Introduction
Longboarding is riding on longboards of various shapes and sizes. Longboard riding is interesting. Compared to skateboard riding, longboards are more stable and durable having larger wheel size and lower wheel durometers.
There are many types and disciplines of longboards. There are four main Longboard riding styles, which are as follows:
- Downhill longboarding
- Freestyle Longboarding
- Cruising Longboarding
- Dancing
Though uphill longboarding is not on the list, still nowadays it has been a new craze. The parts that make up a longboard are trucks, deck, wheels, bushings, bearings. You can get fastest ABEC-9 best longboard bearings from MKL bearing.
Longboarding is one of the most interesting sports, it involves a lot of imagination. The techniques and skills you show on your board are only limited by your imagination and a little by physics.
Why longboarding uphill?
Climbing up an incline section on your swap path in between flatland and downhill sections is adventurous. When crossing longer distances, you may come across inclines that you need to climb and reach your ultimate destination which can be a flatland.
If you’re into freeriding, you may often ride down long devious roads that you can carve and slide on. Once you get to the bottom, chances are you’ll want to go back up again. For this uphill longboarding is necessary.
If you’re into longboard fitness or distance travelling, you may sometimes choose a path with a long devious upward incline for building up your pushing approach. You need to build skill in uphill longboarding for this.
How to do Longboard Uphill?
There are a few steps for going uphill while longboarding. The steps are pushing, pumping and walking. Which one is the best way among the three of them depends on the kind of hill you are facing, your skills and goals.
Pushing uphill requires good stamina and good slogging techniques to distribute the effort across your body. It’s a skill fitness longboarders work on and develop.
Uphill pumping is an art form as much as a physical skill. Physical skill is very important here. This technique also provides an intense full-body workout.
Walking with your longboard can be an effective and sporty option in some situations though it is not much spectacular. From all the three approaches, pushing is the best beginner longboard.
After determining your approach, you have to stand on your longboard. To begin, stand in the centre of your board with your feet while the knees are slightly bent. Then leaning forward and backwards will help to maintain your balance.
Techniques of Uphill Longboarding
Pushing, pumping and walking are the best techniques for uphill longboarding. Among them, pushing is the most natural techniques of longboarding uphill. Pumping is easier incase of flatlands.
When you are facing a short incline in between flatland and downhill, it’s easier to just kick or push the longboard as you would do on the flatlands. Another important technique is alternate pushing using both your feet. Once you learn this skill, it gives you a lot more strength for longboarding uphill on a long incline.
Pumping creates a stable momentum on your uphill longboarding. You need to put more weight on the front trucks of your board and do shorter, faster and forceful rotations with specific body motion. You need to find out the right balance between pump power and frequency.
Walking uphill induces simply hopping off your longboard. It is more efficient in terms of speed and effort.
Comparison with three techniques pushing is the best for beginners. Pushing up milder hills is a great workout but may be less efficient in terms of speed and effort. On steeper inclines pumping takes a lot more energy and slower than pushing uphill.
History of Longboarding and Uses
Longboarding started in the year 1950 from the thought of surfing in the land when the waves are too small to surf. The surfers of Hawaii made small versions of surfboards with wheels and used their surfing tricks on these.
It was not that popular till the year 1990 when sector 9 started mass producing and selling of longboards. This approach made longboarding more stable. People started to think about using longboard on different purposes.
From then the internet has played an important role in the publicity of longboarding. Longboarding becomes very popular among people in the year 2010. In case of making innovative models of longboards, high-quality and sturdy material is used.
In the year 2012, uphill longboarding was done first. And in this current age, this is quite popular among kids, teenagers, and adults. Now, this sport is relatively advanced. This is ideal for long-distance travelling.
Longboarding whether downhill or uphill has become a very popular sports event among the young generation. Many longboard competitions are arranged nowadays to increase the craze of it. Uphill longboarding is mainly used in travelling long-distance destinations.
Uphill longboard technique is used while carving on milder or steeper hills. For pushing the longboard uphill while on the hills, commuter – oriented longboards are the best as they have relatively large wheelbase.
For across longer distances, uphill longboarding is necessary and for this, a heavier or longer board and larger wheels are needed which will maintain the momentum from a push longer.
Final words
Uphill longboarding is an adventurous sport which is not that dangerous if proper safety precautions are taken. Still, there are some regulations on uphill skateboarding. All you need to do is build up your skills properly and take appropriate safety measures before longboarding uphill.
In terms of safety, it all depends on how well you are protected, you must wear a good quality leather suit, helmet, and protective pads. If you are protected properly you will enjoy the ride more than when you are not as there will be a chance of getting injured.
If you follow all the guidelines correctly you will face no problem in uphill longboarding. If you want to show off your skills you have to master in it and once you are mastered everybody will try to imitate you