. 

Longboard Placing:

Keeping the longboard at a safe place is another important factor. When you are in a college class, find a proper place where you can place the longboard upside down. You can also go for foldable longboards that are easier to manage especially in college conditions. 

Safety First:

Lastly, you should always wear a helmet wherever you plan to ride. It is not specified for college riding only. The head above our neck is the most sensitive part of our body, and we should always keep it safe from collisions after any mishap.

College Longboard | Buying Guide

Longboarding in college becomes more joyous and addictive when you have a supportive longboard under your feet. Like many other riding styles, this one also requires a suitable longboard in terms of responsiveness, quick turns, and assuring the safety of the rider. Let’s dive into the features that are essential for commuting on a longboard in college.

Speed:

We relate commuting to longboarding in college, it means you have to cover short and long distances with your longboard. Therefore, always consider a board that can travel with little push. The goal here is to reduce the rider’s effort and consume less energy while pushing. This is achievable when the wheels are harder. So, let’s understand what wheels will react better in achieving high-speed levels in less time.

College Longboard | Wheels and Bearings:

The longboard rollers are available in different dimensions as you can see in the diagram below. In the longboarding world, harder wheels are preferred a lot for riding at higher speeds. On the other hand, if you want to stay on the safe side, make sure you opt soft pair of wheels. If you want to ride your longboard regularly on your campus, 70mm wheels will do an excellent job in both maximizing the pace as well as stability.

Trucks:

Trucks play a vital role in turns which means it depends on your own choice. First, understand if you have to take a lot of turns while commuting in college or not. If there are more turns than usual, go for the reverse kingpin trucks with 180mm in size. This size allows maneuverability, helps in bearings rider’s weight, and to the point turns. In case, you don’t face too many hurdles and go straight often, both reverse kingpin and traditional trucks can work equally well for you.

Deck Length and Design:

The weight of the longboard increases with its length and a commuter requires a lightweight board according to experienced skaters. But we don’t see much difference in our commuting rides due to the weight of the deck. Therefore, you can go for a 36-42 inches deck with a drop-through design. A drop-through deck brings stability to your rides and disappear the chances of falling off the longboard.

People Also Ask

Are Longboards good for Campus?

Longboarding in college is better than walking and it is probably the major reason to buy a longboard for the campus. The students look attractive when traveling on a board around the college. Moreover, it helps you reach the campus earlier than walking.

What longboard is good for college?

There are two choices that you can avail of for longboarding in college, cruiser boards and drop-through boards. But we found advanced-level skaters recommending cruisers the most. Therefore the drop-through deck might be good for campus but for a remarkable skating journey, go for cruiser boards.

Is it good to longboard in college and school?

If the surface in school and college is suitable for longboarding you should, otherwise it will ruin the construction of your board. In simple words, the surface should be supportive which you get most of the time.

Final Say

Some skating lovers have been asking about longboarding in college for a long time and why they should not. It is among the latest additions to longboard riding styles. Therefore, BoardsOnTop has made it easier for all the current and upcoming longboard riders regarding how to longboard in the campus. We talk about tips, tricks, and safety guidance for longboarding in college. Also, go through the buying if you are really looking forward to investing in a longboard for college use. Our suggestion for best college longboard is given below.