Passionate skaters always try to take their skateboard along with them wherever they go. Skateboarding is all fun until you have to carry it. Skateboards, particularly longboards, are challenging to carry, even for a few minutes. Carrying a skateboard is a lot harder than learning skateboard tricks. No one can relate to my statement more than someone who owns a longboard and has carried it a few times.
Well, say goodbye to the old traditional ways of carrying a skateboard that leaves you tired. Make your life easy and learn the new and easy ways of carrying a longboard with us. Here are a few practical ways that have helped me a lot in getting rid of this tedious task. Learn how to carry a longboard from our guide if you want to enjoy your trips and longboard rides to the fullest.
How to Carry a Longboard
Skateboarders have been carrying their skateboards in the same old ways regardless of what type of skateboard they own. Anyway, all those skaters looking for hassle-free ways of carrying a longboard should keep reading this article. Here is the list of ideas you can use to carry your longboard. We will discuss them in detail one by one.
Carrying the Longboard by Hands
The most common way of carrying a longboard is to take it in your hands and walk. However, this method has some limitations. We don't recommend this if you are going somewhere far, your skateboard deck is long, or you are already carrying other heavy stuff in your hand.
However, if you are still in a situation where you have to carry your 40+ inches longboard, we suggest tucking it under your arms like a surfing board. This will make your task a lot easier and less tiring. While tucking it under your arms, ensure the grip tape of your board is not facing the clothes, so they don't get worn out. If these methods are not feasible for you, you can use your shoulders and put the longboard on them, hug the longboard on your chest with both hands, or grab it from trucks and walk.
Use a Shoulder Strap
This is it if you are looking for a hands-free way of carrying your longboard. It's convenient for carrying a longboard, and a shoulder strap doesn't cost much. Moreover, it is not bothersome. You can even wear it while cruising. The only thing we didn't like about this belt was the comfort. If you wear it for a long time, you will surely get muscle soreness. It has many benefits, too, like keeping your hand free and can be wrapped easily around your board. Just pull it over your shoulders and you are good to go.
Carry it in a Shoulder Bag
Another easy way of carrying a longboard is putting them in backpacks. The longboard shoulder bags are not precisely a backpack but look similar to usual backpacks. These specially designed shoulder bags are commonly available in the market that you can use to carry your longboards if you are traveling somewhere far or on a trip. The bag dimensions favor the skaters as most longboards fit in this bag perfectly.
They are better than shoulder straps in many ways. They are easy to carry and offer more protection and comfort than other longboard methods. The longboard shoulder bags have a single strap. All you have to do is put your longboard inside the bag and cross it over your shoulder. What I like the most is that it is lightweight and very space friendly. It won't take up a lot of space and can be stored anywhere. You can also fold the bag when not in use.
I find shoulder bags very convenient and highly recommend them to all the skaters planning to go on a long-distance trip with their friends and family. Your board will be covered entirely, unlike the shoulder strap method, so you don't have to worry about scratches. Moreover, carrying a longboard in this bag is super easy and won't cause any shoulder aches even if you hold it for a long time. However, the material of the bag is thin and not permanently waterproof. Also, the shoulder strap has no pad, which causes discomfort sometimes.
Use a Backpack
Backpacks are the simplest and most convenient way of carrying stuff for youngsters. But do you know you can use a backpack to carry your longboard and ease your task to many folds? If not, then try it out now. You will realize backpacks are not just for carrying books and how functional a backpack can be when carrying a skateboard.
However, if you want to carry your longboard in a backpack, the size of your board and backpack should match, or you will ruin your bag. A longboard with a shorter deck won't be an issue when you try carrying it in your backpack as it will fit smoothly, but a 40+ inch long can be troublesome.
You won't like carrying 40 inches longboard in a backpack if your longboard keeps hitting you from the back as you walk, right? Here is a hack for this you can try to carry your skateboard by backpack. Try to use only the straps of the bags and fit your board there in a way that your board faces your back while the wheels protrude away from you. This way, you can carry even very longboards comfortably and efficiently.
You can also use backpacks designed mainly to carry longboards. They are durable and come with padded shoulder straps and back to offer incredible comfort. Besides the longboard, you can also carry your essentials and gear inside this bag. Still, carrying an extra long longboard in this bag is an issue as they swing against the legs. Also, they are heavier and cost a lot. So before you invest your money in these bags, don't forget to measure your longboard. You should give it a shot if it fits your longboard well and you have a budget.
Using a Traveling Bag
Using a traveling bag for carrying a longboard sounds strange, but these bags are not classic. Although they are bulkier and cost much more than the other options, they are safest when you are in a situation where you are carrying your longboard with you somewhere far. Moreover, this is the only suitable way of carrying the longboards if traveling by air.
However, flying with longboards is not easy, so we always recommend wrapping them in a blanket before you put them inside a bag just to be safe. You can use a traveling bag you usually use, but if you have the budget, you should check out some fantastic longboard traveling bags. They are reliable, safer, and can carry longboards without any length limitations. Moreover, if you are not taking a lot of stuff while traveling, you can use other pockets of these traveling bags to put your stuff in them and travel with just this bag. Isn't it interesting?
Why You Should Carry a Longboard
Many of you must be wondering why you need to carry a longboard, specially non-skaters, right? Skaters encounter many situations where they can't begin or continue their journey while cruising. This is when you are left with no other option and have to carry your board yourself. So if you are a new skater, you might not have encountered such situations yet, so hear me out. Following are the situations where you can utilize the learned methods of carrying a longboard like a pro.
FAQs
If you are trying to learn the basics of skateboarding, you should go for a longboard, as it offers more stability. However, if you are interested in learning skateboard tricks, a skateboard will do wonders for you because it is super lightweight. So it depends on your needs and what your interest is.
A beginner should start their skateboard journey with a longboard. Longboards are designed to favor beginners and offer maximum stability to the riders. So a board with a broader deck and larger wheels is always a suitable choice for a beginner.
Longboarding is an aerobic activity that burns many calories because of the physical work involved. Longboarding is a great cardio exercise and also makes your body more flexible.
You go to different places and sometimes get a chance to explore nature and visit beautiful places, which is why many people find longboarding relaxing apart from their interests.
You can keep riding your longboard on bumpy roads, but experts don't recommend this because it damages your board's wheels. Also, you can injure yourself badly if you lose your balance and fall. Therefore, always avoid rough terrains or bumpy roads if you are still learning skateboarding.
The most significant benefit you can get by riding a longboard is muscle strength and flexibility. It is a regular workout that will strengthen your leg muscles as you push, turn, kick, and do other longboarding tricks. Moreover, it also provides core strength and builds abs.
Conclusion
Skateboarding is a very cool activity, and youngsters love it. They go to their schools, roam around town, or visit parks on their longboards. But every skater faces a situation where they must carry their longboard instead of riding it. So here are some methods that we recommend in such situations.